Dryball

[Erzulis boat]

Yep, I now have officially done the deed.

Whoosh....click,click....woosh.

I was relaxed and alone on the line.

It came back out easy as pie with the puller.

Later, the club's resident muzzleloading "Old salt" convinced me to try the blow down the bore technique, instead of the moist swab. It does work. The vent is cleared, and the moisture exhaled keeps the fouling pretty soft, enough for a 8-10 shot string. Downside? The accuracy did suffer a wee bit, and you have to load it up right away, as the effects only last for 20 seconds or so. With swabbing, you can rack the rifle between shots, and still have an "easy" bore. I did learn something new.

I will continue to swab with a rod, but I will not ever knock the blow down the barrel technique.

:v

 

[Goldhunter]

Here we go again. :winking:

 

[roundball]

Here we go again. :winking:

Right on!
:grin:

 

[Erzulis boat]

I must have missed an argument on the Forum.

I might utilize both techniques in the future.

At the range with folks around, I will swab as usual. Just some range manners with a "mixed" crowd. Swabbing is also a safer method, without a doubt.

But hunting? Following the shot right then and there with the blowing technique leaves absolutely ZERO doubt as to the condition of the vent. IT IS CLEAR.

 

[musketman]

I must have missed an argument on the Forum.

Blowing down a barrel is considered taboo by many, it sends the false message that it is safe to put all gun barrels in your mouth...

Here is a classic thread (that's locked) about blowing down a barrel...
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/193601[/url]/

 

[Erzulis boat]

A hornet's nest indeed.

It is counter to the un-official first rule of firearms safety.

Since I am a new ML shooter, I did not hesitate to try an authentic "Old Method" to feel the spirit of the hobby.

I stated that I "might" utilize both techniques, but after reading both sides.....I will not be blowing down the bore anymore. That is why I have a vent pick, right?

After all, I did dryball in a relaxed setting, what is stopping me from blowing down a loaded bore?

I was feeling rustic, but that was foolhardy indeed.

 

[musketman]

Blowing down the barrel would not have prevented the dry ball, the term "DRY BALL" refers to loading a muzzleloader without powder, nothing to push it out when fired...

If you loaded the powder and you got the "whoosh" and nothing else, that is a "Flash in the Pan", the priming powder went off but not your rifle...

Perhaps this will help since you are still new to the wonderful world of muzzleloading...

Glossary Of Muzzleloading Terms

 

[Erzulis boat]

It was a dryball alright. No powder.

My ramrod witness mark cannot tell a lie!

 

[musketman]

My ramrod witness mark cannot tell a lie!

Another good habit to get into, I too use them... :thumbsup:

 

[davy]

A hornet's nest indeed.

It is counter to the un-official first rule of firearms safety.

Since I am a new ML shooter, I did not hesitate to try an authentic "Old Method" to feel the spirit of the hobby.

I stated that I "might" utilize both techniques, but after reading both sides.....I will not be blowing down the bore anymore. That is why I have a vent pick, right?

After all, I did dryball in a relaxed setting, what is stopping me from blowing down a loaded bore?

I was feeling rustic, but that was foolhardy indeed.

W'all all I can say is feelin rustic aint nuthin to lose your head (literally) about! Safety first I say .. then tradition ..always ... :thumbsup:

Davy

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you run a patch down the barrel between shots, it will blow air out the touch hole or nipple in front of it, clearing them for the next shot. If you feel resistance to running the patch down the barrel, you have an obstruction. This is the safer way to make sure you don't have an obstruction.

As to dryballing, anyone who has shot BP very long has already joined the club. Most of us several times over. I get in trouble talking to people at the range while loading, and forget where I am in the sequence. I have developed a couple of " reminder" to incorporate in my loading procedure so I don't forget to put powder in the barrel FIRST!
Don't put away that vent pick, or nipple pick. YOu may still need to use them to help clear some of the usually white residue from the nipple channel, which while it is not a blockage, can't be good for the next shot, either. I tend to wipe the nipples of crud between shots, as it helps put the caps on consistently from shot to shot. It also allows me to check the nipple for any damage, or cap debris that did not clear from the skirt on the hammer before I take my next shot.

With flintlocks, I always use a vent pick to poke a hole in the main powder charge through the touch hole as part of my priming process. In doing so, I have made doubly sure there is no obstruction to the main charge, and that there is space in the main charge so that flame can ignite many granules of powder at once.

 

[Stumpkiller]

You must have blown damn hard to clear a dryball by blowing down the barrel! :shocked2:

I usually need a ball puller. :haha:

 

[MikeChapin]

I managed to do it again this weekend also. Though I broke that particular cherry thirty years ago I still manage to do it once in a while. Happily it was on my 58 which has a patent breech. A few grains down the touchhole and it popped right out.

Out here it can be very hot and dry. I don't blow down the barrel. I spit patch so don't want the wet patch down on the powder so I short start between relays. I keep the short starter in the barrel to remind myself to push it all the way down when I get ready to shoot. If I do push the ball all the way down instead of short starting I leave the loading rod in to indicate the rifle has a ball that has been seated on the powder.

Short starting effectivly plugs the barrel and holds the moisture from the last shot in the barrel and keeps the fouling soft. On hot dry days the fouling can get like concrete if you don't do something like that or swab between shots.

 

[Erzulis boat]

For the record...the ball puller was the first tool that I built for muzzleloading.

Well, I did manage to get to my 5th pound of 2F before the deed.

I knew I needed a puller when someone posted that they had dryballed, and some other folks claimed that they had never done it. Knowing a little about human nature....the posters that denied ever encountering a dryball, were quite simply full of it. :grin:

 

[riverrat43]

Did it TWICE last Saturday. I was trying new loads and was out of my normal routine due to trying to alternate between lubes, patches and powder charges and adjusting a new rear sight. Just got confused I guess. When it happened, I got so frustrated at my self for doing it, I pulled the ball, reached for another patch and ball and loaded again without a charge. Dannnnnng!!! Sure makes powder go a long way, and is really agravating. Just packed up and went home.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

I almost screwed up big time at a recent rendezvous. I was loading and somebody asked me for something out of my bag. I got up the shooting line and capped the nipple. Something didn't seem right. I uncapped and ran my ramrod back down the barrel to find that the ball was only down as far as the short starter had pushed it. Not sure if it would have hurt my barrel but glad I didn't find out. :redface: