TG - The reference to anyone desiring the best accuracy being much different than shooting an inline piece of sh-t is out of line on a personal note.
Round ball moulds have been produced in sizes being .005" and .010" smaller than bore size since long before I started shooting muzzleloaders. Perhaps you should write Lyman, RCBS and all the other mould makers and tell them they've had it all wrong for many years.
Just recently, I did a test with the 14 bore, using undersized balls that were capable of being thumb started - but tight enough to take some effort. The patches burnt to crisps and although accuracy was 1 1/2" at 25 yards (acceptable by some people), it was spread out to 10" at 50 yards and roughly 3 FEET at 100 = unacceptable accuracy. Loading a fibre wad between the same thumb started patched ball and powder resulted in a nice 1" group at 25 yards - quite acceptable by most but opened to 6" at 50 and 2 FEET at 100, also unacceptable. Mathematically doubling what happens at 25 yards is not the same as actually shooting at 50 yards or farther out. The math does not hold up to the scrutiny of actually shooting.
I have a strong feeling that too many people shoot close ranges only, mostly 25, maybe even sometimes out to 30 & declare their thumb started load as being good enough. Well, it isn't good enough for me.
One of the fellows here is using a load he can just barely thumb start. His fouling builds after a number of shots and he must swab out his bore to continue shooting. His shooting is poor, at best - although he hits most of the close targets, he rarely hits one farther out than 40 or 50 yards. Many of our longer range targets are deer 'vital' size & nothing is farther out than 104 yards.
Everyone who does well on our trail walk, uses a short starter because they have to. To load the ball/patch combination that does well on our course of fire, one must use an accurate load. 25 yard accuracy is good only to 25 or 30 yards. That won't cut it. A number of the fellows also do well on the course with smoothbores - because they use snug combinations that require short starters to get them started. Their accuracy is better than those who choose to use 'loose' loads in rifles.
If you really want to get into the flavour of shooting 'the original' way, dump some powder into your pan, close the 'hammer', then pour in powder straight from the horn or flask into the barrel, then spit one of the balls you are carrying in your mouth into the bore, thump the butt on the saddle pommel, lower it and shoot that buffalo. The accuracy was all that was needed - in that case.
I guess that would be a tongue-started load.
