RB size for a 69 Cal. Smoothbore

[kawaker900]

Anyone have a suggestion on what size round ball for a 69 cal smoothie? Also what type of powder 2F or 3f and how many grains to start with?

 

[threepdr]

IIRC the ordnace manuals provide for a percussion .69 smoothebore cartrige with 80 grns of "musket powder" which is about 2F. The ball size was .64. For buck and ball add three .30 caliber buckshot.

The older flint cartridges had about 110 grns.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The old loads allowed for windage to cope with fouling during rapid volley fire. Today, we tend to patch the ball and can use a larger ball. I use a .672 ball and .012 patching over 80 grains of ffg GOEX. At deer hunting ranges accuracy is much improved.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Flint musket cartridges back in the day were 110 grs. of musket powder (about equal to ffg, but some was actually as coarse as fg). Part of this was used to prime the musket.

I use a .662 ball over 75 grs. of ffg. This size works well with a .018 pillow ticking patch and also can be left wrapped in the cartridge paper.

You can use fg, but you will get better ignition and velocity with ffg. If you're shooting a musket with a large touchhole, fffg will blow out into the pan when you drive the ball home. If the touchhole is small enough, fffg can give good results, just reduce the charge a little less than with ffg. I have used from 70 to 90 grs. with 75-80 giving the best results.

 

[kawaker900]

Thanks for the replies, but I guess I made a mistake. What size Patched Round Ball for a 69 cal smoothbore based off of a Pennsylvania Fowler.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

In my post I said that I used a .672 ball and a .012 patch. The next post mentions a .662 ball and a slightly thicker patch. There are other ball/patch combinations you could try, but these work well. You want the load to be tight, but not so tight that you bust a gut loading.

 

[kawaker900]

Russ thanks for the post. I tried a .672 Ball and .010 patch, it was too tight. I'll try the next size smaller ball. Just wanted to get other opinions!

 

[spudnut]

I use a 640 with a lot of patch,since it's not rifled anyway it works fine...Mark

 

[J.D.]

The only important measurement is the bore diameter.

If your bore is a true .69, and if you want to use the same patching as used in your other guns; .015 patching, for example .69-(2 x .015)=.66 ball

You can use almost any ball diameter, smaller than the bore, if you use a patch thick enough to take up the slack.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Remember that a bare ball over a wad with a card on top to keep things from shifting around might work as well or better than a patched ball. All the guns are different. As for "windage", the miitary term for the difference in baore and ball sizes, the rule of thumb seems to be .045" give or take a furlong! :haha:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Remember that a bare ball over a wad with a card on top to keep things from shifting around might work as well or better than a patched ball. All the guns are different. As for "windage", the miitary term for the difference in baore and ball sizes, the rule of thumb seems to be .045" give or take a furlong! :haha:

 

[bpesteve]

I have heard this also about a bare ball with a thin top card, but being a newbie at smoothbores and leery of putting wads ahead of a single projectile I have not tried it. Any other comments or contributions on "bare balls" - on topic of course :nono: :grin: - would be appreciated!

 

[J.D.]

Some guns shoot bare balls very well, some don't.

Personally, I don't like having to scrub the lead from the bore.