Loading With Tow
- Thread starter Walkabout
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Did he happen to ask someone to hold his beer before he demonstrated the technique?
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I place a ball of tow on top of the charge(powder, lubed felt wad and ball) and get good results. I think the tow on top helps stabilize the ball
No, he wasn't drinking beer.
My point was/is Utube videos don't make a pro.
I responded more about the historical part of your question.
Most of what was common practice, those things that seemed commonly practical and successful, are still in use today.
If wrapping the ball with tow was successful, we'd all already know about it and be sharing the great advantage of doing so regularly.
I responded more about the historical part of your question.
Most of what was common practice, those things that seemed commonly practical and successful, are still in use today.
If wrapping the ball with tow was successful, we'd all already know about it and be sharing the great advantage of doing so regularly.
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smooth bore i presume?
Was he showing how to shoot an undersized ball?
That's the only reason I can see.
That's the only reason I can see.
I saw that video, too, and honestly, I have no idea of what "tow" is. It looks like the sweepings from a barbershop floor, to tell the truth. For me, "tow" is something you do to a trailer.
Tow is the rough leaving of linen making. If it’s a wad of fiber made from old rope it looks the same,we often call it tow though it might be more correct to say oakem, or shredded cedar bark, coconut fiber, moss ect.
It is just tough fluff and was the stuff used for cleaning a gun, and could be used as wading.
Ballistic test show it doesn’t work as well as a modern fiber wad. They knew this in the old days as loading manual talked about using the stuffing from old saddles. This was often tow but very compressed
True tow or imitation tow made from hemp yarn both work well.
I often make a nest at the muzzle and push the ball in, sort of making a patch, shoots almost as well as PRB in my smoothies. I like to use a little lard on it to make it gummy
Tow, said toe to pull a trailer
Tow said tahw is the fiber
I see some folks using TOW to mean TOTW, too.
My brain always read TOW as tow, even though I see the caps
My brain always read TOW as tow, even though I see the caps
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Absolutely!
Fitzhugh Williams
40 Cal
All you need is a properly sized ball and something to keep it seated on the powder. That would take a lot of tow. Once there is some fouling in the barrel that will usually be enough. But just to be on the safe side I will roll up a leaf and place in on top of the ball. Just powder, ball, and the leaf (or something similar). Seem to work very well.
Snydly
54 Cal.
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My fowler loves Tow on top of the powder, then the ball, then another tow ball over the ball to keep it in. Extremely accurate. at 25 yards it shoots clover leafs...at 50 yards shoots 2 inch groups. But... alas... I can not shoot using tow. It keeps starting fires. Tried to lube the Tow but that just makes it collapse and my groups go completely berserk! Might try it during the elk season here in Wy, as there will probably be a lot of snow on the ground and that should mean .... no fires!
Lordy Lordy! Its mighty hard to beat a properly sized ball matched to caliber and a lubed patch of pillow ticking! This ain't rocket science! 
Yeah it sort of is, after all, hot expanding gas driving ejecta out one end producing recoil on t’otherLordy Lordy! Its mighty hard to beat a properly sized ball matched to caliber and a lubed patch of pillow ticking! This ain't rocket science!
