bullet boards / loading blocks

[eagle24]

I was going to make a couple.  What thickness should they be?  Same as ball diameter, thicker, thinner?  Also, what works best for the hole size?  Bore size or a little larger?

[B.Habermehl]

I like the bullet blocks a little thinner than  the dia of the ball

[LRB]

  You have a narrow ring of contact no matter the thickness. A relatively thin board will allow the ball to lock into the muzzle, making it easier to work with. You can set it into the muzzle without having to look at it.

[omark]

i have always made mine thicker than ball dia, but thinner sounds like a good idea. however, i do recommend making the holes a little over bore size. seems like after they had been in there awhile, it would be more like loading with loose materials. just my thoughts.

[Larry Pletcher]

I also like the ball to show below the board to center on the muzzle.  It can be done regardless of the thickness by placing a shim under the ends of the board. A  popcicle stick is about right.  I push the ball down until it bottoms on the surface I'm working on.
Regards,
Pletch

[BrownBear]

My rule of thumb is to match ball diameter.  It's just easier to gauge beforehand, turning out just right since I cut my patching "at the muzzle" while loading the boards.  By the time you seat the ball a little below the board for the reasons others have described here, the top is set down just the right distance for cutting the patch.  I do my thinning using the disk sander on my bench, BTW. 

As for hole diameter, I want a pretty snug fit- requiring a little more than thumb pressure for seating.  That keeps the balls from getting knocked out on a hunt, and meanwhile greatly eases seating into the barrel.  If you're careful how you seat them in the block, you can be pretty rough and tumble about how you drive them into the bore in the field, yet still get a good load.

[eagle24]

thanks all!  I guess this is no different from anything else.  There is a lot of good advice on this forum, but in the end I usually don't do anything exactly the same way the second time.

[Dale Halterman]

I make my boards the same thickness as the ball diameter, with two rows of holes for the balls and a row of 1/8" square pegs down the middle. The pegs are located so that when you hold two pegs against the flats of the barrel, one of the balls is centered over the bore.

I tried to post a picture, but photobucket is not co-operating this morning. I will try again later.

Dale H

[Ephraim]

I also like the ball to show below the board to center on the muzzle.  It can be done regardless of the thickness by placing a shim under the ends of the board. A  popcicle stick is about right.  I push the ball down until it bottoms on the surface I'm working on.
Regards,
Pletch

I too like the ball to stick below the board I use an old mouse pad and don't need a shim under the block.
Ephraim

[BrownBear]

I use an old mouse pad and don't need a shim under the block.
Ephraim

Great idea!!!  Thanks.