Joined the dry ball club today!!

[Grenadier1758]

I have a small funnel that I use when I pour powder down the barrel. I leave the funnel in the barrel until I am ready to load the patched round ball. I have the lubricated the patch material in one hand, I remove the funnel, place the patching over the muzzle and pick up the ball. I have a visual indication of what state the gun is with respect to loading at all times. Helps, but doesn't always prevent a dry ball or failure to fire.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I'm uber careful NOT to dryball anymore. Last time out at the range, TWICE I wasn't completely sure I had poured in the powder, so before loading the ball in dumped out the barrel. Wasted powder, I charged it both times.

Moving from precut patches to cutting at the muzzle seems to have given me that extra moment to think about it, and I haven't done it since.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Eterry, That will do it every time.

 

[Yewbender]

Welcome to the club!!!

I‘m an expert at removing dry balls cause of dry balling.

It happens and will happen again many more times. BTW...If someone tells you they never dry balled then they only shot a couple times or someone else loads for them.

 

[Cosmo]

My heart swells with pride knowing another person has joined the ranks of this elite club I am honored to call myself a member of.

Watch the mail for your membership card and benefits package!

 

[Greg Blackburn]

I used to know a guy that got distracted by a pretty girl walking on the sidewalk...he totalled his car rear-ending a truck. Eterry, you got off easy with the dry ball! LOL

So far, no dry balls....so far.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Now that you have pulled the ball, you already have a hole started. Just finish drilling through the ball and put a string through to make your "honorable dry baller" necklace "

 

[ohio ramrod]

I used to know a guy that got distracted by a pretty girl walking on the sidewalk...he totalled his car rear-ending a truck. Eterry, you got off easy with the dry ball! LOL

So far, no dry balls....so far.

When I was riding my motor cycle many many years ago I went around a curve on country road and noticed a girl who sun bathing rise up (no top on) to see what was coming around the curve. I almost wrecked the bike!

 

[Ajgall]

Now that you have pulled the ball, you already have a hole started. Just finish drilling through the ball and put a string through to make your "honorable dry baller" necklace "

I’ve been toying with the idea of drilling the hole the rest of the way and hanging it from my shooting bag or range box

 

[Semisane]

Now that you have pulled the ball, you already have a hole started. Just finish drilling through the ball and put a string through to make your "honorable dry baller" necklace "

If I did that I could make one like a string of pearls - graduated in size with a .690 in the middle, flanked by .575's, then .490's, and .440's at the ends. It would look nice.

 

[jwberns]

Welp, I did it. I was out Today trying to work up a load, shooting three shot groups and after the sixth shot I swabbed my barrel, took a patch and ball, and rammed it home without any powder. After calling myself some choice words I tried to pick some powder in through the touch hole to no avail. So I let some Hoppes #9 sit in the barrel while I got out the ball puller. Thankfully after a few tugs I was able to pull ball and patch free.

Competency is fantastic! I dread the day when my turn comes.......you know, the law of averages!

 

[jwberns]

I had been into BP under 2 years when I had my only (so far) dry ball. I was 15, my buddy had his older sister bring him to watch me shoot my rifle. She was standing there...long blond hair, long tan legs and blue jean cut-offs, asking me questions about how to load it. I was mesmerized and am surprised I only dry balled one prb. I could've poured the hole ball pouch in there and not known it.

After fiddling with it a while I thought to pull the nipple and trickled a little powder in, it went bang, she laughed, and they went home. I still smile thinking about it.

LOL! My brother, I could picture that whole thing taking place

 

[CPurcell]

There is a old saying about black muzzleloder shooters, There's those that has done it and those that lie about it! It happens to the all of us sooner or later. if it didn't they wouldn't make ball pullers.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

When I was riding my motor cycle many many years ago I went around a curve on country road and noticed a girl who sun bathing rise up (no top on) to see what was coming around the curve. I almost wrecked the bike!

I read that and got choked on the last bite of my sandwich!

 

[rp77469]

I once participated in a timed trail walk at the Duck Creek Bunch long ago. Part of the contest was to dryball, pull it, reload and shoot the target at one station. That was interesting since speed was needed to get bonus points, and accuracy was needed for the shot.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I feel somewhat negligent - I've let my membership lapse ... for now.

 

[bubba.50]

I made it nearly 40 years without one. And then in about a month’s time dry-balled twice and got a jag stuck in the barrel.

 

[bisleyjohn]

I feel somewhat negligent - I've let my membership lapse ... for now.

To paraphrase Arnie “You’ll be back!”

 

[toot]

isn't the MOTHER OF THOUGHT A WONDERFULL THING?? being able to multitask is a wonderfully thing!

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Recently I was shooting my .54 GPR. I thought "I know what I am doing, I'll never get a dry ball". I was by myself at the range too, alone with my thoughts. I loaded the gun and lifted it up to cap it and just that quick, I thought, I just loaded a ball without powder! Did I?? I don"t remember pouring powder! NO! Yah, I don't know! UUUGH! NO!! So there I sat for a few minutes trying to go over my last actions and figure it out. Then I remember to check it with my ramrod. I slide it down. Yep, too short. SHUCKS!!

So I get to pulling the nipple and sprinkle in some 3F. Put the nipple back, cap it and pull the trigger. POP. Nothing. No smoke, no ball bouncing across the range, nothing. So I cap it again. POP. HUH! Ok so I inserted the ramrod again and it goes all the way to the bottom! NO LOAD, GONE!

This is REALLY strange! The other times I have done this, I always got some smoke, a tiny bit of recoil and a ball going BOOP and bouncing across the ground toward the target. This time, nothing. I blow hard down the barrel and get some smoke coming out the niple so the bore is clear. I just can't figure what happened. I'm sure I rammed a ball down. Obviously there was no powder charge. Somehow it just magically disappeared.

Oh well, it all worked out in the end. I loaded her up right and continued shooting. I think I must have went to Bizarro World for a few minutes. Point is. It can happen to any of us at any time. Pay close attention when working with firearms.