Stuck bullet.

[squib load]

Hi,I did something today that had me very worried.I had a ball with 2 patches stuck in my 50 cal,single shot cva.It was stuck about 2 in. from the top of the muzzle.So I drilled a hole through the ball and shot the powder out.I then filed a nail head down and put it through the hole and used a visegrip on the nail and pulled it out.Tell me where Iam wrong,squib

 

[mazo kid]

I don't know where you may have gone wrong unless it was trying to force a RB with 2 patches down a (fouled?) barrel. If you were at home when you removed the ball (drilled ball, filed nail, vise grips, etc.), you could maybe have used a long deck screw and pulled the ball that way. Did the ball move at all when shooting the powder out? You DID do the right thing in not trying to shoot the ball out when not down snug on the powder.

 

[squib load]

I was at the house of a friend,and we used his tools.He has built a range for him and myself to shoot.My ball remover screw was holding,but we didnt have the strenght to move it.when the powder went off,the ball didnt move.All the force went through the hole in the bullet.The hole took the strength out of the ball and let the nail pull it up.squib

 

[mazo kid]

I was at the house of a friend,and we used his tools.He has built a range for him and myself to shoot.My ball remover screw was holding,but we didnt have the strenght to move it.when the powder went off,the ball didnt move.All the force went through the hole in the bullet.The hole took the strength out of the ball and let the nail pull it up.squib

Good thing the ball was stuck so close to the muzzle!!

 

[Zonie]

squib load:
You didn't say how large the hole thru the ball was but I'm assuming it was fairly large to prevent any real buildup of pressure in the barrel.
If it was a little hole you risked bulging the barrel because a little hole can't let out the gas anywhere near as fast as it is created when the powder burns.

Glad things turned out well for you and your gun but I wouldn't recommend firing a gun without the ball being pushed down to the powder charge.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

did you lube the patch on the ball. dry patches (so I've heard) are bad to stick in the bore. better too much lube than not enough.

 

[Zoar]

So, obviously you don't have a ball puller. That is the first thing one should buy when they buy the muzzloader---the appropriate sized ball puller.

Shooting the powder and hoping it goes through a hole you drilled in the ball without building up pressure in the barrel to do damage seems really iffy. I would not have tried that. Too dangerous. But you got lucky! so that is good!

If you were worried about accidental ignition, take off the flint or cap, in addition to the obvious of NOT having the hammer cocked. But I do not see why you'd have to shoot/get rid of the powder in the barrel by shooting it through the hole in the ball. I have had balls get stuck before and I just use a ball puller. Sure, I make sure there can be no ignition first.