What ball sizes to start with?

[garypl]

I asked Kibler’s about bore diameter of the upcoming 20 ga Fowler and was told they are .620.

 

[Rob M.]

In true 20/ga. barrels (.615 bore ,I.D. ) used .595 for patched ball , t shirt material , its free , and .600 for bare ball . .610 is ok for bare ball but the fouling builds up quick and makes seating that bigger ball a pain after a few shots so.I always preferred .600 for bare ball ... For my current barrels, called 20 ga. but the I.D. is .625 so actually 19 ga. , I use .60O for patched ball . Best of luck

 

[SDSmlf]

One could always slug the bore and then make an educated decision on ball size and possible patch thickness. Recently posted the following ‘how to’ on measuring a bore on a different thread. Imagine there will be some agreeing and disagreeing with the method, but it is a starting point.
————————————-
Find a piece of lead slightly larger than the bore. Next drop a 12” long or so piece of brass rod slightly smaller than the bore diameter down the bore. Then carefully (use only plastic, leather, or similar), while the brass rod is still in the bore, drive the piece of lead down the bore a few inches. Use gravity to work the brass rod like a slide hammer against the piece of lead, knocking the lead out of the bore. You can then measure the diameter of the lead to determine the bore diameter.

 

[bigted]

It is just this easy.

Get the true Dia. Of your bore (mine is .615) . Next take your patch thickness ( mine is .020 )

Now take your bore Dia ( again mine is .615) subtract the patch thickness (again mine is .020) and the sum is your BEGINNING ball diameter

So my equation looks like this, .615 - .020 = .595

My smoothie will shoot 3 to 4 inch groups at 50 yds as long as I do my part. I can load n shoot this patched roundball as long as I want to shoot as my lubed patched roundball cleans the majority of the fouling off the bore with each shot. AND is very easy to load down the barrel.

I am certain that my system is not HC but for repeatable shooting with the beginning cleanbore shot still in this 3 to 4 inch group, I confess that the HC (historic correctness) will have to take a back seat.

I have purchased .600 ball's for loading bare ball's both directly on the powder as well as over tow or even a wad and my accuracy is the same ... except after 5 or 6 shots I gotta swab out the fouling to continue shooting while my patched ball lubed with SPG or an equivalent lube ... I have no stoppage with need to clean out the fouling

Just my two cents worth and is just as valuable as what you paid for it.

 

[bud in pa]

I use a .575 ball in a paper cartridge lubed on the ball end and 70 gr. of 3f for 3 to 5 inch groups at 50 yards. I didn't have to clean until after 15 rounds. I like this combo for hunting, fast reload if needed.

 

[Clark Badgett]

It is just this easy.

Get the true Dia. Of your bore (mine is .615) . Next take your patch thickness ( mine is .020 )

Now take your bore Dia ( again mine is .615) subtract the patch thickness (again mine is .020) and the sum is your BEGINNING ball diameter

So my equation looks like this, .615 - .020 = .595

My smoothie will shoot 3 to 4 inch groups at 50 yds as long as I do my part. I can load n shoot this patched roundball as long as I want to shoot as my lubed patched roundball cleans the majority of the fouling off the bore with each shot. AND is very easy to load down the barrel.

I am certain that my system is not HC but for repeatable shooting with the beginning cleanbore shot still in this 3 to 4 inch group, I confess that the HC (historic correctness) will have to take a back seat.

I have purchased .600 ball's for loading bare ball's both directly on the powder as well as over tow or even a wad and my accuracy is the same ... except after 5 or 6 shots I gotta swab out the fouling to continue shooting while my patched ball lubed with SPG or an equivalent lube ... I have no stoppage with need to clean out the fouling

Just my two cents worth and is just as valuable as what you paid for it.

Remember that that .020 patch will be per side. So you are effectively running a .635” ball. Remember smoothbores do not have rifling grooves to fill and a tight patched ball has to either displace barrel or ball. This is why Jim Kibler is worried about running ball in his soon to be available fowler.

 

[Clark Badgett]

One could always slug the bore and then make an educated decision on ball size and possible patch thickness. Recently posted the following ‘how to’ on measuring a bore on a different thread. Imagine there will be some agreeing and disagreeing with the method, but it is a starting point.
————————————-
Find a piece of lead slightly larger than the bore. Next drop a 12” long or so piece of brass rod slightly smaller than the bore diameter down the bore. Then carefully (use only plastic, leather, or similar), while the brass rod is still in the bore, drive the piece of lead down the bore a few inches. Use gravity to work the brass rod like a slide hammer against the piece of lead, knocking the lead out of the bore. You can then measure the diameter of the lead to determine the bore diameter.

Would probably be a lot cheaper to just buy telescoping gauges that cover .5-1” Brass be spendy.

 

[bigted]

Remember that that .020 patch will be per side. So you are effectively running a .635” ball. Remember smoothbores do not have rifling grooves to fill and a tight patched ball has to either displace barrel or ball. This is why Jim Kibler is worried about running ball in his soon to be available fowler.

All I know is it works and it delivers.

Easy to load and easy to shoot.

I may need to revisit my notes as I thought the .020 was the thickness I recall shooting but could be mistaken, (first time this year tho) .

Really enjoy shooting this smoothie and it has given me education on flintlock shooting. It' was my first flinter some 6 years ago. It broke me into flint shooting and how. I so much enjoy shooting flint that I do not even bother with the lack of percussion caps.

 

[Onojutta]

Remember that that .020 patch will be per side. So you are effectively running a .635” ball. Remember smoothbores do not have rifling grooves to fill and a tight patched ball has to either displace barrel or ball. This is why Jim Kibler is worried about running ball in his soon to be available fowler.

Can you elaborate on the concern that Kibler might have?

I have a .50 rifle that I shoot .490 ball with .018 pillow ticking. It is tight, but works. I know that mathematically the ball and patch add up to more than the bore diameter but I always figured the patch cloth compresses and/or the ball deforms. In a smoothy without the rifling, I’d expect same but with less resistance.

 

[Clark Badgett]

Can you elaborate on the concern that Kibler might have?

I have a .50 rifle that I shoot .490 ball with .018 pillow ticking. It is tight, but works. I know that mathematically the ball and patch add up to more than the bore diameter but I always figured the patch cloth compresses and/or the ball deforms. In a smoothy without the rifling, I’d expect same but with less resistance.

Your first question it literally written out in the my statement you quoted. Excessively tight ball/patch combos and/or over charges coupled with the excessively tight ball/patch combos with his correctly light barrel wall thicknesses.