Impression on the front of ball

[frontier gander]

My jag is leaving a pretty deep scar on my ball during loading. Im using a .58cal cleaning jag which has a semi concave center to fit over the ball but apparently its not doing that great.


Any ideas on a better seating jag?

[dlbarr]

Just a more concave jag is all. Here's one like I use and it treats a RB just fine.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/184/1/JS-58-6-10

[wattlebuster]

If you are satisfied with your groups then I would not worry about it. I pulled a ball once an seen the same thing but it shoots great so I let the sleeping dog lay

[Daryl]

The rear end of the ball is the most important. That is why we do not load the ball with the sprue down.  Marks on the front end of the ball or bullet will have little to no effect on accuracy.

That said, I use concave rod and concave starter tips automatically. These sometimes leave a ring-mark but it does not appear to hurt accuracy, indeed, if anything, it might help in card and string cut competitions.

HMann's experiments years ago determined that with properly stabilized bullets, badly marked and deformed 'bullet' tips had no effect on accuracy, but even minor nicks on the outside edge of a bullet's base, caused extreme accuracy changes.

[Standing Bear]

Marks on the front of the ball - IF concentric  to the rotation - should not be a huge detriment to accuracy.  However, i would be more comfortable were they not there.
TC

[David R. Pennington]

I don't like those concave ends on jags. When I make my own jags I always leave them flat so they push the patch up against the breech when cleaning. I use the wood end of my tapered rod to seat the ball and it eventually wears to a sort of concave surface after a few hundred rounds, but won't mar the ball. I always fill those concave jags with solder and file them flush.

[bob in the woods]

I file them flat.  Concave cleaning jags are next to useless IMO.  Good for building crud at the breach is all. I just don't believe that you need a concave end on the rod to seat a ball.   Haven't used one in over 20 years.

[necchi]

There is some merit to a strip of patch and cut at/above the muzzle,
Cut slightly above the muzzle extra fabric is tamped down over the top of the ball.
The ball receives no deformation as the flat end jag pushes it home, it never contacts the lead,  

[dlbarr]

I don't like those concave ends on jags..... I always fill those concave jags with solder and file them flush.

I file them flat.  Concave cleaning jags are next to useless IMO.  Good for building crud at the breach is all. I just don't believe that you need a concave end on the rod to seat a ball.   Haven't used one in over 20 years.

You gents make a good point. To combat the cleaning problems you point out, I'll usually take a small wad of cotton, roll it into a ball and place it in the concave part of the jag, then lay my cleaning patch over the whole works. This makes a protrusion of your cleaning apparatus which gets down into the breech and does the cleaning. But then, maybe I'm over-thinking the process....just what my personal practice has been.

[Daryl]

Cleaning, ie: pumping water into and out of the bore, ALL powder fouling on the breech is blasted out the vent or nipple seat - no matter the shape of the jag's end.

[David R. Pennington]

That is assuming you use that much water. I always clean my rifle in the field immediately after I'm done shooting. I don't "flush" that much water through it. I like 'em flat on the end. I didn't clean my rifle at all after the match today. I just got all my targets posted and wiped the oil out of the bore when I got an emergency call and had to go to work.