Shot a shortstarted ball

[patch knife]

I shot a shortstarted ball today :cursing: . I am now wondering if my barrel is still safe . The barrel is a Green Mountain drop in barrel for a TC Renegade . It is one inch across the flats , 32 inches long , with a 1 in 70 twist , .54 cal. It was loaded with 60 grns. of 3f Goex black powder , .530 rb with a .018 patch about 4 inches down from the muzzle . When I shot it , it went "poof" , with no noticeable recoil , and the ball didn't even make it to the target , 25 yards away . Can anyone please tell me if my barrel is still OK to use ?

 

[roundball]

I shot a shortstarted ball today :cursing: . I am now wondering if my barrel is still safe . The barrel is a Green Mountain drop in barrel for a TC Renegade . It is one inch across the flats , 32 inches long , with a 1 in 70 twist , .54 cal. It was loaded with 60 grns. of 3f Goex black powder , .530 rb with a .018 patch about 4 inches down from the muzzle . When I shot it , it went "poof" , with no noticeable recoil , and the ball didn't even make it to the target , 25 yards away . Can anyone please tell me if my barrel is still OK to use ?

:hmm: :hmm: :hmm: ...are you absolutely certain...beyond a shadow of a doubt...that in fact you had a ball in there?

The "poof", no recoil, and nothing hitting the close 25yd target makes me wonder...I've gotten distracted, double balled, or forgot powder...or forgot the ball...and that's exactly how I'd describe my experience of forgetting to load a ball...a poof, no recoil, and nothing hitting the target

 

[madstone]

Push a tight patch down the bore and "feel" for a loose spot indicative of a bulge. This if no noticible bulge is obvious. Miking the flats near the suspected short started ball's seat.
Sounds like the gas pressure/air column merely shoved the ball out w/o any dangerous build up of pressure. They usually bulge at the weakest dovetail slot. Or maybe the weakest area ner the lodged ball?
If you cant see a bulge and don't feel a loose spot in the bore w the patch I would say your barrel suffered no damage at all. Thus it would be safe and the incident could be forgotten. I applaud your concern for safety!!! :thumbsup:

 

[patch knife]

Roundball , now that you mention it , in not sure I did start the ball . I'm really not sure either way , seeing as how I thought the ball had been rammed and it wasn't , maybe the ball wasn't in the barrel at all :hmm: . Thank you . The sun was getting low and I may have been rushing things . :hatsoff:

 

[patch knife]

Thanks Madstone , I'll do that . :hatsoff:

 

[musketman]

If you have a set of micrometers, measure the outside flats of the barrel, have it loose enough that the micrometer slides without scratching the finish off...

Lock in the micrometer (use it's locking screw) to hold the size, now slide the micrometer down the length of the barrel, if it is buldged, it will stop dead in it's tracks where the buldge begins...

It does sound like you didn't have a projectile in it...

 

[Halftail]

Patch Knife,
Your barrell sounds like a heavy enough barrell that I'd think that a light load like you described probably wouldn't affect it.However I would'nt make a habit of shooting short started balls.I've seen it haoppen to others in my club and it happened to myself once also,luckily nothin happened to barrell or shooter.
The method of checking your barrell with a microcrometer is a good way to know for sure.
Merry Christmas! :hatsoff:

 

[Mike Brooks]

I've blown a gun to smithereens short starting a ball. Of course I believe I already had a full load with a ball seated in the breech and just added the short started ball which by the way turned into a barrel obstruction. the barrel blew into 3 pieces, and the short started ball was still left in the barrel.
1" douglas .50 cal. 42" long and flint ignition.
I don't recommend anyone try my loading methods.... :winking:

 

[patch knife]

Thank you all for your help ! I checked the barrel with my dial calipers , a straightedge , and the tight patch method . Everything checked out OK :thumbsup: Merry Christmas to you all :hatsoff:

 

[Wehrmacht]

I short started one once and fired her off.Funny sound and reduced recoil.Fearing that I had ruined the barrel I immediately called Don Getz,and Don told me not to worry that short starting would not ruin the barrel just don't make it a habit!

 

[patch knife]

Thanks for your input der Forster . I'll never know for sure if I even started a ball in the barrel . Now I'm kinda thinking I didn't :hmm:

 

[flm_shooter]

I'll never know for sure if I even started a ball in the barrel . Now I'm kinda thinking I didn't :hmm:

Well, you might have. On two occasions shooting with my wife (not at) I noticed the same thing. It went "poot" and no recoil. I started watching closer and have caught her short-starting twice. After each incident I did all the tests mentioned above. No barrel problems.

Note: She has not done this stunt in the last 6 months.

 

[patch knife]

Thanks Fillmore , you guys have put my mind at ease :hatsoff: I really like my GM barrel and would have hated to ruin it . You would think that after 20+ years of shooting muzzleloaders (almost 30 if you count the caplock pistols) that I would not be screwing up anymore . The funny thing is , I had been shooting muzzleloading rifles for more than 15 years before my first loading mistake (dryballed), shortly after that , I dryballed again and shorly after that , I shot my ramrod :haha: I sure hope this isn't becoming a habit :shake:

 

[musketman]

You would think that after 20+ years of shooting muzzleloaders (almost 30 if you count the caplock pistols) that I would not be screwing up anymore .

Not at all, we are all prone to mistakes, loading becomes second nature and therefore, we think we can load while being distracted or multi-tasked...

The human mind does move faster than our hands, so we sometimes jump a few steps ahead and think we completed the forgotten portion of the loading sequence...

The main thing is no one got hurt...

 

[Gary]

I'd clamp the barrel in a vise and after ensuring that it's level (bubble level front and back), use a dial indicator (chucked in your drill press) to see if the flats are indeed flat. Sometimes you can tell by feel and sometimes by look (if you pull the breechplug you can see a "ring" where the bulge is).

 

[patch knife]

Thanks Gary :hatsoff: I don't have a dial indicator , but I've checked it with dial calipers , a true straightedge , tight patch , and also used a special bore light for muzzleloaders , and have found no bulge in my barrel :thumbsup: