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NO PATCH! So the problem with a patch is a) it's not documented for the time period, and b) the reason for that may be that as many folks that shoot round ball in smooth bores have reported, the patched ball is less accurate than a very large round ball. In a rifle barrel the grooves impart a spin to the bullet, true, but they also cause the patch around the ball to fold in a very similar and uniform pattern each time a ball is loaded. In a smooth bore the patch folds a different way each and every time, which makes for an inconsistent positioning of the ball in the barrel each time. So if you're not going to put the ball in a uniformly rolled cylinder of paper, then another option would be to use a ball that is .650 in your 16 gauge. LD
NO PATCH!
So the problem with a patch is a) it's not documented for the time period, and b) the reason for that may be that as many folks that shoot round ball in smooth bores have reported, the patched ball is less accurate than a very large round ball.
In a rifle barrel the grooves impart a spin to the bullet, true, but they also cause the patch around the ball to fold in a very similar and uniform pattern each time a ball is loaded. In a smooth bore the patch folds a different way each and every time, which makes for an inconsistent positioning of the ball in the barrel each time.
So if you're not going to put the ball in a uniformly rolled cylinder of paper, then another option would be to use a ball that is .650 in your 16 gauge.
LD
