Fiber wad question

[doc623]

Can I or should I and not may I load a round ball over a fiber wad which is over a powder charge?
This case of a .50 cal percussion.
The powder charge is/was 80 gr. black.
Followed by a side lubed fiber wad.
Followed by a .490 round ball.
Would this hold or would it be a good idea to put another fiber wad on top of the round ball.
No patch available - don't ask. I said don't ask.
Ok, so I"m old and left the patches at the house and there is a very nice 8 point standing 20 yards in front of me. This is after I missed the doe he was chasing. The load that missed the doe had a patch. The patch must have been loaded sideways because it would not go around the tree that the doe was standing partly behind.

 

[excess650]

:rotf: Some guys use a "naked ball" for a quick follow up, but it really should be held against the powder. I would prefer either a thin patch with ball, or else a conical at least friction tight.

 

[smokymtnsmokepole]

I'd be cutting a chunk of my shirt off really quick.

 

[smokehouseman]

An 8 point is worth saying goodbye to the best of my best shorts! :rotf:

 

[necchi]

No patch available - don't ask. I said don't ask.

That's :haha: :rotf: .

I guess I woulda tried with just the 1 overpowder.
But don't worry, it's a murphy,,if you would have had the patch, the Buck would have never been there! The hunting god's do that kinda stuff just ta have fun with ya.
Good story, mark it down as a once in a lifetime keeper memory.

 

[rafterob]

Not that one thinks in any kind of rational pattern under these circumstamces....but, I would think ball on top of powder, wad on top of ball to hold it in place. Was anyone around to laugh at/with you?

 

[Pork Chop]

Fix Bayonet! Either that or find a scrap of something...

 

[nkbj]

Fiber wad? Yep, you sure can. But ya gotta keep that ball hard tight down on it somehow.

 

[excess650]

"Fix Bayonet!"
:rotf: :blah: :rotf: :idunno: :haha:

 

[Darkgael]

Doc:

there is a very nice 8 point standing 20 yards in front of me. This is after I missed the doe he was chasing

Yes? And then?
C'mon with the rest of the story.
I woulda just poured some powder in and dropped a ball on top.
Pete

 

[doc623]

Thanks for the responses. I kind of thought that another wad would keep the ball tight against the powder.
As for the other details - I left some out and some of you don't read very closely.
It was @20 dergrees out that morning.
I said I was old. I dress in so many layers that at times I have thought that it would be easier to p-- down my leg and empty my boot later.
The point being is that it would have taken too long to get at my shirt or anyother part of clothing suitable for a patch. And as I am sure that some of you have been in a situation that the deer will stand there looking at you as you reload and will stand there and stand there as if learning the process of reloading just until the point that you are removing the ramrod after having seated the ball and then decide that it had seen an enough and make for the next county.
And no there was no one else there.
Fix Bayonet. I didn't even have a rock to throw at the buck. And my knife was also burried deep in layers of my clothes so that left out cutting the buck's throat.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I would have put another wad on top of the ball to hold it in place. At short ranges, any affect on accuracy would be negligible. The real problem would be that without the patch, there is No way the rifling would spin the ball, and that WOULD affect accuracy at any distance.

If you use those 1/8" fiber wads, front and back of an unpatched ball, the wads would lock into the grooves, and turn with them. You might just get some spin to that ball from the turning wads. I will have to try that some time, at the range,and see what results I get.

 

[necchi]

Fix Bayonet. I didn't even have a rock to throw at the buck. And my knife was also burried deep in layers of my clothes so that left out cutting the buck's throat.

:rotf: :rotf:

I got a story like that, too long for here,,but I had my knife out one time with a doe 10' from me!!
A buddy had spooked 2 doe and they where running down the trail watching behind them, I stepped out from behind that tree and she put on the brakes! Left 3' long skid marks in the dirt! They both did a 90 turn from 5' and gone, sproing!
When Mike came up he asked why I was laughing, you shoulda seen the look on that doe's face, it was totally :shocked2:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Ramrods are replaceable, so next time use the ramrod to hold the ball in place :idunno: :rotf: :haha: :shocked2: . Just kidding...good story!

Dave