Lubed Patch for Great Plains Bullets??

[Carl323]

I'm still confused on whether to use a lubed patch between a 425 grain Great Plains bullet and the powder in my traditional percussion cap 54 caliber rifles. Shot only patched round balls in them, and just for a new thing am going to try the Great Plains. I read different things. And if I should have a patch, do I load as with a round ball, put the patch on the muzzle, center ball on the patch, start it with starter, etc., or is that process different with a Great Plains? The Great Plains come already lubed. Also, will I find pushing a Great Plains down the bore generally easier or harder than with balls? Balls go down easy in my bores, especially if I swab just on general principles every two/three shots. Just trying to get prepared so I don't get the bullet stuck halfway down. A little worried (my middle name) that a Great Plains on top of a lubed patch might be a tad too much to go down easy. My GP bullets arrived today, and wow, those things are one hunk of lead! Thanks!

 

[Billnpatti]

No, No, No!! You do not use a patch with a conical bullet. They are designed with grooves on the sides for lube and the raised rings are designed to engrave into the rifling when you insert it into the muzzle. Just coat it with lube and insert it bare into the muzzle. It is permissible and often a good idea to use a snug fitting lubed felt wad between the bullet and the powder. I recommend making your own using Duro-Felt (search on line using the name Duro-Felt). Spread your favorite lube on a sheet of felt and then melt it into the felt the microwave. Use a hollow punch (Harbor Freight) to punch out the wads.

 

[Kapow]

Give these a try:

.54 lubed wads from TOTW.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/174/1

What rifle are you shooting them out of? What is the twist rate?

 

[Carl323]

I've got a CVA Stalker Carbine, a Thompson Center Renegade, and a Investarms Hawken, all 54 cal. Been shooting lubed patch RBs galore. I like modest loads of Pyrodex, usually 65 to 75 grains by volume. I suppose a 425 grain Great Plains will need a few grains more of powder? I've tried to research their twist rates, but hard to nail it down.

 

[Kapow]

Starting with the renegade I would say it is 1:48 & should shoot those Hornady great plains bullets very well. It may even shoot them well without the over powder wad. I would use a minimum of 80gn FFg. They are heavy so what is the point of lobbing them? I think they are possibly the most consistently accurate maxi out there. Try a few groups without the wad, then with, to see if they tighten up. I shoot them out of my GPR with a fast twist barrel with 100gn FFg loads and they are highly accurate to 100yds. They should make light work of a whitetail.


Measure your own twist rates by putting a tight cleaning patch all the way down into the barrel. Make a mark on the ram rod in line with the front blade sight. Slowly pull the ramrod out and note how far the mark rotates in relation to the length the ramrod travels out of the barrel. eg pull the ramrod out 24" and the mark rotates 180 degress should indicate a 1:48" twist and so on.

 

[rafterob]

You do not need a wad but it may improve your experience with a conical style bullet. How easy it goes down depends on the fit of the conical to your rifling. In my Tarditions Hunter Hawken it is a real PITA to try to get any conical down because it has deep rifling. My Mountain rifle is easier. But I gave up the notion of shooting conicals 4 years ago, just don't see the point when a PRB shoots really well and is easy to laod. Have 3 boxes of conicals sitting around gathering dust.