I needed bigger balls

The other day while I was at my local gun store I picked up some .535 round balls just to try them. I have a Lyman .530 Mould, and that's the size balls I shoot in my GPR but I have always noticed that they started a little to easy even with .018 pillow patch. I thought I'd buy a box of .535 balls before investing in the Moulds.
Today I went out shooting with my GPR. I loaded with a .015 pillow patch, the .535 round balls and 72 gr. of Pyrodex RS.

 

[Spot Shooter]

This may be a good question ?

What size ball's are ya usin' with the GPR.

I've got .530 ball's and am usin' tick'er thet's about .2 " thick.

Yer at .535 with .18 -

What recipes does the rest of ye use?

spot

 

[Claude Mathis]

For God's sake Musketman, do not reply to this topic! :redface: :winking:

 

Spotshoter- you mean .018" and .020" I'd like to see you push a .730 combo down your .54. :shocking: A .570 is a much better fit in a .566grouve dia. You should be able to shoot that combo all day without cleaning.
Daryl

 

[Spot Shooter]

Daryl,

Yer right, they quit mak'n quart inch this ticker a while ago. ::

 

However - many years ago, I had a barrel Les Bauska made with a .448 bore dia. The problem was the machine didn't stop cutting the grouves, and they forgot about it for a while. They got her stopped after the grouves were .028" deep per side. It looked like the spline of a drive shaft socket. I think I paid him $15.00 for it just to try it out. Of course it would only burn through normal patch-ball combo's so I ended up shooting .454 pistol Balls with a .024 Denim patch. It still wouldn't take 90gr. of 3F without burning through on the grouves, but it did shoot very well with up to 90gr. 2F. I had quite a funnel on the muzzle to be able to load the combo, but load it and shoot it I did. The ball ended up being an elongated slug with incredibly deep grouves in the side. It shot well to 100yds even tho the twist was 1 in 70. One Sececa run, I lost my short starter near the start line and had to load out of the block with just my rifle's 3/8" rod. I took my time to load - HA!- I was stronger, 30 years ago.
: One day, there was a bloke complaining about the ball patch combo I'd recommended for his .50 TC being too tight to load, so I loaded it in my .45. It was a .495" ball and .015" patch. I did this with my regular 3/8" rod. I admit it took some time to get that .50 ball swaged into the .45's bore, but load it and shoot it I did. He quit complaining. The grouve dia. ran .505" on that .45. I still have the barrel - just to look at, and remember.
Daryl

: