I don't know what gun you are shooting, who made the barrel, how long it is, or what its actual bore diameter is. All are important to know in deciding what ball and patch combination will work in that barrel.
Triple 7 powder burns Hotter than Black powder. You have to know what you are doing with both the powder charge you select, how much( by volume) you use, and how thick the patch material is. A thin patch is often going to burn, or tear when its pushed by high pressures and hot temperatures, no matter what the lube is. The thicker the patch material is, the MORE LUBE it can carry, and that helps keep it from burning, or tearing.
With new barrels, we often find burrs on the edges of the lands, that tear the patches in the barrel. And, its not unusual to find that burrs or sharp edges on the front of the lands at the muzzle are also cutting the patch material as the PRB is started.
You need to know the actual diameter( and weight) of the balls you cast with any mold, not simply what the mold says it casts. If you use any alloy lead, expect the balls to come out slightly larger, and weigh slightly less, depending on the alloy used, when compared to pure lead.
Finally, you have to learn to READ your spent patches, as they tell you everything about what is going on inside the barrel.
If " Reading spent patches " sounds strange to you, please contact Dutch Schoultz, at
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/
and purchase his Black Powder Rifle Accuracy System, for $19.95. Its the best $20 education you can buy to learn how to work up accurate loads in any mler. I keep my copy here on a shelf above my computer, and use it as a reference tool whenever someone posts pictures of his spent patches and is asking for help reading them. :hmm: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
) So now I need to pick up ticking from .012 to .018 and try that. sorry about that folks... I'll keep you posted on the patch testing..
