In a musket cartridge. Big difference.
Clean the barrel between shots?
- Thread starter Grosvenor
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If you are using a cloth patch, it should be damp. The damp patch will clean the bore on loading. Fouling is captured between the powder and the ball.
If all you have is the 0.690 ball, then the patching will ride over the fouling on loading in that 0.750" (approximately) diameter bore. The force from firing the ball will expand the ball a bit for the damp patching to push some fouling out.
With shot, you are relying on the cards to scrape the fouling out.
Swab? Huh, why swab? Not needed ... I NEVER do ...
For all but my hunting loads or when shootin' 'bareball', I use that Hoppe's Black Powder Patch Lube & Cleaner solution. Load develop your load by the method I advise here on these Forums to find the 'nodes' and fine tune it to see if it likes 2 drops or 3 drops of lube per patch.
FWIW I shoot in the NE Flintlock Championship Shoot every year for the past few years and have posted a top score on the 100-yard target every year. We’ll shoot anywhere from 80 to 120 shots in a day with it and I NEVER have had to swab between shots. At my age it’s my vision that inhibits my scoring placement for the overall aggregate contest score, but it's definitely not due to the gun, nor the load, or the lube!
Note - They have changed the bottle labels but we have confirmed it is the same product, just as long as it has 'Black Powder' in the name, as you certainly don't want to use their product designed for smokeless powder modern rifles.
For all but my hunting loads or when shootin' 'bareball', I use that Hoppe's Black Powder Patch Lube & Cleaner solution. Load develop your load by the method I advise here on these Forums to find the 'nodes' and fine tune it to see if it likes 2 drops or 3 drops of lube per patch.
FWIW I shoot in the NE Flintlock Championship Shoot every year for the past few years and have posted a top score on the 100-yard target every year. We’ll shoot anywhere from 80 to 120 shots in a day with it and I NEVER have had to swab between shots. At my age it’s my vision that inhibits my scoring placement for the overall aggregate contest score, but it's definitely not due to the gun, nor the load, or the lube!
Note - They have changed the bottle labels but we have confirmed it is the same product, just as long as it has 'Black Powder' in the name, as you certainly don't want to use their product designed for smokeless powder modern rifles.
Mike in FL
50 Cal.
Get the popcorn.
Pĺ
Mike in FL
50 Cal.
I started to say get the popcorn going, but that would be rude. A legitimate question. My answer is that you should most definitely clean between shots while you are learning the gun. Only after you have developed the best load for that gun, then find out how often swab. But for no you want each shot to have consistency in every way.
Well, I think the ONE thing we all can agree on is that there are many successful methods to load these primitive arms 
!
And I’d agree with others who opine differently than what I do … but then we’d both be wrong, LOL!
Said in jest … am just kidding there! Do what you want or feels best for you and your toys … just HAVE FUN!
!And I’d agree with others who opine differently than what I do … but then we’d both be wrong, LOL!
Said in jest … am just kidding there! Do what you want or feels best for you and your toys … just HAVE FUN!
Where's the Frog Lube?
I’m not sure what thickness patch you’re using now but you could possibly use two with the .690 ball.
If your determined too swab between shots definitely use a damp patch, but I’ve never noticed any difference in accuracy in the first or tenth shot out of my smoothbore or rifle at 50 yards. OMMV
IIRC Blue jean material measured .024 .
Have you measured your bore?
If your determined too swab between shots definitely use a damp patch, but I’ve never noticed any difference in accuracy in the first or tenth shot out of my smoothbore or rifle at 50 yards. OMMV
IIRC Blue jean material measured .024 .
Have you measured your bore?
Rock Home Isle
58 Cal.
Polish the bore
But….
And individual results can vary
A .69 in a thick patch or nested in to tow shoot pretty well in my .76 bore that’s a brown bess barrel in a dog lick
11 bang bang got real good results with large charges in their 75 with a .690 on top of 180 grains 1 F
I’m found of my shoulders so I’ve not tried those charges
How do I do that?
A little valve grinding paste, or any polishing paste on a patch, and then ran up and down the barrel
Or if you have a worm a wad of steel wool, or greeny pad
Go all the way to the breach and all the way out each pass
Rock Home Isle
58 Cal.
How will I know when its polished enough?
When you push a tight patch on a jag slowly down the bore , very slow, and you don’t feel a drag anywhere
Now of note, I had a barrel through Track of the wolf that cut patches. I polished and polished and polished and never got it to stop
When it’s smoove
Ben Meyer
40 Cal
I swab between shots whenever possible. I also shoot dry lubed patches, so it's pretty necessary. In a hunting situation, if you need to load a second shot, swab with a spit moistened patch, then a dry patch, then reload. Takes 10 seconds.
That said OP, I'd find some bigger balls to shoot. You can buy them until you find a bigger mold to make them.
That said OP, I'd find some bigger balls to shoot. You can buy them until you find a bigger mold to make them.
