Using a powder horn

[fishdfly]

The old timers didn’t know what a “short starter” was.

They used a knife handle to start the ball, had coned muzzles, and often used a looser ball patch combo than we do today.


In reading "The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle" it mentions short starters as early as 1644.

A starter was needed since the barrels were a very tight fit for a ball.

[Bob Roller]

Daryl, I suppose 8 seconds would seem like 8 hours if you have a wounded charging moose coming at you.
I see you have your ball in your cartridges.  Do you just use the paper as your patching or is the ball patched. I've seen some Brit cartridges made from greased lined where there was a string tied just below the ball and another atop the ball.

Double barreled rifles! Today,Yesterday and forever!!!!Here in WV I think they are illegal
during the muzzle loading season. Legal at other times,figure that one out if you can.
Bob Roller

[Daryl]

Daryl, I suppose 8 seconds would seem like 8 hours if you have a wounded charging moose coming at you.
I see you have your ball in your cartridges.  Do you just use the paper as your patching or is the ball patched. I've seen some Brit cartridges made from greased lined where there was a string tied just below the ball and another atop the ball.

The pointed end is torn off, then shoved into the bore, small end down, ball up. I used 'about' .003" paper- 2 wraps, with a .682" ball. They were very snug in the bore & very accurate as well.
I had to choke up on the rod (the end 1 to 2" below my hand) to get them started, but once into the bore, they went down easily with one push. The paper wadded up between the ball and the 165gr. 2f charge. I used both pure lead and 1970's WW alloy (still have 60 pounds of that) for the balls.

Due to the low pressure generated in the large bore rifles, paper ctgs. work very well and do not blow past the paper, thus igniting it. Nothing but confetti - or chunks of paper ejected.
Friends here have tested these down to .50 cal, but I think .54 was the smallest they worked well in. It's all about fit, pressure, depth and/or maybe shape of rifling.

IIRC the English army at one time, used to issue (starting) pegs made of iron to help load the Baker rifles(or rifles earlier to those). At one time a loading "mallet", was issued and carried by every second soldier of the rifle company. It had a short starter rod of about 10 to 12" as a handle for getting the patched ball well down the bore before the rod was used to seat it. I doubt very much is this 'technological advancement' was 'lost' on the Americans. By the 1850's Remington was selling barrels abroad with turned muzzles for "Guide Bullet Starters". There is a photograph reprinted in Firearms of the American West 1803-1865. The photo is dated 1853 I think and is of the San Francisco Gun Club Target shooters. Evey one of them has a Remington (or other) barrel turned for a guide bullet starter.
These are mine. I like the taper - easier to handle and they sit in the muzzle, draining powder into the breech while I pull the rod out of the pipes.













 

[heelerau]

Darryl, I assume you are using these in a smoothbore?

[Elnathan]

In reading "The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle" it mentions short starters as early as 1644.

A starter was needed since the barrels were a very tight fit for a ball.

I'm guessing that those 17th century short starters were for oversized, unpatched balls. The earliest use of short starters for patched balls I know of is around 1780, in Germany. I think that they were adopted over here sometime in the first half of the 19th century, but exactly when and where I don't know.

[Pukka Bundook]

Daryl,

The mallet and starter issued with Baker rifles was for emergency rather than normal use, so a round could be shoved down a fouled bore. 

Nice looking loads. I do some the same for a matchlock.

Gordon,
Daryl uses such in his 16 bore rifle.

Cheers,
R.

[Daryl]

Correction, Richard - I use them in my 14 bore rifle - Dan uses them in his 16 bore rifle. Roger B. uses them in his 12 bore rifle and buddy Keith uses them in his 11 bore rifle.
Roger tested them in smaller calibres and found they worked right down to .54, but not .50 cal. rifles.

[alacran]

I'll play with them this summer in my .58. thanks.