I joined the dry ball club today

[Johnny Tremain]

There are two types of muzzleloading shooters, those that have dry balled and those that will!

There is another.... ME, never have never will.
After loading and clearing jams with an M-60, flintlocks are nothing.

Load your flinter by the numbers. Do it all day until you have made muscle memory.

I have not fired an M-60 since the 80s, but still can. Muscle memory exorcises.
Same with long sword, hawk and knife. They are all on the same principle.

 

[Flintandsteel]

There are only 2 types of people in our sport….. those that HAVE dry balled, and those that will dryball!

 

[deerstalkert]

Seen it......"i just shot my ramrod!!!!!!"

Dry ball's are "interesting". Do this long enough, you'll see someone forget to remove their ramrod. Don't be that guy.

i'm your huckleberry!
felt like i had double charged . saw a snake shaped mark on my target and figured it out.
found the delrin rod with 3 "S" curves in it!
salvaged a piece for a pistol rammer.

 

[BigAl52]

Most satisfying thing I have ever done joined the dryball club. I knew I would feel so good after seeing that ball go out the end of the barrel with the knowledge I was given by all you dryballer members before me.

 

[bubba.50]

Managed to dodge membership for about 40 years. Then DB'd on two successive range trips. Blooped one out with the 'trickle in a bit of powder' routine, pumped the other more stubborn one out with a grease gun.

 

[11th corps]

Last range trip I was on my 10th or so shot when I looked at my trade gun and thought "did I pour powder down or not"? Filled the pan, pulled the trigger, only the pan flashed. I generally do not talk with others while I am loading. Too easy to get distracted.

 

[hanshi]

I can tell you one thing for sure, kyron4. As you get more experience with MLs you will find your "dry balling" skills will improve significantly. One or two dry balls are just to get the sequence down. But a few years from now you'll be a veteran dry-baller. Welcome to the practice of a much underrated skill.

 

[Grenadier1758]

You will be awarded the dry ball club premium membership after you have successfully practiced at least three different methods of removing a dry ball.

I'll list the methods I am aware of:

1. Trickle a small amount of powder behind the ball and shoot it out.
1a. Remove the nipple
1b. Feed powder through the touch hole.
2. Use Compressed air from an air compressor or CO2 discharger.
3. Use a threaded ball puller.
4. Remove the breech plug and drive the stuck object out.
5. Use a grease gun and zerk fitting to force the ball out.

Any other methods to list for the qualification Premium Membership?

I do not count heating the barrel hot enough to melt the ball as qualification for Premium Membership.

@Rock Home Isle, we are kinder and gentler at our club. We try to let them know the ball is gone after the third attempt. I did a bit of debate about the subject for a bit, but the running of water from the nipple after I poured water down the muzzle tended to end the debate.

 

[nhmoose]

29 post count. Ball was out on the first. Not Bad

 

[waksupi]

I've saved over 10# of powder over the years by dry balling.

 

[Howard Pippin]

In a 32 crockett, 32" barrel, 15 to 20 grains is a hunting load.

This is a little different subject, but one of the things I have done as a Hunter Safety instructor, is have students shoot a 50 caliber percussion as a part of the live firing exercises. My nominal load for them to shoot at a 50 foot target is 10 grains of black powder with a 175 grain round ball. It has sufficient force to flatten the ball on a steel target.
Squint

 

[Whughett]

About 4 or 5 grains of powder will send a dry ball out of the barrel. You do need to watch carefully for that tiny bit of smoke at the muzzle as the repot is so soft that you not think the ball has departed.

All the more reason to have a ram rod marked with an empty barrel mark permanently engraved.

 

[Jaeger]

Ball screws work! .....and the cleanup afterwards is very easy....

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Ball screws work! .....and the cleanup afterwards is very easy....

Yep, that's why I always take a brass range rod along to the shoots. Just last week I helped a shooter pull a dry ball from a smooth bore. I've even had to use it on my own rifles more than once. Never did it hunting though trying to get off a quick second shot. So far anyway.

 

[david58]

I once won a certificate, proudly displayed, for my proficiency in dryballing the muzzle loading rifle. That was at the Oregon State Shoot, some thirty years ago. Used to carry one of those little brass pan primers just for getting out of that jam with my percussion rifle.
And yes, I have shot my ramrod. THAT is embarassing.
I talk too much, and listen too much on the line. And most of the times I have dryballed is shooting off the bench - today, if shooting from the bench, I still wear my bag and horn and load if I were in the woods, that is where my muscle memory is.

David
NM

 

[Kansas Jake]

Of course honorable mention goes to those of us who can’t clear a dry all only to find out you started visiting and forgot to load and have pan flashes on an empty gun.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Who the hell changed my post?
it originally said…… those that HAVE dry balled, and those who LIE about it.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Of course honorable mention goes to those of us who can’t clear a dry all only to find out you started visiting and forgot to load and have pan flashes on an empty gun.

OMG…I don’t THINK I’ve done that…I really don’t, but who knows…

 

[granth]

I am horrible with dry balling, some may call me the king! I've dry balled 3 times at a club shoot once! My most recent dryball forced me to take the breech plug out because the lead expanded and I couldn't pull the ball with a puller. I've gotten better, but still not good enough... In this sport it's not a matter of if, but when you will dryball.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I am horrible with dry balling, some may call me the king! I've dry balled 3 times at a club shoot once! My most recent dryball forced me to take the breech plug out because the lead expanded and I couldn't pull the ball with a puller. In this sport it's not a matter of if, but when you will dryball.

You’ve found your calling…