need some opinions

[Flinchlock.50]

I use pillow ticking about .015 lubed with crisco. To protect the patch I put a .45 acp case full of corn meal between the powder and ball. Works like a champ!

 

[Cascade Pete]

I'm in the .015 patch group, lubed with Mink Oil, also. With a .490 Ball You should have the proper patch tension in the bore, and very little to no burn through...

 

[Nappers]

I use 70gr FFFG with a .497 Ball and .22 pillow tick soaked in 3 rivers solvent/patch lube from The Gun Works and get clover leafs at 50yds. Works in my gun. California Custom half stock .50 Cal by Andy Fautheree.

 

[pondoro]

Try .010, .015 and .018 patches (all are easy to find in a cloth store)

Try 70, 80, 90 grains with each patch size.

Try them all dry and wet.

You will spend less than $5 and have a great time. Then tell us what lube/load/patch is best. None of them are dangerous...

 

[richdeerht]

My favorite patch material is .024 denim pre-lubed with microwaved Wonderlube. They compress more than you'd expect. The fired patches look like they could be used again with a little re-lube.

 

[tg]

Play around with some different lubes, patch sizes but keep an eye on the groups. I have seen some folks drive themselves nuts trying to avoid any burned or shredded pathces while laying balls ontop of each other at the range.

 

[pondoro]

Play around with some different lubes, patch sizes but keep an eye on the groups. I have seen some folks drive themselves nuts trying to avoid any burned or shredded pathces while laying balls ontop of each other at the range.

I agree - if you get the best groups with a load that is the best load - who cares what the patches look like?

 

[paulvallandigham]

I disagree. I have seen dozens of shooters putting balls one on top of the other, at 25 yards, with their patches torn and smoldering in the grass 20-30 feet in front of the firing line. Then, when they move back to even the 50 yard line, they find that they can't even hit a 12" square paper target consistently, if at all! And forget using that load and gun to shoot at 100 yd. targets- standing off-hand or firmly mounted on sand bags in as stable bench rest.

It happened to me, ONCE. Now I pick up and read all my patches, and " drive myself NUTS" working on loads that do not produce torn patches when shooting PRBs. :blah: :hmm: :surrender: :thumbsup:

It isn't that difficult to get it right, IMHO.

 

[pondoro]

Paul - I bow to your experience. At my club I've always shot at 25 and 50 yards, never farther. If I get a load to work at 50 I've never asked what it might do at 100 (I don't hunt with muzzleloaders, in fact I have rarely hunted).

I'm suprised a load could work great at 25 and be lousy at 100, but I believe you. It would be easier to understand with a long conical bullet versus a round ball, but the proof is in the shooting.

 

[tg]

I would suggest you try things for yourself before bowing to much, dozens and dozens of shooters? seems like more time was spent watching than shooting to me :idunno: and I did not mention 25-50 yds groups as I recall


"drive myself NUTS" Oh! BTW congratulations on a job well done :thumbsup:

 

[flintlockmdj]

As Swampy stated you should try a thicker patch and\or lube, but never change two things at the same time. Try the lube and see what you get after shooting 4 or 5 targets then try the thicker patch and see what difference that makes. If you change more than one thing at a time you won't know which one made the difference.

 

[cjcgunnutt]

dixie gun works sells synthetic sperm whale oil. the old timers yoused to say whale oil workd the best of all from what i have herd. now you would halve to go with the fake stuff. but it is all natural. it is made from some sort of seed oil