Importance of ramming home the ball

[Rudyard]

The OP's question was, if a patched ball was not seated firmly against the powder charge would damage result? The answer is it may. The issue of a ball not seating because of excessive fouling is a different question.

When I witnessed a drum blowing out from a ball not being seated was the result of fouling. The reason the event occurred was the shooter, as well as myself, knew almost nothing about shooting black powder rifles. It was 1968 and all I knew was what I read in a brief description about how to load a patched ball in a muzzleloader. Today we all have the benefit of resources such as this forum to accelerate the learning curve.

So, the first thing we should be advising someone new to the black powder shooting sport is to never intentionally shoot a ball not firmly seated on a charge (unintentional falls in the same category as dry balling or launching the ramrod). In my experience, the advice should have been to either pull the ball or hammer it down. Then, the next set of advice would be to swab between shots or, as you suggested, find the correct ball, patch and lube combination.

Sound advise launching a ram rod should be more carefull but if its on the ball its not the worst . if certainly NOT recommended. I once sent my cleaning rod through a running salmon two holes in salmon. rod & ball but no air gap. one "AF Douglas barrel 40 "or so long barrel( only long rifle I ever hunted with too long & too heavy) but I was younger then .
Rudyard

 

[RedPoin]

I ringed the barrel on a CVA Mountain rifle in 50cal, 4”s from the muzzle. It didn’t affect the accuracy but it bothered me immensely. I sold the gun at a good discount.

what is meant by ring the barrel

 

[RiverRat]

what is meant by ring the barrel

When you look down the barrel with a light, you can see a ring around the bore where the patched ball was. The pressure spike made that ring because the ball was not seated on the powder. When in doubt whether you seated the ball all the way down, ALWAYS double check with your ram rod!

 

[stephenprops1]

I've just become aware that if you don't ram home the ball in a muzzleloader, it can result in the barrel bursting. Is that true? If it is, why does that happen?

It can turn your load into a pipe bomb. Always ensure you firmly seat the ball atop the powder.

 

[oldwood]

If you load consistantly , accuracy will be consistant. Use a short starter , with correct patch ball combo. All should be well.

 

[Mikekj]

Okay, how many are less? Inquiring minds want to know?

Most smoothbores are significantly less.

 

[Terrier]

I've short started and forgot to ram on more than several occasions. Part of getting old, I reckon. First, it makes a weird report... kinda hollow sounding, and accuracy is less than stellar. Next, resign yourself to swab the barrel before the next load due to the resulting excessive fouling that will make it REALLY hard to seat the next ball. Like, two or three patches swabbing.

No apparent damage to the gun, but it screws up the shot and you have to clean before the next shot. YMMV.

 

[Greenjoytj]

2 points to ponder:

1). I have never subscribed to the idea that a PRB carries enough lube to keep the fouling in a bore soft.
Why do I think this is so, the flame and its heat cooks away the wetness of the lube. Yes you’ll get a few shots in but that hard crusty fouling is building up and will require your attention eventually.

2). Do you consider BP (any granulation) fast burning? I do.
If you had an original 150 year old BP cartridge firing revolver an asked in forums if the revolver could be fired with small charges of smokeless powder. The forum consensus would be NO, because smokeless pistol powders are too fast burning and spike chamber pressure, not a good thing for old soft iron firearms.

Remember in modern revolvers small charges of fast smokeless powder leaves quite a big empty space under the bullet and that’s normal condition.

So I believe that a small space ¼” or less between a projectile and a black powder charge would mimic a modern smokeless powder load and would therefore be ok to fire.

I believe the often repeated advice to leave no space between BP and projectile is a hold over from the muzzle loading era where a heavily fouled barrel caused the projectile to be halted inches plus above the powder column and go unnoticed till fired. Then barrel damage occurs as pressure waves bounce off breach and bullet till resonant shock waves collide doubling the pressure and damaging the firearms barrel.