I don't like to use a ball starter.

[Brokennock]

I use a ball starter on all my muzzle loaders so I am right.............so there. Hahahahahaha

Only if you're around 240 years old, give or take ten years.

 

[mushka]

Well, I'm almost 76, does that count? It ain't my age, it's my preference.

 

[Brokennock]

While I have seen lots of 18th and early 19th century images of men with knives thrust underneath their belts, I have yet to see one that indicated a flap or any other type of securing mechanism. Most images are frustratingly vague, as usual. Do you know of something that shows this?

I probably do. What I lack is the amazing ability that you, and Spence, and Keith, and a few others, have of finding this stuff in your own archives in a postable format, and putting it here in a timely manner. When/if I find the image/s I will post them or send them to you.

 

[Brokennock]

Well, I'm almost 76, does that count? It ain't my age, it's my preference.

Well preference is an entirely different matter. It is far different to say, "I understand this item was probably not used at the time, but, it makes my life easier and is my preference to use it." Than it is to say, "there is no evidence this was used, no references to its use, no paintings including what looks like one, but, it makes life easier for me and they could have made one, so, they must have."

 

[mushka]

I am a modern man. I don't live in the 1700's-1800's, I don't live hand to mouth having to kill my food every day to live, I don't know if they had or used ball starters back then. For my personal purposes I use what works for me in this time and age. I don't claim that my guns or BP use items are original but that they are of similar design. Personally I think that most of us in this sport think closer to how I do rather than totally, or near totally HC. HC is great for those that like that way of thinking and want to take the time and income to do our sport that way, I salute them. For me, I'm just a little piddling modern man that like to shoot his BP rifles and smoothie and pistol. Everybody has their idea of fun with these things and I'm glad that they are available for us to enjoy.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I load from a block and I make blocks deep enough such that I can place a greased felt wad under the patched ball. I choke up on the rod and ram through the block, then straight down the bore till I feel a little crunch and know the ball is seated. I don't cone the muzzles on my guns, however they are well beveled and polished for ease of entry.

 

[FlinterNick]

If you’re referring to Wallace Gussler; he would use saliva for patch grease, not going to work very well with a short starter after a few shots. If you’re patching with a good lubrication (i use chapstick) a short starter with a tight patched ball is your pinnacle of accuracy, the only other thing you could do is use a thinner patching material, like a heavy duty parchment paper works very well.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Chapstick is basically a mix of bee's wax and oil. I use 1 part of bee's wax to 5 parts of olive oil mixed in a double boiler and saved in an Altoids tin. Much cheaper than Chapstick and works as well as a lip balm. Use the mix that works best for the temperatures where you live. Less oil for warm weather and more oil for cold weather.

 

[FlinterNick]

Chapstick is basically a mix of bee's wax and oil. I use 1 part of bee's wax to 5 parts of olive oil mixed in a double boiler and saved in an Altoids tin. Much cheaper than Chapstick and works as well as a lip balm. Use the mix that works best for the temperatures where you live. Less oil for warm weather and more oil for cold weather.

I spend about 7-8.99 on a tin of burts bees. It doesn’t break the bank and it smells nice.

https://www.target.com/p/burt-39-s-...Vi4bACh0t2wNGEAQYASABEgLz-fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

If you’re referring to Wallace Gussler; he would use saliva for patch grease, not going to work very well with a short starter after a few shots. If you’re patching with a good lubrication (i use chapstick) a short starter with a tight patched ball is your pinnacle of accuracy, the only other thing you could do is use a thinner patching material, like a heavy duty parchment paper works very well.

Wow, some of the things I hear on here. I load with a short starter and nothing but SPIT and it works better than any stupid wonder lube you could care to think about shot after shot, and is free.

 

[Brokennock]

Wow, some of the things I hear on here. I load with a short starter and nothing but SPIT and it works better than any stupid wonder lube you could care to think about shot after shot, and is free.

Let us know how that works for you when the load has to sit for a while, maybe hours, maybe a day or more, or, in subfreezing temperatures.
I'd rather shoot at the range with what I will use when I hunt, or what will be in whatever gun at the time of other practical application. "So shall you train, so shall you fight."

 

[tenngun]

Shot lots of spit patch over the years. It shoots almost but not exactly the same as greased.
Warm weather shoots different then cold or wet.
Shooting out of layers of wool differing then off a shirt. First shot in a cold gun vs tenth shot in a warm one.
With a rifle in round ball range a deer ain’t going to care about the difference between cold and hot, wet and dry. Bulky clothing or light.
However last time I loaded a spit patch has to be last century. I too practice with the load I hunt with.
Woods walk or plinking or just a fun afternoon at the range I load my hunting load unless I’m experimenting.
An exception to that is I often shoot wadded bare ball when playing with a smoothie but patch it when I’m hunting. There be little difference at fifty yards, no difference at twenty five. And I feel safer that there is little chance the charge could loosen up while walking.

 

[Stantheman86]

The last patched round ball rifle I fired was my Mississippi rifle. I used .520 balls and a .010 patch, fired maybe 30 balls, they slid right down with just the ramrod. Accuracy was just fine . Probably could have fired them all day.

My main interest is military weapons so I use more bullets and most round balls I shoot are in cartridges in Smoothbores. I just don't do the whole "forcing super tight patched balls down barrels ".

 

[FlinterNick]

Wow, some of the things I hear on here. I load with a short starter and nothing but SPIT and it works better than any stupid wonder lube you could care to think about shot after shot, and is free.

Naaaa, spit doesn’t work well. Have fun.

Not sure why you’d think lube is super expensive, I buy maybe $10.00 of lube a year and I can make my own with bees wax and olive oil.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I've been working the Dutch Shoultz accuracy method. I'm getting there! I shot six five shot groups just yesterday, from a benchrest, with my flintlock. .490 roundball, 80 gr of Swiss 2f, patching drylubed with 7:1 Ballistol and water, cur at the muzzle, I begin with a fouling shot and I swab once between shots.

My rifle likes TIGHTER loads. I shot 3 groups using .018 pillow ticking that compressed to .007, then three using .015 ticking that compressed to .008. That's right, the thinner ticking, once compressed in my micrometer(which I may still be reading incorrectly) was THICKER. It was slightly harder to load and get started, and while im sure I could load my rifle with a knife and its ramrod, a short starter is SO much better. That minor patch/load thickness difference took my best group from 3.13"/50yds to 1.93"/50yds. And I want to try even TIGHTER! I could not load .495 balls with either patch material AND a short starter. Will be taking the micrometer to the fabric store!

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Naaaa, spit doesn’t work well. Have fun.

Not sure why you’d think lube is super expensive, I buy maybe $10.00 of lube a year and I can make my own with bees wax and olive oil.

Who the hell are you to tell me what does and doesn’t work from my own experience?? What a clown.

 

[Carbon 6]

I propose they used smaller balls with thicker patches. This gives you more leeway in patch material. Oh, you might not get the ridiculously tight patch and ball combo for the utmost in one hole MOA accuracy that people today absolutely demand, but you would more easily be able to get something that WORKED well enough. You used whatever fabric (or leather) that you could get.

I wonder what they did when they had to use a fabric that was just a wee bit to tight for loading with the ramrod.

I've played the 'I don't have any patching game" I know how creative and intuitive i can be, but what about them ?

 

[Carbon 6]

Naaaa, spit doesn’t work well. Have fun.

Ah, sarcasm. I almost didn't catch that.
Everyone knows spit is the best lube out there. Spit is what Dutch's lube tries to emulate.

 

[Brokennock]

I wonder what they did when they had to use a fabric that was just a wee bit to tight for loading with the ramrod.

I've played the 'I don't have any patching game" I know how creative and intuitive i can be, but what about them ?

Cut a different rag or other cloth?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Used moss or some other crushable material such as hornets' nests or thin deer hide.