Loading the single shot pistol??

[jtmattison]

I have a Great Plains Pistol in .54. I love shooting it.
My question is how can you load a tight patch/ball combo in a pistol? I don't have a pistol stand to hold it so I can smack the ball in. Plus I worry about cracking the stock.
So far I have been using loose patch/ball combos so I can load easily. Accuracy is marginal at best so I want to try a tighter load.

Any tips for loading would be greatly appreciated.

Huntin Dawg

 

[Russianblood]

I just use a short starter. The little nub gets the ball started and depending on barrel length, the short rod finished the seating of the ball.

 

[jtmattison]

I use a short starter.
Getting the ball started in the muzzle is the hard part.
I have to use a loose fitting .530 ball and .010 patch so I can just push it in.
I want to use something tighter which I know will require much more effort to get started.

Huntin Dawg

 

[Don]

The other guys have good suggestions. I would add that gripping the gun between your knees(barrel pointed away from you) might help. For what its worth, I built a simple loading stand out of scrap lumber laying around my cellar, it works great.

Don

 

[Cherokee]

I dont really know what to tell you.
I have a 50 cal. cva Kentucky pistol. I use .495 ball in it with a lubed patch.
I always use the same ammo combo I have in my traditions rifle and the bore is tighter on the pistol. I use a short starter and it always has a nice pop when it starts. I put the heel of the grip on a table and I guess just man handle it into loading.
You might try a rubber mat to keep it from slipping.
I dont really have much to add for help.

 

[flaming canvas]

The other guys have good suggestions. I would add that gripping the gun between your knees(barrel pointed away from you) might help. For what its worth, I built a simple loading stand out of scrap lumber laying around my cellar, it works great.

Don

Put it between your thighs a few inches above the knees. I use a 535 ball in mine with .015 to .018 patch depending on which rifle I'm using at the time. I built a pistol rod with a large wooden egg as a handle and smack the head of it with a knife handle to start the ball.

 

[Bolink654]

If I'm sitting down, I put the 'butt' of the pistol on my thigh and load from there. I think a starter with a permantly attached muzzle guide helps alot too. I'm not too worried about breaking it though, a broom handle is a bit smaller, and I think it would hurt pretty good to break one of them over my thigh...

 

[lyman]

I have the same gun and all I can say is get a grip. Well I could say more like when you hold just above and between your knees, sandwitch it between a couple of layers of intertube. It won't slip and will protect your legs from getting sore. I was able to run across a piece of quarter inch rubber matting and that works even better.Get a long starter with a short starter on the handle also. For a last resort, hook it up to a harly carb and that will suck that ball right down where you want it.
Bob :rotf:

 

[crockett]

Dear Dawg:
If I understand you right, you want to know how to load a tight, patched ball without a stand. It helps to have three hands. I squat down and brace the butt against the inside of my right foot. My Left hand sort of holds the muzzle and short starter and then I give it a wack with my right hand to seat the ball. This is okay in the woods but doing all this on a shooting line/firing range is going to upset some folks.
If you plan on doing much shooting, make a loading stand. Most lumber yards with a saw service have scraps of lumber for free, that can be used.
THIS ALSO brings up an interesting point that I never thought about. HAS ANYONE coned a single shot pistol to make it easier to load?

 

[Toomuch_36]

I have a Great Plains Pistol in .54. I love shooting it.
My question is how can you load a tight patch/ball combo in a pistol? I don't have a pistol stand to hold it so I can smack the ball in. Plus I worry about cracking the stock.
So far I have been using loose patch/ball combos so I can load easily. Accuracy is marginal at best so I want to try a tighter load.

Any tips for loading would be greatly appreciated.

