Patch/ball question

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

Would there be a recommended  patch/ball combination for a barrel with wide lands and narrow grooves (1.45 to 1) as against a narrow lands and wide grooves barrel? Deep grooves too, 16 thousandths and 46 caliber, 60" twist.
Lon

[Roger Fisher]

Would there be a recommended  patch/ball combination for a barrel with wide lands and narrow grooves (1.45 to 1) as against a narrow lands and wide grooves barrel? Deep grooves too, 16 thousandths and 46 caliber, 60" twist.
Lon

If she were mmine I'd start with ust under bore size ball or even bore size and thick patch!  Notice the thick patch....

[Dphariss]

Would there be a recommended  patch/ball combination for a barrel with wide lands and narrow grooves (1.45 to 1) as against a narrow lands and wide grooves barrel? Deep grooves too, 16 thousandths and 46 caliber, 60" twist.
Lon

A ball/patch that will be easy to load in narrow land barrel.
.016 grooves are going to be a PITA to seal, especially if the grooves are narrow.
I would try a .451 ball and a heavy patch and go from there.

Dan

[Daryl]

I have a narrow grooved .32 in which I use a ball that is .009" smaller than the bore and a .0215" ticking or .0225" denim patch.  Those measurements are with a mic. My calipers makes the denim out at .025" thick.  This seals well, but then the grooves are only .008" deep.

I would find some 12 ounce Denim and try that. It mics .025" and .030" on calipers. I'd couple that with a .451" ball for the .460" bore. Lucky, ther are a number of factory moulds, Lee and Lyman right around there - 451", .454" and .457".

Good luck, those deep grooves could be difficult, but a .460" bore + .-016 + .016" = .492"- that's groove to groove.
.451" ball + .025" + .025" = .501".  Theoretically speaking, that should give .0045" compression in the grooves each side and shoot well.  It's where I'd start.

  I use that same patch with a ball that's only .006" smaller than the bore, with .012"rifling.  Yes - it takes a good single smack to get it level with the bore and another on the starter to get it down a bit so I can use the gun's ramrod, but I find it not bad loading at all - for the entire trail walk. That combination should work fine in your barrel, Pt. Lon.