Commercial buckshot in .32 flintlocks

[Deadeye]

Let's see here, you have a barrel with .448 bore and .504 groove, that's .028 deep groove and you normally use .454 balls, just wondering who makes those barrels and how thick a patch do you use? ::

 

[Deadeye]

BD6 re the oxjoke patches. Awhile back I ordered some .015 from Oct. country and when I got them the package said .018. I called and they said they couldn't get .015 anymore, oxjoke only has .018 but when I miked them they were .o15. You pays your money and you takes your chances
with patches or balls.

 

The barrel came from Les Bauska back n '75. I think I paid him $15.00 for it. The rifling machine didn't shut down, and they forgot about it for a while. It wasn't a common practise.
: I used a .020" to .022" patch, as noted. Due to the amount of lead movement, the grooves were filled, even with the smaller .454" ball. I used .457's usually, but when obtaining an Ohaus double cavity mould for the .454's, I switched to them. I still have that barrel, incidently. Back then, I browned barrels with nitric acid - folks, it's hard on the fingers & that's how that .45 was browned. It started out at 44" but has been shortened several times, with sights and dovetails being moved several times. It's pretty much junk now, but interesting to look at, periodically.

 

[musketman]

MM, If I read that right Fed's buckshot could vary as much as + or - .015 which means a total of 30 thousandth. Way more than I would want my balls to vary. I want them all to be exactly the same diameter.

Shocked me, I thought the tolerance should be tighter too...

However, this is just "ONE" company's standard, I'll ask a few others at get an overall comparison...

 

[Flintshooter in Indiana]

I got a 32 Bill Large and I shoot .313's with .010 patch. I get my lead from a plummer friend of mine and cast my own. Also cast .562's while I'm doin' the 32's, so's all I'm out is some time and a little electric. ::

 

In all 3 of the .58
's I've had and shot, I used .575" balls. They included 3-groove 1863 rifles and 8 groove deep cut rifling. The .575 worked well in all of them, including the Parker Hale rifled muskets, 5 groove and 3 groove. Normal aptch was from .015" to .022".