Puzzled

[Scota4570]

"the "CORRECT" ball's picture - page 53."

I have not been able to achieve that patch impression on a ball with a recently made ML barrel for patched balls.  The grooves are cut to deep. 

Notice in the photo the barrel example has a bore diameter of 0.526" and a groove diameter of 0.503"  The grooves are only 0.0035 deep or about 1/4 the depth of a modern ML barrel of that caliber. 

The example is more like a button barrel for a cartridge gun.  I can easily get that patch impression on cartridge gun button barrels that I have used to make ML rifles and pistols. 

[hanshi]

Those canvas drop cloths are excellent patch material.  I've been using this material for a good while and it does an excellent job.  For me, at any rate, it's easier to seat than some thinner (yet still very good) material in the guns I use it in.  Three guns prefer mattress ticking, pillow ticking or cotton duck.  All the rest like the canvas.

[WadePatton]

Drop canvas eh, I have some of that on hand and never even measured it.  Hey it works for couch covers!

if you're single. 

[Daryl]

"the "CORRECT" ball's picture - page 53."

I have not been able to achieve that patch impression on a ball with a recently made ML barrel for patched balls.  The grooves are cut to deep. 

Notice in the photo the barrel example has a bore diameter of 0.526" and a groove diameter of 0.503"  The grooves are only 0.0035 deep or about 1/4 the depth of a modern ML barrel of that caliber. 

The example is more like a button barrel for a cartridge gun.  I can easily get that patch impression on cartridge gun button barrels that I have used to make ML rifles and pistols.

I have no trouble getting double compression marks in rifling to .016" deep per side.

Lyman's example is .526" groove to groove, subtract .503" land to land = .023" - divided by 2 = .0115 depth per groove, not .0035".

[mountainman]

Well I ended up making my own shooting patches with a door knob cutter, that is with the teeth grinded off and resharpened on the edges, I made them out of pillow ticking material around .019 thick tightly woven. It works great with bear grease. Shoots tight.

[WadePatton]

Well I ended up making my own shooting patches with a door knob cutter, that is with the teeth grinded off and resharpened on the edges, I made them out of pillow ticking material around .019 thick tightly woven. It works great with bear grease. Shoots tight.

Good you got it worked out. What do your patches look like now?  Reshootable is ideal, and I do.

[Daryl]

Here are a few targets shot with a .60 cal. Hawken rifle, using patches I had shot in my .69, ie: called reclaimed patches.
We re-lubed them with Mr. Flintlock's lube and fired away. There are minute changes, group to group. The barrel on that
rifle was one of Hugh Tonges bl., with .028" deep rifling.  There was no wiping, no swabbing, nor cleaning of the barrel while
shooting that day. All shooting was at 50 yards & all groups are 5 shots, except maybe the first one, that might be 6, not sure.

[mountainman]

Good you got it worked out. What do your patches look like now?  Reshootable is ideal, and I do.
[/quote]
I never even gave it a thought about reusing them, Wow! Well I believe I could have reused them I found most all of them in one piece, they were frayed a little around the  edges, except for the first shot , it was one that I had cut out by hand, that one was smoking when it came out the barrel, and when I came to it, it was burned to a crisp, but then I didn't use bear grease on that one, I had used Shenadoah Valley patch lube the night before, and put it in my ball block, I believe it had dried out some by the time I loaded it, but after that I greased them all with bear grease didn't seem to have any trouble after that.

[Justin Urbantas]

good thing you noticed it was down there. It could've been smouldering, ready to set off your next load as you loaded it.

[Daryl]

Justin - it was on the ground.

"that one was smoking when it came out the barrel, and when I came to it, it was burned to a crisp"

Smoldering patches can only happen with gross amounts of blowby.

[hanshi]

A few times I've (just being contrary) picked up my fired patches, lubed them and reused them.  In my BP career I never had a patch smolder nor any smoothbore material.  I certainly acknowledge the possibility, however remote. 

[Justin Urbantas]

Justin - it was on the ground.

"that one was smoking when it came out the barrel, and when I came to it, it was burned to a crisp"

Smoldering patches can only happen with gross amounts of blowby.

Ah. I meant the piece in the barrel could've been smouldering.  I've seen a handful that others have shot smouldering in my shooting days.

[Bob Roller]

"the "CORRECT" ball's picture - page 53."

I have not been able to achieve that patch impression on a ball with a recently made ML barrel for patched balls.  The grooves are cut to deep. 

Notice in the photo the barrel example has a bore diameter of 0.526" and a groove diameter of 0.503"  The grooves are only 0.0035 deep or about 1/4 the depth of a modern ML barrel of that caliber. 

The example is more like a button barrel for a cartridge gun.  I can easily get that patch impression on cartridge gun button barrels that I have used to make ML rifles and pistols.

A BORE diameter of .526 and and GROOVE diameter of .503.? Is not believing.

Bob Roller

[Ky-Flinter]

"the "CORRECT" ball's picture - page 53."

I have not been able to achieve that patch impression on a ball with a recently made ML barrel for patched balls.  The grooves are cut to deep. 

Notice in the photo the barrel example has a bore diameter of 0.526" and a groove diameter of 0.503"  The grooves are only 0.0035 deep or about 1/4 the depth of a modern ML barrel of that caliber. 

The example is more like a button barrel for a cartridge gun.  I can easily get that patch impression on cartridge gun button barrels that I have used to make ML rifles and pistols.

A BORE diameter of .526 and and GROOVE diameter of .503.? Is not believing.

Bob Roller

Scota4570 had it backwards.  The picture in the Lyman example shows .526" groove to groove, .503" land to land (bore diameter) as Daryl correctly pointed out above.

-Ron