Dry ball idjit

[BigAl52]

I usually have my flint pan charger with me. Pull the nipple and the pan charger spout fits right down in that nipple hole with no problem. Couple of pushes with 4fg put the nipple back in and out she comes.

 

[tworoosters]

Not all ball pullers are created equal, hopefully you can find a nice one that fits. I have one that is great and one that just cuts a shallow crater in the ball. Makes a bad scene even less impressive. Lol

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Careful about calling dryballers idjits! You probably offended just about everyone on the forum

 

[EC121]

Track of the Wolf sells a set of large thread, tapered pullers with brass centering spacers for the various calibers. Also you shouild always aim the rifle at the ground a few feet safely downrange to see the ball hit the ground.

 

[Bad Karma]

I like Stan's "almost foolproof" coment. I could screw it up somehow.

My dad used to say that about the time you make something foolproof along comes a new, improved fool...

 

[Farmkid1]

Not sure this would be called a "dryball" but ..... Was shooting my 1860 Colt copy by Uberti for the first time in 3 years, due to health problems, at our range on the farm. My wife walked past me and started talking, and I talked with her for a minute, then went back to loading my gun. Well, the next ball would not seat completely, no matter how hard I tried. It was seated far enough that I ended cutting into the ball with a knife and prying on the ball to remove it. When the ball came out I discovered a ball had already been loaded into the chamber. Will never do that again. Uh huh!

 

[flashpoint]

I always dryball once most every week just to keep my skill from atrophying.

Maybe I will practice that too Hanshi

 

[flashpoint]

I had the same thing happen once. I also tried to pull a ball that wasn't there once too.
Muzzleloading is so much more fun and interesting than regular guns. There is always something to laugh at.

Can't wait till I get to the laughing part

 

[Carbon 6]

Can't wait till I get to the laughing part

If you're not laughing, you're probably taking it too seriously. Sometimes it takes awhile for the laughter to sink in.
Keep at it, you'll be busting a gut in no time.

 

[LME]

You can also take the stock off and melt a stuck slug out of a barrel. I've had to melt lap slugs out many times that got stuck in the bore. You do not need to worry about changing anything as far a metallurgy if you only use a propane torch or two and it usually won't hurt the blue or brown either.

You are right as far as I am concerned. The low temp needed to melt lead doesn't hurt the barrel. I use two burners on a gas stove to dry my rifle after cleaning before oiling and putting it up. I never got a ball stuck yet? LOL!

 

[toot]

he is just great!

 

[TFoley]

Dry-balling a Whitworth rifle with one of those fancy hexagonal bullets is a lot less fun than it sounds. Trying to PULL that baby out is a never-going-to-happen event, so blowing it out is the only way to go.

Uh, so I'm reliably informed......

 

[TFoley]

Can't wait till I get to the laughing part

I recall one of our basic training NCO's saying to us one night, -10C and sleeting, 'C'mon, boys, cheer up!! It could get worse!!!!'

Well, we took his encouragement to heart, and we all cheered up, and sure enough, it got worse.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yes, @TFoley, that is one of those truths that exist in the world. No matter how bad things are, it can get worse.

 

[rdane]

You can also take the stock off and melt a stuck slug out of a barrel. I've had to melt lap slugs out many times that got stuck in the bore. You do not need to worry about changing anything as far a metallurgy if you only use a propane torch or two and it usually won't hurt the blue or brown either.

If you do that, make sure you’re not setting off a pipe bomb.

 

[powderhombre]

except when he fired the gun the first time the ball likely traveled part way up the bore and lodged. he didn't seat the ball before shooting it out. may be considered a bore obstruction.

 

[Carney Pace]

Dry balling the equalizer of muzzle loading.

There is those that have. those that will, and those that will do it again.
And those that will fib.

Dry balling the equalizer of muzzle loading.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Take the barrel off and take the nipple out. Take it to a local tire shop (best if you know the guy) and have him use a blow gun with a rubber tip on it, full line pressure. Make sure it is pointed out the open overhead door. When he hits the lever, it will go FOOMP! Out the muzzle. Could spray a bit of WD40 or some such around the ball. I did this with a stuck patch and jag. Put a big dent in the door too so......

 

[M. De Land]

I still have the record at my club but sincerely hope some one will best me! Five dry balls in one match!
In my defense of stupidity it was a timed fire silhouette match and with a muzzle loader that is a very busy time and it was over the course of 4 relays. I just kept doing it and getting more frustrated each time it happened. Brains just turned to oat meal in the heat of the action.
I usually keep the pulled balls in a tray of my loading box to recycle and just last Saturday I started picking them out of the tray and found 5 that have accumulated over the last year or two so apparently I'm not over it yet. It brings a good laugh as my friends regularly remind me of this dubious distinction.
I did win the match last Saturday along with winning a lbs of powder in a shoot off target closest to the X center so that cooled off the razzing a bit.

 

[TFoley]

I still have the record at my club but sincerely hope some one will best me! Five dry balls in one match!

Think of all the powder you've saved over time!!