Clean the barrel between shots?

[Paul Kenney]

With PAPER cartridges. If you’re going to use patched round ball, it needs to be much bigger.

Why would you use patches. The whole point of smoothbore muskets was the ability to shoot multiple times without taking the time to clean the weapon in the midst of battle?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Why would you use patches. The whole point of smoothbore muskets was the ability to shoot multiple times without taking the time to clean the weapon in the midst of battle?

Nowadays we are not in the midst of battle unless we are at a reenactment of one.

 

[sturmkatze]

Why would you use patches. The whole point of smoothbore muskets was the ability to shoot multiple times without taking the time to clean the weapon in the midst of battle?

You don’t take the ball out of the cartridge. You stuff it all down after you dump the powder.

 

[bpd303]

Now to throw a monkey wrench in to the conversation. All of my smooth bores are more accurate after an initial fouling shot with spit patch & round ball. I never have to wipe the barrel with spit patches or moose juice lube patches.

 

[Billy-by-gosh]

Now to throw a monkey wrench in to the conversation. All of my smooth bores are more accurate after an initial fouling shot with spit patch & round ball. I never have to wipe the barrel with spit patches or moose juice lube patches.

So, your subsequent shots are fired bare ball, or patched ??

 

[Grenadier1758]

@bpd303 is wiping the bore with his spit patched ball. It's just his way of maintaining the consistency of the bore from shot to shot.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Now to throw a monkey wrench in to the conversation. All of my smooth bores are more accurate after an initial fouling shot with spit patch & round ball. I never have to wipe the barrel with spit patches or moose juice lube patches.

I’ve noticed the same thing…all my smoothbores need a fowling shot to perform consistently.

 

[bpd303]

@bpd303 is wiping the bore with his spit patched ball. It's just his way of maintaining the consistency of the bore from shot to shot.

Exactly... sorry I wasn't clear about that. Every load gets a lubed (either spit or Stumpy's Moose Juice) patch then ball.

 

[Leatherbark]

I shot a Pedersoli Bess for 3 years and used it for deer hunting. Killed two bucks. I used a patched .715 ball and .015 patch lubed with mink oil over 80 grains of 2f Swiss. Loaded easily and gave good 50-yard accuracy. You might have experienced the thrown shots from not aiming consistently which is very important with the Bess. Just a small change in cheek-weld and barrel up-tilt will make a big difference at 50-yards. I never swabbed until I needed to from hard seating of the patched ball. The target below was shot at 50 yards from a rest IIRC.

 

[Grosvenor]

I shot a Pedersoli Bess for 3 years and used it for deer hunting. Killed two bucks. I used a patched .715 ball and .015 patch lubed with mink oil over 80 grains of 2f Swiss. Loaded easily and gave good 50-yard accuracy. You might have experienced the thrown shots from not aiming consistently which is very important with the Bess. Just a small change in cheek-weld and barrel up-tilt will make a big difference at 50-yards. I never swabbed until I needed to from hard seating of the patched ball. The target below was shot at 50 yards from a rest IIRC.

That's a really nice group!