For me this is a good day at the range......after I got the bloody ball out of my un-powdered barrel.
Good day at the range
- Thread starter Curley 50 cal
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Good shooting at what distance?
Oh
Oh! Do I know that one!
Fifty yards
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Cheer up Curly, it won't be the last!
bldtrailer
Pilgrim
Everyone dry balls or will ,the co2 dischargers are great if you have one . I've found that I can get enough 4f through the touch hole I can shoot the ball out (did it, hope not to need ) I just put 4f in the touch hole forcing in as much as I can with the vent pick ,point down range, prime and you get more of a poof than a bang. check with ram rod to make sure barrel is clear, if not reseat ball and repeat.
Thanks for the advice. I never figured I would be able to get much 4F through the tough hole to have any effect. will look into a Co2 puffer. I tried removing the touch hole but could not get it out and was afraid to stripe the screw head.
It doesn't take much powder to blow a dry ball out. I have been there a few times and you would swear that nothing happened based on the little poof except that there is some smoke coming out of the muzzle and checking with the ramrod reveals that the ball is gone.
Ben Meyer
40 Cal
I apologize if this question has already been asked ad nauseum, but is it necessary to repeat the ball after trying to shoot it out after putting some 4f thru the touch hole unsuccessfully? Could 3-4 grains of 4f REALLY produce enough pressure to potentially bulge the barrel? I did it once and after getting the powder in there, held the gun 5ft away from a target before firing, and the ball came out but bounced off the cardboard target.
I would reseat the ball after putting some more powder at the breech. As to whether the 3 to 6 grains of powder could bulge the breech is another question? If you have a chambered breech firearm, then there will be an air gap. If you have a flat breech, then you need to get enough room to get powder behind the ball. There were tests conducted somewhat anecdotaly, by the Bevel Brothers in an article published in "Muzzle Blasts", that found bulging is unlikely. I prefer to be on the safe side and after poking in the powder, to push the ball to the breech.
In my opinion, no, 3-4 grains of black powder does not have enough energy to bulge a barrel.
Re-seating the ball after it has moved up the bore from a previous attempt to blow it out does have a benefit though.
The total amount of pressure the 3 or 4 grains of powder will produce will be much higher if the ball is down close to the powder charge so the likely-hood that it will successfully blow the ball out of the barrel is greater than it would be if you did not re-seat it.
These numbers are just picked out of space but if the powder will generate 1 cubic foot of gas and it does this inside a 1/2" bore with the ball sitting right on top of it, it will create a very high pressure. If the powder was in a 1/2" bore and it was 6 inches to the ball there is a lot more volume to fill so the pressure would be a lot lower.
Thanks for the help
hanshi
Cannon
A few grains (4 or 5) of 4F poked through the touch hole will pop the ball out like a kids popgun. That's about the same power as a standard firecracker.
Obvious Note: The 4 or 5 grains poked through are a volume measurement of weight not a count of individual grains.
My gosh true thought of counting granules never even crossed my mind
user 48679
54 Cal.
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I always powder my balls to keep them dry 
Always thought it was keep your powder dry. Always something to learn.I always powder my balls to keep them dry