Huntin Dawg

I would not worry too much about breaking the stock.
My question on accuracy is:
1. Is the bore clean and in good shape?
2. Have you experimented with different charges? A max charge is not always the most accurate, try lighter loads these usually offer tighter groups.
3. Check your spent patches. The patch should be thick enough to fill the rifling and provide a good gas seal.
Hope this helps. :thumbsup:

Toomuch
...........
Shoot Flint

 

[jtmattison]

The bore is perfect, it's brand new.
I work up loads with it just like I do my rifles by gradually increasing powder charge until accuracy suffers. I also check patches for condition.
The thing is, I get the same groups no matter the charge. That is why I want to try a tighter patch/ball combo.
That is the only variable I have not addressed.

Huntin Dawg

 

[Toomuch_36]

Sounds like you are covering all the bases, and a tighter patch/ball combo is likely your answer.
From what I have encountered with Lyman pistols you might try a .530 ball/.017 patch, or if still too loose a .535 ball/same patch. Lyman rifling is typicaly .010 to .012 so use of a patch thinner than .012 would not provide a sufficient gas check.

Toomuch
..........
Shoot Flint

 

[Deadeye]

If your anywhere except at a bench you want have
most of the gear that has been suggested. you should have everything on your body. A short starter to start the patch-ball and a longer rod with a handle stuck in your belt. When seating the ball, hold the pistol near the muzzle with your left hand so you can also hold the short starter with your left thumb and index finger, put the butt in the crease where your left leg
bends forward,bend your left leg forward if necessary then seat the ball with the short and
full length starter. We shoot "walk through" pistol shoots, you don't have time to sit down + it may be muddy or snowy, everyone loads as described above. I have the same pistol as you and use .530 ball and a .015 pillowtick patch.
Easy to load this way and very accurate. I carry a small shooting pouch and a bullet bag on my belt (left side) and a patch pouch on my belt (right side). It's quick and easy.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:v This has been the problem with all of my .50 Cal pistols (Lyman, Traditions, Pedersoli ). I built a loading stand and usually use a rubber mallet to get the ball started. It's doesn't require a big hit to get the ball going then it's quite easy. :hatsoff:

 

[GrayBear]

I take it you've tried a looser fit, rather than tighter? My .50 H & A was bored out to a .50 from the original .45 so rifle and pistol could use the same ball. It shoots best with a ball and patch that only requires a firm push, not a hammer, but YMMV of course.

GrayBear

 

[crockett]

Maybe we ought to back up a bit to the original question. What size ball and patch are you using? I have a Deer Creek American(Hawken) in 50 caliber. I use a .490 ball. I had two patch thicknesses, .015 and.010. I started with the .010 since I figured it would be easier to load and got about 6" groups at 25 yards (BIG disappointment). I then went with the thicker patch and the groups went down to 1 1/2" to 2 1/2". Much better. Use 37 grains FFFg. The .015" patch didn't really seem any more difficult to load than the .010" patch.

 

[jtmattison]

I've been using a .530 ball with .015 patch.
It loads easy but I get 2-3 inch groups at 25 yards.
I want to try a .535 ball or .018 patch but they are hard to load. That is why I raised the question of loading technique.

Huntin Dawg

 

[marmot]

Hmmm... you might try the loose patch/ball, but use a lubricated fiber or wool wad under the load - that increases accuracy quite a bit in a .50 percusion pistol that I shoot, and keeps the loading easy - I hate trying to pound down tight loads in a pistol!

M

 

[jtmattison]

I'll try a wad. I use them in my rifles. Why not use them in my pistol. I can't believe I didn't think of that :shake:

Huntin Dawg

 

[hirocker]

It's very simple:
1. Grip the pistol barrel with your left hand about half way down.
2. Place the ball on top of a lubed patch on the muzzle.
3. Hit the ball a good whack with a flat wooden hammer to drive it flush with the muzzle.
4. Shift your left hand to the top of the barrel so you can hold the loading rod tip on the ball with the fingertips of your left hand.
5. Whack the ball end of the loading rod with your right palm to drive the ball into the barrel, and then finish seating the ball.

This takes me less than 10 seconds, and I can seat very tight ball/patch combinations. The hammer will make a small flat spot on the top of the ball, but this has no effect on accuracy.

If you look at original pistol sets, you often see a flat mallet used for this purpose, especially with target pistols.