CVA Pennsylvania cap and ball .50

[TrapperPete]

Leading is primarily a fuction of poor fit. In a muzzle loader they go down slow before thet go up fast so fit is already perfect.

 

[mkpatrick]

OK well, finally fired it today. I started out with a .490 ball on a patch for a test fire. I didn't find the patch to see.
So I moved over to the PA conicals.
I am a fan.
A little messy and hard to get started down the bore but they grouped nicely. I was firing from a small tripod rest, so rested but not socked and sand bagged in like I fire modern heavy barreled rifles. I was only going for how it fired and hoping for somewhat accurate results. I fired at a gong from 50 yards.
The group was about 3 inches for the conicals. I fired with 70 grains of powder.
After the 3rd conical, so about the 4th shot, I noticed it was getting harder to seat the bullet.
So I ran a few patches with some CVA bore cleaner. The 4th and 5th shot were after running the few patches.
I like those conicals. I was a little weirded out not using a patch with those. But I figure the powder igniting must expand the base of the round so it seals behind it?
Or am I off on that line of thinking?

Anyway, thanks to Sparkitoff for the suggestion on the PA's. Very happy with those.
And thanks to everyone on this thread for your advice.

 

[TrapperPete]

run a moistened patch after each shot and you can shoot all day loading easy and keep very consistent.

make sure you clean it well now.

 

[mkpatrick]

Moistened with what? Powder solvent?

 

[Kansas Jake]

A patch moistened with spit will work fine or a black powder solvent. You want the wiping patch damp and not sopping wet.

 

[Zonie]

A patch moistened with spit will work fine or a black powder solvent. You want the wiping patch damp and not sopping wet.

Also, it is important that you don't "pump" the wiping patch up and down the barrel. Just dampen the patch so it is moist, push it down to the breech and count to 5. Then, pull it back out in one smooth, slow stroke and your done and ready to reload.

The reason you don't want to pump the damp patch up and down is that by doing so, you will knock off some of the fouling and push it down to the bottom of the bore where it can plug up the flame channel and nipple.

 

[TrapperPete]

Moistened with what? Powder solvent?

spit , rubbing alcohol , even just water would work

most commonly I use speed juice or moose milk

speed juice = 1/3 rubbing alcohol , 1/3 hydrogen peroxide, 1/3 murphy's oil soap
mix and store in a spray bottle , out of the light or using a dark color bottle like the little spray bottles hydrogen peroxide come in.

Moose milk = Napa cutting and grinding oil part number 765-1526 1 part oil 10 parts water , mix and put in a spray bottle or squirt bottle. (with out the part number they usually want to sell you a gallon) the balistol liquid is often used in the same recipe in the same way. both are soluble oils oils that mix with water

both speed juice and moose milk are also very handy in pre cleaning before you leave the range get some patches a bit more than moist and run them you can even spray a little down the bore , it will get everything "soaking" on the trip home

swabbing of the bore for loading you just need the patch damp you shouldn't be able to ring any wet out of it

if I will be shooting at the range I will take an old tin put a stack of patches in it , spray them down and let them soak in the moose milk then when I grab a patch it is moist and ready to use.

running a moistened patch does more than just clear fowling , it helps push air through your flash channel , nipple or vent making sure it is clear you should hear a good hiss of air coming out , if you don't diagnose why before you drop powder. the moist patch and rushing air can also extinguish a burning ember of powder hidden down your barrel.

 

[mkpatrick]

OK I need to come up with a system!

My hopes were that, I could just set the gong out there, shoot from the deck outside the backdoor, while also manning a BBQ.
I wanted to shoot a few shots, set the rifle down, clean off my hands and flip the burger/chicken/ribs what have you, then fire some more and on and on.
Then at the end of day, clean the rifle properly and put it away.
Firing at the gong is fun. You hear it when you hit it.

