Shot a 50 shot range session today with a .58cal Flintlock using 9/16” marbles and the results were simply outstanding!!!
The diameter of the 9/16” marbles had some variance so I sorted them into two groups of .56x and .57x in the thinking I’d be able to standardize on a couple different patch thicknesses but after various tests I finally just settled on .022” and finished the rest of the session with them.
Using 50grn Goex 3F and 4 different patch thicknesses of .015”/.018”/.020”/.022”, I put all 50 shots into the target below and as the patch thickness got progressively thicker, the more accurate the load became”¦I shot all of them at 25 yards while sitting in a small chair with my off elbow braced down on my side, so I’m sure bench rest results would be even better.
As luck would have it, the 9/16”x 65grn marbles just happen to fall into the .56x - .57x range, making it almost a perfect size match to the round balls normally used in a .58cal and the accuracy is just an incredible surprise.
So if we even get to the point where lead becomes some sort of issue, there’s no question that at least for the .58cal, a common everyday 9/16” marble is an extremely low cost, very accurate, off the shelf alternative practice ball. In fact, if you just want to go make smoke with a .58cal right now, and just have very cheap fun punching holes in paper or shooting coke cans, etc. at 25yds”¦just get a bag of 9/16” marbles, throttle your powder charge back to about 50grns and enjoy”¦50 of these cost $1 dollar”¦compared to 50 Hornady / Speer lead balls at $8-10 dollars.
PS: If anyone decides to try this for themselves, if you have time see what they’ll do at 50 yards”¦I’d think that their relatively light weight might start to become an issue at 50yds with only 50grns Goex 3F pushing them so you might have to jack it up to 70grns keep it under a full head of steam to that distance.
(EDIT: I see I wrote 40grns on the paper plate but it was 50grns)
The diameter of the 9/16” marbles had some variance so I sorted them into two groups of .56x and .57x in the thinking I’d be able to standardize on a couple different patch thicknesses but after various tests I finally just settled on .022” and finished the rest of the session with them.
Using 50grn Goex 3F and 4 different patch thicknesses of .015”/.018”/.020”/.022”, I put all 50 shots into the target below and as the patch thickness got progressively thicker, the more accurate the load became”¦I shot all of them at 25 yards while sitting in a small chair with my off elbow braced down on my side, so I’m sure bench rest results would be even better.
As luck would have it, the 9/16”x 65grn marbles just happen to fall into the .56x - .57x range, making it almost a perfect size match to the round balls normally used in a .58cal and the accuracy is just an incredible surprise.
So if we even get to the point where lead becomes some sort of issue, there’s no question that at least for the .58cal, a common everyday 9/16” marble is an extremely low cost, very accurate, off the shelf alternative practice ball. In fact, if you just want to go make smoke with a .58cal right now, and just have very cheap fun punching holes in paper or shooting coke cans, etc. at 25yds”¦just get a bag of 9/16” marbles, throttle your powder charge back to about 50grns and enjoy”¦50 of these cost $1 dollar”¦compared to 50 Hornady / Speer lead balls at $8-10 dollars.
PS: If anyone decides to try this for themselves, if you have time see what they’ll do at 50 yards”¦I’d think that their relatively light weight might start to become an issue at 50yds with only 50grns Goex 3F pushing them so you might have to jack it up to 70grns keep it under a full head of steam to that distance.
(EDIT: I see I wrote 40grns on the paper plate but it was 50grns)
