Hi from Aus

[Rudyard]

Well Im'e not sure if I quite qualify as an Oker . But I can recite a few Banjo Patterson & Henry Lawson Poems besides a large selection of Traditional Folk songs . I have read Bernard Hesslings book 'The de pommyfication & Dinkumisation of an art full English migrant' ,Though Ime no ten pound Pom. Just an overlander (After & year in NZ I overlanded back via Portugeese Timor as was in 69.) Got down to digging out loose change in Alice Springs. Ide got a job fixing a school roof a big Willy Willy had torn off , for the' Dep't of Works & Jerks ' but with no available quarters. I slept in the Todd river despite wild drunken Aboriginee partys the first week. Then later I got a job on Coolan Island deaf adder paradise . There was very little bitumen most roads where graded dirt & ' flood ways 'very few bridges then .

" And the bush has friends to meet him ,and their kindly voices great him.
In the murmur of its breezes and the river on its bars .
And he see's a vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended and at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars" .
From Patterson's' ' Clancy of the overflow' That's more my ockerness .
Rudyard
PS
Whatever new affront to shooters the politicos have dreamed up I've no word but they each State seem to vie with each other to be the most venal anti gun.& now we in NZ have Left wing idealists poseing as Govt . R

 

[LawrenceA]

Impressed a must say!

 

[Zonie]

This is not the place to discuss political things.
Actually, on the Muzzleloading forum, the only place political things can be discussed is in the Premium Members section which requires being a Supporting Member in order to post there. Becoming a Supporting Member requires a $18/year USD payment.

 

[Artie Peltier]

Welcome from Rhode Island, smallest state on the east coast of the US. RI would probably fit in one of your cities! Great group of people here with a wealth of information and always willing to help. Hope you enjoy. Art

 

[Licespray]

Thanks everyone.

I missed the cleavers guns it seems.

Been quite a bit of banter in this thread since I last checked it!

Got 560 x .490 RB’s. A friend reckons the patching material is the cause of my woes. Gunna have to find something a bit more tightly woven he reckons.

Edit: what’s a good patch lube here in Aus and where can I get it? For hunting purposes.

Cheers all,
Troy

 

[LawrenceA]

I use a mix of Beeswax and Olive oil.
Was using 50/50 down South but up here it is too soft so adding more Beeswax.
Pretty much any oil or fat that is not petroluem base will give you something to use.
Also heaps of commercial ones available online.

 

[Old Bloke]

Troy

Not sure what your chasing but I was just looking
on Rebel Gun Works site and they've got fair bit ML stuff.
And their open for online orders.
Their in Brisbane.

 

[Licespray]

I use a mix of Beeswax and Olive oil.
Was using 50/50 down South but up here it is too soft so adding more Beeswax.
Pretty much any oil or fat that is not petroluem base will give you something to use.
Also heaps of commercial ones available online.

What sort of consistency is one aimed for? I like the idea of home made rather than store bought

 

[Rudyard]

For round ball patches Ide say a close weave ticking or drill and lard will generally be suitable wash any size out of it if its new stuff .The tallow & Beeswax lube is more usual for conical bullets not to say it wont work just unusual .
Rudyard

 

[LawrenceA]

Stop asking hard questions!
I go for lip balm consistency.
not wet so as to leach/liquify and contaminate powder in the heat.
Not to hard it cracks.
If you buy cosmetic grade beeswax you can (I have) use it as lip balm. Actually I use it on the metalwork and woodwork and leatherwork and... that's about all.

I am a novice compared to these guys so please take all I write as nothing but one persons opinion.

Rudyard is right about Lard and Beeswax and ticking. Woolies and Coles have lard occasionally but I think it goes rancid (will be corrected here) and I don't keep lube in the fridge. But lubed conicals I do. I have found that it reacts with the lead when left together for a while (months).

Patch material needs to hold together on firing. Use a natural fibre like linen or cotton. Find a few patches post firing and check for tears and burning.
ideally no tears, no burning (no bushfires) but you will get some blackening from soot and you should see contact on lands and grooves. If you cannot see the grooves contacting then it is possible that the patch is not filling the grooves. Measure up again and check patch thickness.
Also do not be afraid to rock up in Spotlight with your calipers and start measuring.
If you get tears then it is possible that your barrel is still too new or your patch material is not up to scratch.

Seriously with black powder there are more variables than smokeless but it is the same process. change one thing at a time!
Find a set of workable components and say settle on the projectile. Since you have 560 RB's especially. (if they are homemade weigh a few and use consistant ones for accuracy work).
Then measure up and get the rightish thickness patch if using Round ball.

Remembering to consider the cleaning regime when shooting for accuracy and using a consistent loading pressure (mark your rod or something. 1 bounce after loaded) whatever works for you but you want to be able to replicate easily in the field.

It is normal for the first hot to go high from a clean barrel. How high is a variable you need to know for hunting.

Start at 25 yards with your sight cranked as low as possible (if it's adjustable) and do not adjust sights till you have your load.
If you have a new gun do not be surprised it it shoots way low like a foot at 30 yards.
I had to take about 1/8" off my Lyman sight (even with the sight cranked to the top it shot under a 25 yard target) and looks like I will need to do the same on the Pedersoli.

Vary 1 component.
First I would do powder charge.
After that look at caps, compression, lube and patch material and thickness. Not necessarily in that order.
When I started all I had was 1 projectile, 1 lube, 1 cap and 1 patch material so all I played with was powder. Load compression was not on the radar.

You will find temperature and humidity make a considerable difference to fouling.

Once you have a working load start on the sights.
Then last of all wear out your barrel.

Sorry if you know all this already. There are much better sources than me out there if you want ultimate accuracy.
If you want ultimate hunting and ultimate fun then relax. That is well within your grasp.
For hunting you may want to look a loading block (bit of board with hole drilled through) so you can have a few balls patched and ready to ram.

 

[Eterry]

Welcome to the forum y'all, mebbe someone can translate for a poor Texan.

 

[Eterry]

This is not the place to discuss political things.
Actually, on the Muzzleloading forum, the only place political things can be discussed is in the Premium Members section which requires being a Supporting Member in order to post there. Becoming a Supporting Member requires a $18/year USD payment.

I'm glad SOMEONE knew what they wuz talkin bout...LOL