Round ball and patch recommendations

[slou92]

I just got a 45 cal Hawken and would like to work a charge up for it. I'm not new to muzzleloading but I am new to patched roundballs. Where do I start on ball / patch size?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[David W.]

I would start with a .440 ball and a .015 patch. If that is too tight, try a .010 patch. I prefer pilow ticking. For lube, I use Old Zip from Dizie Gun Works, or mink oil. I also make my own concotion of moose milk.

 

[RugerDog]

I too recently got a .45 Hawken (my first muzzleloader). I started off with .440 balls (Hornady), with T/C roundball patches. They seem to work well. I just got some of the T/C pillow ticking patches, and find them too tight.

You'll likely have to experiment with your particular barrel.

 

[longfowler]

I, too just came into possesion of a .45 T/C hawken. I tried the same load I use for targets & squirrels in my CVA 45: A .440 ball, .010 patches cut square from a bolt of 100% cotton material called "homespun" I bought at the local fabric store, lubed with olive oil and pushed by 30 grains of 3f goex. I can start that combination by thumb presure. this load shoots one hole groups from the bench at 25 yards, and bumping the powder up to 45 grains I could still hold a 1-1/2 group offhand with that rifle. my new favorite!

 

[slou92]

Great, thanks guys.

Two questions...

How do I measure the material thickness

How tightly should the ball/patch fit the barrel?

 

[David W.]

To measure the thickness you need a micrometer or calipers. Its been a long time since I've purchased pillow ticking, but the faberic shop may be able to tell you. If you purchase precut patches, the thicknes will be marked on the package.

You should have a snug fit, but not have to beat it down the barrel. I would purchase one small bag of the .015 and one of the .010 and go from there.

Take about five shots and try to find the patches. They will be anywhere from about ten feet to twenty feet away if the wind is not blowing. Look at the black around the patch. It should not have black all the way up, you should see a definate line where the powder did not burn it. If the whole patch looks black, then you have "blow by" You do not want that because is indicates the ball is too loose. The second thingto look for is the patch being cut up. That is an indication that the ball is too tight.

If you have trouble reading the patches and can take pictures and someone here can tell you.

 

[BrownBear]

Great, thanks guys.

Two questions...

How do I measure the material thickness

How tightly should the ball/patch fit the barrel?

Yup, micrometer or word of mouth. Lots of discussion here on the forum about sources and thicknesses. And find those spent patches so you can "read" them- i.e., watching for holes or tears (meaning too thin a patch) that might kill accuracy.

Here's a handy rule of thumb I use on new rifles or calibers, just a starting place for ball size and patch thickness: I take .010 off the bore size and start with .015 or .018 patches. It's worked so far with .310 balls in .320 bores, .490 balls in .500 bores, .530 in .540 bores and .570 in .580 bores. Individual rifles might prefer something a little different, but a ball .010 smaller than bore leaves you a little more latitude up and down in subsequent patch thickness trials.

 

[ebiggs1]

I have two Thompson Center Hawken 45 cal flintlocks. One has an L&R lock, the other is stock.
Anyway my favorite load and patch is:
.440 balls
.018 TC Pillow Ticking patch
70 grains fffg in the barrel
ffffg in the pan
I also find that the TC Bore Butter keeps the fouling soft enough all day or night if need be. Everyone has his or her favs so you will probably have one too. Good luck.

 

[RugerDog]

I too recently got a .45 Hawken (my first muzzleloader). I started off with .440 balls (Hornady), with T/C roundball patches. They seem to work well. I just got some of the T/C pillow ticking patches, and find them too tight.

You'll likely have to experiment with your particular barrel.

I just got home and checked the thickness of the patches. The T/C patches are .015, and work well; the pillow ticking patches are .018, and are too tight.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Here is an easy set up: 440 dia Hornady ball, and oxyoke orginal prelubed patches .o15 lubed with wonderlube. You can also try the oxyoke .018 pillow ticking. For powder try 70 grains of 2F Goex.

 

[slou92]

Perfect... thanks for the info. I'll try and get to the range in the next week or two.

Brian

 

[Huntnut]

Did everyone get a .45 I just picked one up too. Going to play with some .440 horady and .015 pellow tucking with some goex FFFg