So if I'm not going to fire for 30 minutes or an hour, can it sit there after a moistened patch and wait without anything going wrong and then I return and fire more? Off and on until I quit for the day and clean it?

 

[Grenadier1758]

A moistened patch with a bit of lubricant, lets say one part Ballistol, one squirt of a soap (dish washing, Murphy's Oil soap, or whatever brand of soap) and 6 parts (4 to 10 works too) of water followed by a dry patch will leave you ready for the next load an hour later. I would be more comfortable with the delay if I were using real black powder. Perhaps a second wipe if you are using a substitute black powder.

 

[mkpatrick]

I have Pyrodex but after reading much on this forum, I'm not sure I should use it with a barrel I've been fighting rust in.

 

[mkpatrick]

So some brown on the patches came back, not a whole lot but still enough to get me motivated again.
This time I used JB Bore polish.
HOWEVER:
I put a very thin amount on the patch, ONLY on the sides and not the face of the jag. I was concerned that I would end up pushing a bunch of it to the end of the breech area and how would I ever get it back out?
So I put the patch on the jag, then pulled the patch down around the jag as it would be when going down the barrel.
Then I put the paste of the sides of the patched jag so as not to have it on the front or face of the jag.
2 treatments and now I notice I can push a dry patch in, all the way down the barrel till it stops and back out with way way less effort. (Especially at the very end when you try getting the rod/jag/patch to start going the other way after bottoming out). Now that just requires a small tug on the rod and the patch came out clean.
I pushed several dry patches in and back out and they come out clean.
I then treated the barrel with lubed patches on the jag.
These are the Traditions EZ clean2 patches.
I ran 3 of these patches back and forth in the barrel.

Hopefully this helps any rust from coming back.

 

[mkpatrick]

spit , rubbing alcohol , even just water would work

most commonly I use speed juice or moose milk

speed juice = 1/3 rubbing alcohol , 1/3 hydrogen peroxide, 1/3 murphy's oil soap
mix and store in a spray bottle , out of the light or using a dark color bottle like the little spray bottles hydrogen peroxide come in.

Moose milk = Napa cutting and grinding oil part number 765-1526 1 part oil 10 parts water , mix and put in a spray bottle or squirt bottle. (with out the part number they usually want to sell you a gallon) the balistol liquid is often used in the same recipe in the same way. both are soluble oils oils that mix with water

both speed juice and moose milk are also very handy in pre cleaning before you leave the range get some patches a bit more than moist and run them you can even spray a little down the bore , it will get everything "soaking" on the trip home

swabbing of the bore for loading you just need the patch damp you shouldn't be able to ring any wet out of it

if I will be shooting at the range I will take an old tin put a stack of patches in it , spray them down and let them soak in the moose milk then when I grab a patch it is moist and ready to use.

running a moistened patch does more than just clear fowling , it helps push air through your flash channel , nipple or vent making sure it is clear you should hear a good hiss of air coming out , if you don't diagnose why before you drop powder. the moist patch and rushing air can also extinguish a burning ember of powder hidden down your barrel.

In the mean time, would pre-lubed patches such as the EZ clean patches do until I get the time to mix up that formula?

 

[LawrenceA]

I am glad the barrel is coming good.
Pre lubed patches work OK most of the time but can basically expire as the lube or cloth breaks down.
Personally I have only just started to experiment with all these fancy sounding concoctions and have used whatever I have had laying around.
If you look at what was used you will see sweet oil (olive oil), Lard, Tallow, beeswax and such as well as spit.
If you have pre lubed patches then use them.
If not just take a look in the kitchen. You are looking for non mineral based fats and oils. Give em a go. Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[mkpatrick]

OK will fire tomorrow or the next day, again at 50 yards.
Fire, then run a patch of something with a lube on it, then fire again and repeat.
I usually only have time for about 5-7 rounds before I have to pack up in time enough to allow for cleaning.
I'll report back my accuracy and results.
Thanks again guys!
M