First shot fired

[flehto]

First off I'd buy some thicker patches/patch mat'l and some separate patch lube. Pillow ticking is usually .018 thick and I'd start there.  Put a generous amount of lube on the patch.

Although many don't like wire brushes, they're the only thing I use when on the range or hunting, and not until the loading gets to be difficult. At the time you're retracting the RR, twist the RR clock wise and pull. Then dump the debris...never had any TH fouling problems  using w/ a wire brush.

A word of warning......I attach the RR tip w/ epoxy and then pin it.

Also......don't depend on a TH pick which shouldn't be a necessary item when shooting. ....which should be a pleasant experience and not at all complicated.

Couple of  thoughts....where is the TH {liner} located.....did you relieve the plug face?  Also.....was the TH drilled out to at least 1/16 dia ? I use a #51 drill {.067} on all my builds and it works fine.....Fred

[Bob Roller]

You can make a vent pic with a paper clip or piece of copper wire.

Already have the paperclip ready for next time lol

Insert the vent pick before loading.Repeat for each shot when on the range and
no more dry patches.
We have a range here I consider as dangerous because of knuckleheads,AK47's
and liquid dumbass before and during shooting.Wear hearing protection if the
range is frequented by these bozo's.

Bob Roller

[smylee grouch]

Justin, a nice polished crown will also help in loading a tight load combination which will help you develop a better shooting load that shoots cleaner. Dont go by the advertised thickness's of the store bought patches as I have never seen one that was as thick as advertised.

[flinchrocket]

I agree with smylee grouch on the polished crown. If you start with a ball close to the same size as the bore and use a patch that will fill the grooves you will be half way to finding an accurate load for your rifle.

[Marcruger]

As was said above, I believe a large part of the problem is dry patching the bore. 

I was taught that if you wipe between shots, you use a damp/wet patch followed by a dry one.  This keeps the fouling soft.  Don't use a super tight patch for wiping either.  You don't want to drive a mass down to the bottom of the bore (I think you did this). 

Around here, if the Southern weather is right, I'll get a hard grunge ring in the bore around where the ball seated.  If I feel this, I go with a wetter patch to loosen it up.  Using wet patch lube usually minimizes this in my experience. 

Note that a too loose ball/patch combo will allow lots of blow-by and really foul a bore. 

I was also taught that the vent pick is not necessarily to clear the vent hole, but is instead meant to create a flame channel into the middle of the powder charge.  This speeds up the iginition.  Logically, I pick each load, right before I prime the pan. 

Yes, I do wipe the frizzen, pan and flint edge with a damp patch after each shot.  Without wiping, the grunge in the pan can really suck in moisture, and on a bad day will get no flash at all.  Wipe the pan, voila!  Back working again.  Alcohol is great for this wiping if you want to carry it.  I have found a brush to be useless for this grunge cleaning. 

This of course is for range shooting, and the plan differs for elsewhere. 

I am no expert at anything, but am happy to share what I have learned.  Especially when I know the "why" behind the method. 

Best wishes and God Bless,   Marc

[Ky-Flinter]

I believe your ball and patch combo is not tight enough.  With a .53 ball you should be shooting closer to a 20thousand patch.   Loose ball/patch combo equals more fouling that you were pushing down to the breech.  Tight combo shoot all day with no wiping.

AsMs

AsMs is on the money.  I would add this.  Most prelubed patches are lubed with Wonderlube or similar "grease".  They are fine for hunting where you may go all day before shooting (hopefully) one shot, but for a load and shoot session at the range, I think Wonderlube increases fouling.  The best load and shoot lube I know of is spit, but I don't go to the range if it's below freezing.  If I did, I would use Lehigh Valley, or next choice Hoppe's.

-Ron

[Black Hand]

From above, I don’t know how in the world someone squeezes a 535-sized ball down a 54 bore using 20 thou thick patches ...

The material compresses at the lands and is forced into the grooves for a gas-seal...

[Mike from OK]

My spent patches seemed fairly torn up. The area under the ball was intact but the edges were shredded.

I'll get some 0.20 patches before I mess around with the sights again.

New barrel?

Is there a noticeable drag when you load it?

The rifling in new barrels tends to be sharp and will shred patches for a while. Try just shooting the snot out of her for several dozen shots. If you notice that she gets easier to load then you have probably shot enough to smooth the burrs/sharp edges away. Then you can start fine tuning.

Just my experience.

Mike

[Daryl]

From above, I don’t know how in the world someone squeezes a 535-sized ball down a 54 bore using 20 thou thick patches ...

The material compresses at the lands and is forced into the grooves for a gas-seal...

It's a lot easier than it sounds. A nice smooth crown helps, with no edges.