Proper seating of ball and patch

My friend always throws his ramrod until it bounces. I think it unnecessarily deforms the ball. We used co2 to discharge his rifle and not only was the ball deformed, but the powder was packed so tight, it came out in one long tube - looked like those powder pellets.

I think folks sometimes try to use a "prb" combo thet is too tight fore the bore, result'n in hard to "start" prb's as well as think'n they need to "pound" it down to eliminate any air space.

Over on anuther forum, I see a fella complain'n thet his .500 ball and .018 patch, is hard to "start" in his .50 muzzleloader. :crackup: :crackup: "Well golly be"!!.... "go figger"!!

Combine a tight prb "combo", and the possiblity thet some fellas cast ther roundballs out'a wheel weights and it's next to IMPOSSIBLE to git the prb "started" at all without a mallet.

Personally I use an easy to load combo yet I do "tamp" my load after it's seated jest a bit, 'course I use a wooden ramrod, while others often find they "need" to use a solid brass ramrod to load ther rifles.

I've done a lot of experiment'n with "tight combo's" vs "easy to load combo's", and tho the tight ones (may, and often do) shoot jest a "tad" more accurate at 100 yards, I however, don't consider them to be worth the "hassle". :imo: :m2c:

Maybe 'cause I'm "blind",.... :results: :haha: :haha:

YMHS
rollingb

 

[connerm]

Well-said Rollingb...And polite too. I worked all summer to find a combo that gave me good accuracy at 75 yards AND didn't make me do jumping jacks to get it loaded. Goal here was to find the combo that worked in the field. Tight patch when I could load at the car before going out and thinner patch for follow-up shot...if necessary.

 

[The Baron]

The sales clerk told me to simply grind some of the 3f powder, which I did, not knowing any better at the time. I didn't die.

HistoryBuff - I'm glad to hear things are looking up for you! I'm also very glad to hear you didn't die. :crackup: I laughed out loud when I read that simple statement! It kinda caught me off guard and struck my funny bone!

I'm pretty new here myself and I am also finding this forum very helpful. It has not only helped me a lot, in a short preiod of time, with my million technical questions, but it has affirmed for me that I am not going looney for hanging up my "modern" guns and wanting to do it all with blackpowder. (I have considered that crazy people can't affirm such things for other crazy people, but what the heck - it's fun!). I might even be tempted to dress in period clothing for my turkey hunts, but we'll see. Around here, that woudl be kinda like coming out of the closet, so I wanna be sure before I do it. :crackup: