To select the right Ball and patch combination, YOU HAVE TO MEASURE both the bore diameter( land to land) and the Groove depth or diameter. The bore diameter, in thousandths of an inch will tell you what size ball will probably work the best. Generally, you want a ball that is .010" undersized compared to the bore diameter. Patch thickness is determined by the groove depth, that is, the depth of the groove measured against the lands. Some guns have grooves cut as deep as .012-.014". Others are much more shallow. The same size patch does not work well in both guns.
Then you also have to look at the width of the lands compared to the width of the grooves. If you have wide lands, and narrow grooves, you probably have to use a thinner patch than the depth of the groove measures, simply because you can't get the cloth patch into those narrow grooves as easily, or at all! Most barrels made today have lands and grooves of equal width.
I also recommend that you look at a .36 cal. rifle for small bore hunting, and shooting. These guns are very accurate and can be fired at short ranges with as little as 20 grains of 3Fg powder for squirrels and rabbits. Use about 30 grains for shooting out to 50 yds, for coyotes, fox, and ground hogs. The ball is so light in weight, I don't like to see it used to hunt anything out at 100 yds, because it just doesn't have much energy left at that range. They are accurate at 100 yds, and for paper shooting, use about 40 grains to maintain your same POA as you use at 25 and 50yds with the lower charges. Havin said that, I know of many reports of coyote and other varmints being killed at 100 yds with a neck or head shot using the .36 cal ball. A torso hit will kill them, but slowly, and that is just not what I personally think a hunter should be doing. Others disagree. There argument that a varmint is a varmint, and it doesn't matter if they die slowly or fast.
So, use a caliper( you can buy a dial caliper for as little as $20.00 from some of the suppliers), and take the caliber on the gun barrel with a grain of salt. They will be close, but rarely are you going to find a production gun where the bore is the exact diameter for that caliber. Even a few thousandths can alter the performance of the rifle with standard components. And, measure those balls you buy, or CAST, because they may also vary a few thousandths, requiring a change in thickness of patching for best accuracy.
It will take you about a year to adjust to a flintlock going off so close to your face, if you have been shooting percussion, or modern cartridge guns. There are numerous drills and systems to practice to learn how to ignore the flash, and concentrate on your front sight. Check Muzzleloading Accuracy topic on this forum for some of the ideas. If you find yourself frustrated by a " flinch " let us know and we can help you through it. All flintlock shooters go through this to some extent. Once you master it, you wonder why it ever was a problem.
Get Dutch Schoultz's Black powder rifle accuracy system to use in working up your load in the gun.
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http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/[/url]
As to guns, If you have any skills at all, I would think it would be worth your while to talk to the guys at TVM about acquiring one of their ' kits ", where they have done much of the work for you. For $700-$800 you can buy a semi-custom rifle that fits you, has good parts( lock and barrel) and will be in shooting condition with only some finishing work on your part.
I am having a .36 gun worked up for me with a 37 " barrel. I didn't want a longer barrel because this will be a small game only gun, and I don't even intend to use it on coyote, unless attacked!! :rotf: It is a flintlock, but I have been shooting a flintlock rifle in .50 caliber for more than 25 years. I bought the parts for this gun many years ago, but medical problems kept me from even beginning to work on it. The bore is being lapped, so that the land diameter at the muzzle end will be a few .0001" smaller in diameter than the bore diameter back at the breech. The muzzle will be coned, so I don't have to use a short starter to seat a ball. I want to make this as simple a gun to carry and use as possible, so I can use a belt pouch to carry everything I need to load and shoot the gun in the field. I am making a flat horn that i can carry in my back pocket with FFFg powder to both load the barrel and prime the pan with. At 20-30 grains per shot, frankly, a salt shaker would probably hold enough powder for a day's squirrel or rabbit hunting! I intend to go light, to give my back and legs a break. Old age, and all the war wounds one acquires during a life of doing stupid things makes one think of these things at my age.
