Fooling around with different RB loads for the 20 trade gun yesterday. Tried some lubed 1/2" fiber wads with a bare ball and an over powder card to hold the ball in place (over 70 grains FFg Goex). Started getting an unusual number of flash in the pans with no ignition of the main charge. Switched back to PRB and the problem went away. Anybody else have this happen or did I just have an unlucky run??
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Wads and flash in the pan
- Thread starter biliff
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Bakeoven Bill said:
Interesting...the only mechanical thing I can think of...and this is real big stretch...would be if 70grns of powder compressed might somehow be letting the bottom edge of the cushion wad cover or partially cover the flash hole or something...otherwise, I'd say it's just one of those things from wiping or residue, etc.
This will be interesting to find out...
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I shoot a similar load but with 82 gr of powder and a patched ball on top of the lubed half of a fiber wad with no problems. My wads are barely lubed. How much lube is on your wads? Things aren't getting a little to moist inside there is it?
The wads weren't heavily lubed and the round was fired immediately after loading so I don't think I had any contamination issues.
The vent is just in front of the breechplug so the wad isn't getting anywhere near the vent.
Is it possible the air pressure from loading the wad is causing crud buildup in the touch hole? You
would think the PRB would do the same thing.
The vent is just in front of the breechplug so the wad isn't getting anywhere near the vent.
Is it possible the air pressure from loading the wad is causing crud buildup in the touch hole? You
would think the PRB would do the same thing.
I have uised the same load in a NW gun with good results, I did use an over powder card then the cushion wad and ball which I always cut into 1/4" sections, don't know what the problem might be,I would try a card between lubed wad and powder as a start.
Any chance the powder is being blown out the vent hole when you load the wad?
Have you tried picking the vent after each loading to see if that helps? Maybe the vent hole is getting clogged up some how.
Rebel said:
Did the same routine as with PRB. Start loading with pick in place then withdraw the pick. After some pan flashes, I tried reinserting the pick and found a lot of resistance instead of an open channel. For some reason everything seemed to collapse behind the pick rather than leaving a channel as before.
Hmmmm. Strange happenin's fer sure. Try some Magnum Flints. :grin:
paulvallandigham
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IMHO, Bill, you are compacting your powder too much in that gun. The clue is that last comment you made about finding a lot of resistance to your vent pick after the misfire. leaving a pick in the barrel when loading the powder should LEAVE a hole for the heat to get to lot of granules of powder. But, if you have compressed the load( easy to do when seating cushion wads with all that air pushing through the powder and out the vent) when you remove the pick, that powder is going to move into the empty space.
Rather than opening the size of your vent, I would suggest simply taking it easy on how you load that gun. Don't put a lot of pressure on the rod. I also think its pretty much a waste of time, IMH Experience, to leave a pick in the barrel during loading, for the reasons you have discovered.
I simply pick the powder charge AFTER I load the barrel, opening a hole for the flame and heat to enter the vent and contact lots of granules.
Modify your loading practice a bit, and I think the problem will be solved.
Don't use liquid or " wet " lubes on those wads. They do foul the powder, and its only a matter of time before you get a wide range of velocities. Try using either the pre-lubed wool wads, instead of the cushion wad, or use Bore butter, or some similar " grease" on the wads.
Finally, in August, humidity is particularly high, so you do have to dry the barrel between shots, to soak up the condensation that immediately forms on the warm,(Hot) inside of the bore when you have fired a smoothbore. Around here, I have to remember to dry my barrel any time the temperature gets to 80 degrees or warmer, from May through October. If you live South of Central Illinois, your " Dry " season might be much longer. My brother lives in Tallahassee, and he can shoot without drying in the early mornings, but by 9 A.M., he also has to begin drying his barrels between shots. Only in January and February can he get away without drying through most days.
Rather than opening the size of your vent, I would suggest simply taking it easy on how you load that gun. Don't put a lot of pressure on the rod. I also think its pretty much a waste of time, IMH Experience, to leave a pick in the barrel during loading, for the reasons you have discovered.
I simply pick the powder charge AFTER I load the barrel, opening a hole for the flame and heat to enter the vent and contact lots of granules.
Modify your loading practice a bit, and I think the problem will be solved.
Don't use liquid or " wet " lubes on those wads. They do foul the powder, and its only a matter of time before you get a wide range of velocities. Try using either the pre-lubed wool wads, instead of the cushion wad, or use Bore butter, or some similar " grease" on the wads.
Finally, in August, humidity is particularly high, so you do have to dry the barrel between shots, to soak up the condensation that immediately forms on the warm,(Hot) inside of the bore when you have fired a smoothbore. Around here, I have to remember to dry my barrel any time the temperature gets to 80 degrees or warmer, from May through October. If you live South of Central Illinois, your " Dry " season might be much longer. My brother lives in Tallahassee, and he can shoot without drying in the early mornings, but by 9 A.M., he also has to begin drying his barrels between shots. Only in January and February can he get away without drying through most days.
Thanks for the inputs. The wad load didn't improve on accurracy any so I'm not really worried about solving the problem as PRB is easier to load, anyway. Just curious if others had seen the same thing as it was somewhat unexpected.
To lube my wads I melt a wax lube and quickly roll each wad through a shallow puddle of the lube on a cookie sheet. You only need the edges lubed. Less lube also gives you better muzzle velocity (less mass to move out the bore).
