Rifling impression

[bgf]

I'd like to turn lemons into lemonade with this.  Yesterday I dryballed in a chunk match and pulled the ball.  OK, I took the mild abuse I deserved, but what was really interesting to me was the chance to see the impression the patch made on the ball.

I wish I could take a good picture, but briefly, the weave of the patch was obvious on the lands and subtle in the grooves.  This is a .50 cal. Rice match grade barrel with .495 Hornady (weighed and binned) and art canvas patch that my friend measures .020"  compressed.

What do folks think about this, ie is that about what I should see or would it be worth trying other combination?  When my spotter and I are right, the barrel shoots into the same hole, almost literally at 60 yards, but I make mistakes regularly enough that I can accept responsibility for the flyers .

[John SMOthermon]

I would love to see a picture of the rifle Please.

I would say one hole at 60yards is good shootin'

[bgf]

Well, I call it "old ugly" so keep expectations low, but I'll see if I can find a current picture and figure out how to post it.  I know it would be helpful to see the ball as well.

One hole with flyers!  It really does send many of it's shots into a slowly growing hole, but I'm struggling with shots an inch or so off center.  I believe it is me, a combination of inconsistent technique and not finding the perfect spotter, and I'm working on both but I've been meaning to try to imprint a ball to check the load, and this seemed like an easy opportunity.  I just want feedback on what I should look for on the ball.  At first it looked like only the lands pressed the cloth into the lead, but looking harder, the groove areas have slighter pattern.

By the way, one big hole without flyers is not that special for chunk guns.  A perfectly centered 1" group is about a 5" string, which won't win a lot of matches, but would make me happy!

[smokinbuck]

BGF,
I don't shoot chunk any more but have been shooting table. Same game as yours but at 30 yards from a table and stool, it's $#*! getting old. I shoot a pin head front sight and was having a grouping problem also. I went to a smaller spotter with less wobble space around the pin head and it closed it up some. I also found, although it looked all right, that my nipple had opened up and was causing some of the problems. I also concentrate on my trigger squeeze and that also helped a little more. I still have my off days but I also have some good ones. Every little thing contributes to the growth or shrinkage of that group. It sounds, from what you describe, like you've got a good patch & ball fit to me.
Mark

[Michigan Flinter]

 where was this chunk shoot held? wife got a call Thursday night that one was being held in Ky. I think. to late for us up here in Michigan make it. sounds like you have a good patch -ball combo worked out.  Aim small hit small.

[Marcruger]

I'd leave that combo alone.  Keep shooting it.  I mainly shoot a .495 RB with .018 Minute Men patching (tough as nails, won't burn) in both a Rice and a Green Mountain barrel.  I have seen the same impression on a pulled ball.  What matters is what you see on the target, not the cloth impression on the ball.  I wouldn't over-think the issue.  If it shoots, keep on the same path sir.  Just my 2 cents worth, and folks like Daryl have VASTLY more experience than I do.    God Bless,   Marc

[bgf]

Smokinbuck,
I think the load is pretty good also, but just as I can't pass up inspecting a patch on the ground, I couldn't pass up some forensics on this ball.  You're right about the other stuff (except I shoot a flintlock .  I'm trying various size and color combinations, making a little progress, but always getting surprised by different conditions at matches and learning something new!  Think I shot with you at xenia last week, although I'm not regularly a table match shooter.

Michigan Flinter,
It was at Louisa, Ky.  Thanks.

Marcruger,
Thanks for the feedback.  Your load is similar to mine.  This rice barrel seems to get better the longer I shoot it, though I would swear the green mountain .40 before it shot better out of the box, but I think I've surely shot most of the flyers out of it at matches .

[Sharpsman]

You're seeing the right things!

Basically what you need to do is to try to wear that barrel out shooting it!!

[Daryl]

Running a screw into a ball will expand it and this alone may leave impressions of the cloth from the bottom of the grooves, in a combination that does not touch in the bottoms when loaded.

I like to have cloth impressions from the bottom of the grooves in a 'pulled' started ball. If you use a long strip, seat the ball and patch into the bore - about a 1/4" to 1/2" (more is coned) then pull it out using the tails of the cloth patching. The ball should show impressions all the way around, really heavy from the lands, and lighter from the grooves.

[Don Steele]

Like Daryl said..
Use of a "screw-type" puller introduces an expansion factor that is giving you a false impression...literally.
Try his suggestion of pulling a ball out using an extra long piece of your patching material to get a true picture.
IMHO: Actual "Flyers" are technique and/or sight or spotter selection issues as Mark suggests.
My 50 cal. Green Mountain Table/Chunk barrel likes a .500 ball and .018-.020 [compressed] patch.

[bgf]

Daryl and Don,

Good point.  I always intended to de-breech and push through, but never got around to it.  Same with strip, always figuring that with my luck I'd end up with it stuck and have to remove and replace breech .

I had some .497 balls that wouldn't load right, either the lead was  a little hard or the barrel wasn't worn in good yet.   I'll have to set aside some time this winter to de-breech the barrel and run various loads down it.  It would be nice if I can figure out posting photos again by then. 

For the time being, I'm pretty confident in the load and agree about the source of flyers, as the trend has been for them over time to be reduced in frequency and magnitude as I gain experience.  The spotter has the largest impact for me at this time, as the conditions vary between shoots and even between matches.

[Daryl]

Over the years, I have loaded without powder - many times.  This would equate to a stuck ball.  I have NEVER had to remove the breech to get the ball out - never.  It can be pulled, or simply shot out.