Musketman RE; SMOOTHBOE post

[riarcher]

Didn't want to change the subject on the other thread so started "anew".
On your .735 w/ wax idea,,,
I tried a variation on it. Having a .715 bag o' balls with the mold,
I melted some BW and dipped the (sorta) roughly cut patches into it to saturate the cloth. Then the next time I casted some balls I sent them through a .750 ID copper pipe with the patch on the starting end of the tube. I filled the pipe with hot patched balls and let cool. Then finished pushing them out (Ugh!). Patch seemed to stick to the ball pretty well (with PLENTY :shocked2: of lube).
I only did 6 balls (and lost one :youcrazy: ) But the 5 showed promise, loaded nice, but a couple patches were borderline burnt.
You ever tried anything like this (no loading block)?
Have to admitt, takes a bit of Bee's Wax and may be expensive if you need to buy it.

 

[musketman]

Intresting variation... :hmm:

Never tried it that way, the patch may ride the whole way to the target if it is too sticky, you could work on the wax (adding cheap canning wax) to bring the cost of the beeswax down...

As for your copper tube, you can get a few short sections and load up two patched roundballs at the most, once cool, it will be easier to push 2 out instead of 5 or 6...

 

[J.D.]

I have done some experimentation with "Jeager patches" that are similar to what you are trying.
The only difference is; Jeager patches are sewn onto the ball with one running stich around the top of the patch/ball combination.

A loading block is used to position a prelubed patch and ball, as well as to hold everything securely while sewing the single running stitch.

Accuracy doesn't seeem to be affected, at this point, but more testing is required to determine the effectiveness of this load.
J.D.

 

[roundball]

Jeager patches are sewn onto the ball with one running stich around the top of the patch/ball combination.

Sounds like that might have been done to speed up reloading for military use long ago??

 

[bpollock_sr]

I had read where that was the type of patch,ball combination used by the early big game hunters in Africa.They were supposed to be accurate and did speed up loading when persuing dangerous game .