The barrel on the rifle I built for my grandson is a 42 inch 50 cal. Colerain. I could not force a .490 ball with a .012 patch down the bore, and ended up dropping down to a .480 ball and .010-011 patch. Isn't this a little unusual?
YES!
For instance - my .69 uses a .684" ball with .030" (12 ounce Denim) patch. I use a short starter - the crown is the first crown I posted - my 14 bore rifle. The starter is necessary and you must WANT to load the gun - ie: you must actually exert yourself - tighten your muscles when loading. The rifle then rewards you with incredible accuracy.
My .40 uses a .398" ball in a .398" bore - I use a .0215" ticking, .0225" (10ounce) denim patch to .0235" railroad mattress ticking patch. It loads very easily due to the .010" rifling, a smooth bore that shines like a mirror & rewards me with excellent match-type accuracy.
My .45 GM barrel uses a .445" ball and any of the patches listed above for the .40 - it also loads easily and never needs to be wiped as like the others, every builds fouling, shot to shot - all day long.
For my .32, I am using the RR mattress ticking, the .0215" ticking or the 10 ounce denim with a .320" ball.
All of these guns NEED a short starter or heavily choked up rod and much pressure. Only the .69 cannot be loaded without a starter. I prefer a starter for all, as it's easier, quicker and the ball can be started perfectly square to the rifling is the short stud on the ball is used first. All pluses in my book. None of these loads damages the ball when started as the short stud and the long shaft of the starter both have cupped surfaces to fit the ball.
When someone tells me he cannot load a decent load combination and has to use a ball and patch that does not even measure the bore diameter of his rifle, I have to wonder, what's up, Doc?
My 110pound wife loads a .445" ball and .0225" patch in her GM .45 barrel (.012" rifling) without difficulty, as does my younger daughter in the same rifle. So - I find comprehension of these loading problems, quite mystifying. Perhaps it's simply a lack of being shown methods that work - or refusal to use a short starter.
Dphar can show you (video) how to load a snug combination without a starter. I've done exactly as he shows, but I prefer to use a starter - watch the video again on a previous page of this thread. I am starting with the ball sitting on a patch, at the muzzle. I first start the ball into the muzzle using the short stud on the starter. The rest is typical- punched down about 6", then all the way onto the powder with 3 or 4 punches. I call them punches, as the rod is lifted up about 1" off the ball, then shoved down onto it. The cupped end of the starter does not damage the ball.
I've loaded this way after finding this method worked for me since about 1974.