Patch Thickness and Pyrodex Loads

[kje54]

Follow up question (I also am new to muzzle loaders): In a revolver, can you use a conical, and is there a pro or con of doing so as compared to a round ball?

JGW

Some here claim they use or have used conicals, I never have so I can't tell you one way or the other. One reason I prefer round ball with revolvers is get a lead ball that is slightly larger than the chamber size, when you push the ball in it shaves off a thin lead ring effectively sealing the chamber. Don't know if it's the same with conicals.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I have a Deerhunter .50. Traditions makes these projectiles called Plinkers. The name implies they are for target shooting but I have taken several deer and hogs with the Plinker projectiles. My rifle like them best and with 100 grain Pyrodex P. BTW it has a 1:48 ROT. With a patched ball of .490 mine likes about the thickest, most moist patch you can get down the barrel without beating on it. There are some pre-cut oiled .020's from Track of the Wolf that work good with roundball in that rifle. I've shot the PA Concical with 80 grains of Pyrodex RS, or 80 grains of Goex FFFg. It will group 2 shots nicely and then starts opening the groups more and more unless you clean the barrel again. I've had some ignition problems with Triple 7 and with the factory nipple. With a Hot Shot and Pyrodex (or real black powder) no ignition problems, it is quite reliable.

Your next question about revolvers:
I have tried conicals made for 36 and 44 caliber revolvers and of course round balls. My experience and experimentation is limited because I instantly realized the conicals were harder to load, no more accurate and more expensive.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Is there no need for a patch with minie balls due to more bearing surface of the bullet with the bore as compared to round balls? Or is it something else?

JGW

As many others have stated, the Minie' ball was designed to be heavily lubricated and have a loose but precise fit to the bore. The hollow base would expand into the grooves to spin with the rifling and stabilize for good battlefield accuracy. So the answer is something else.

There is another class of conicals that are designed for thin paper patching to match the bullet to the bore. These conical bullets are designed for extreme long range target shooting.

As a new shooter to muzzleloading, you will benefit from purchasing a copy of Dutch Schoultz's research into black powder rifle accuracy. He does focus on getting optimal accuracy with round ball and cloth patching. Look on the website, blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com. You can order a download of the instructions and insights.

You may find the search engine on the Forum to be your friend although at times finding what you want can be a puzzlement.

Follow up question (I also am new to muzzle loaders): In a revolver, can you use a conical, and is there a pro or con of doing so as compared to a round ball?

JGW

In the messages on this forum, in the Handgun topics, there are many threads discussing the use of conical bullets and round balls. My suggestion, since you are new to the shooting of muzzleloading revolvers, stick to the round ball. Finding the suitable round balls will be much easier than finding bullets.

 

[Zonie]

As was mentioned, conical bullets are much more difficult to load into the chambers of a revolver.

Even if the amount of oversize of the bullet is the same as a roundball, when the bullet is forced into the chamber you are trying to shear off a long length of lead. With a roundball, that length will be about 1/16" to 3/32" long. With a bullet it can easily be over 1/4" of lead that needs to be pushed out of the way.

I tried bullets once in my revolver. The added force needed to ram the bullet in place caused me to worry about shearing off one of the screws in the loading lever linkage and to add to that, the accuracy of the bullet was worse than I ever got when I was shooting a lead roundball.