Ball-Patch work-up advice

[Ed C.]

I took all of yinz advice, and I went out to the shooting range in my backyard. It was challenging today at 9 a.m. - very hot (85 deg F) and humid (82%). I was sweating buckets just standing there shooting. Occasionally there was a misting rain. The powder was caking up in my pan and powder horn spouts, and I was getting a lot of hang fires. I wonder how much the weather played a role in my shooting results today.

Good to see you experimenting with different patch combos. I would ask you to try one more thing. Load the ball with a patch moistened with a dawn/water solution, 25/75. Push that down with a patch moistened with the same solution over a jag. Quick and easy experiment, no exotic ingredients needed.

 

[Harry Marinakis]

Good to see you experimenting with different patch combos. I would ask you to try one more thing. Load the ball with a patch moistened with a dawn/water solution, 25/75. Push that down with a patch moistened with the same solution over a jag. Quick and easy experiment, no exotic ingredients needed.

I tried that today according the advice of @Buckskinquin (post #10)
I used a spit patch to seat the patch/ball.
It didn't make any difference.

 

[Ed C.]

I tried that today according the advice of @Buckskinquin (post #10)
I used a spit patch to seat the patch/ball.
It didn't make any difference.

OK, surprising, but now you know.

 

[Sandro_Ventania]

I see these dry patches. Try leaving them with more lubricant, as part of this lubricant has to remain in the barrel to keep the scale soft. Also consider polishing that barrel.

 

[M. De Land]

I have a heavily-used 35-year old .50 cal rifled flintlock. New to me.

I've been shooting a .490 ball with 0.015" pillow ticking strips, cut at the muzzle. 50 grains of powder. After about 10 shots, I really have to bounce the ramrod to get the ball down the last 6 inches. Someone said my spent patches looked okay.

I tried 0.018" pillow ticking patches, but it was pretty difficult to start the ball and ram it down the barrel. I also tried 0.020" but I had to use a metal range rod the ram the ball down.

Now I am trying 0.495 balls with 0.015" pillow ticking. Ramming doesn't feel any different from .490 balls. Here are my spent patches from my first 10 shots down a clean barrel.

Advice?

View attachment 331490

I have been shooting muzzle loaders for over 50 years and have acquired some ideas along the way having tried most methods described here. My conclusion for general use in most conditions is that one needs patch material in the .018 thousands range with a tight weave and of pure cotton. The ball size needs to be of enough diameter to get a patch weave imprint on it from both land and groove.
Temperature and humidity have a large effect as well for fouling control day to day and needs loading adjustment to them. What works well on hot dry days will need some adjustment to cold and humid days.
Short starters help level the adjustment curve I have found.
It would be great if one loading method would suffice for all conditions but I have found this is not really very practical and some flexibility in loading needs be employed for the condition encountered.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Wiping every ten shots is not good. I go no more than 5 shots between wipes. And bouncing the ramrod is never a good thing. I don't care what some old timer may say but bouncing a ramrod to me is ranks right up there with blowing down the barrel, unnecessary.

When you bounce the ramrod against the ball you're deforming that side of the ball with each bounce, which is going to affect the accuracy of you're shot. I'm sure somebody is going to tell me I'm wrong but I don't care. I stand by what I say.

 

[Grenadier1758]

In my humble opinion, @Sidney Smith is right.

 

[hanshi]

You should probably swab out the bore every 3-5 shots or what works best for you. My recommendation for a lube is Hoppes #9 Black Powder patch Lube. You can also use it for swabbing out the bore.

I don't swab out the bore until I'm through shooting for the day. I also load "tight" combos. For a .50 rifle I use a .490" ball and a well lubed .024" canvas patch. The theory to "never swabbing" is to get the prb to swab for you each time you reload. Save that for later and swab for now; it's common practice and works as well today as it did 200 years ago.

 

[shorthair]

Patches are too dry it appears..
Bear grease makes a good patch lube.
Among other things…

Makes great donuts but I'll kill something else for natural patch lube. Thank you .
Best fat pill in Dutch oven over wood burning stove, yum.

 

[westrayer]

I still use the oxyoke pre-lubed patches. They are lubed with 1000+. Even at the range I run a bronze brush and a wet patch down the bore after a couple of shots. Powder fowling attracts more fouling.