More Nessler Ball shooting......

[Stantheman86]

Rolled up 24 cartridges with Lee Shotgun Slugs and 70 gr of 2f

Lubed with SPG.

6 shots did pretty well at 50 yards from a standing position. I think if I got a chance to warm up I'd have put up some decent groups.

I decided not to use my .680 sizer and to shoot them as cast . They seem to drop around .683-.685 with a taper from the base to the nose, so sizing removes a ring of lead just below the round part of the nose.

Was doing well, 6 shots fired. After 3 shots I started having to fight them down the pipe with a range rod. Dumbass me decided to keep shooting and uh oh, got one stuck about 3" from the breech. Seems like a crusty spot of fouling hung it up.

I have used .680 slugs before in this musket so I guess that extra .003 or so was a no go.

I had only planned to pop off a few shots anyway, the older I get the less this kind of stuff bothers me. Younger me would have been irked for days , now I'm just like, well, I guess range day is over.

After a half hearted attempt with a puller screw and then an attempt to smash it down , I just packed up and left. It was stuck so firmly the rod bounced when dropped onto the slug so it's in there tight.

I feel if I size these to .680 they will work great.

Now to either try to use a long piece of wooden 1/2" dowel and a sledge to knock it down onto the powder and shoot it out or dump Hoppes bench rest down the pipe in an attempt to eat the fouling away and pull it, I don't know. I'm not overly worried about it as long as a piece of the skirt from the previous slug isn't what's blocking it.

My research with Nessler type projectiles has been both frustrating and encouraging over the past couple of years.

 

[oldhunter1954]

Just curious if the Nessler Ball is more accurate than a round ball? I am new to black powder. First time I have heard of Nessler Balls.

 

[Stantheman86]

Just curious if the Nessler Ball is more accurate than a round ball? I am new to black powder. First time I have heard of Nessler Balls.

I've been playing around with these for a few years now, and the term "accuracy " requires an explanation:

The Nessler ball was designed to increase effectiveness at longer ranges and to stay accurate at long range vs a Round Ball, when used in a Smoothbore musket.

Original testing showed less accuracy at short range (50, 100 yards) with the Nessler ball vs the Round ball but the Nessler retained more accuracy at 200, 300 and beyond.

My own tests have shown the Nessler , or basically Foster slug, is about the same if not a little less accurate than round balls at realistic ranges I shoot at like 50 , sometimes 100 yards but I just think they're fun to shoot. They're basically smoothbore Minie balls.

However, I learned that sizing them is just as important as a Minie in a rifled weapon. So off I go to Grease Zerk this stuck slug out of my dismounted barrel. This is why I use my repros to play with stuff like this and not originals.

 

[Stantheman86]

Size your bullets , people

After a week of soaking with Hoppes Bench Rest , I popped it out today after putting the T-Handle of my range rod in the crook of a tree and pulling , it pulled out with a little "pop" at the muzzle.

Time to try again with sized .680 Lee Slugs.

I get to reconnect with the spirits of salty NCOs who had to pull stuck bullets out of soldiers muskets