Flyer

[flinchrocket]

The patch you didn't find has a hole in it too. Might need to smooth up your crown? When I cut at the muzzle I want my short starter to get the ball about 1/4" below the end of the barrel,so I don't have a skimpy patch.

[Mike from OK]

The patch you didn't find has a hole in it too. Might need to smooth up your crown? When I cut at the muzzle I want my short starter to get the ball about 1/4" below the end of the barrel,so I don't have a skimpy patch.

Thanks for the input flinch! I bet you're right!

It's a brand new barrel so I plan to put a couple hundred more shots through it before I decide to do any work on the crown.

And I agree, I probably should have sunk that ball a little further down before I cut the patch... I normally precut my patches. Not used to cutting at the muzzle so my technique could use some refining.

Mike

[flinchrocket]

You don't have to have it recrowned just smooth it up some with 400 grit wet/dry paper.It probably only has a small spot at the end of the rifling that is cutting the patch when you load. There is a thread somewhere that shows how to do that, I believe by Taylor or Daryl Sapergia.

[Gary W.E.]

I would not be so sure that patch came out of the same caliber gun you were shooting

[Mike from OK]

I would not be so sure that patch came out of the same caliber gun you were shooting

No, it was mine. I was shooting in a pasture on family property... I'm not the only shooter in my family but I am the only one who shoots muzzleloaders. And all of those patches were found within inches of each other.

Mike

[Daryl]

That is definitely possible. Note also, the brown scorch marks on that patch, but not on the other patches.
A polished crown should help alleviate that odd cut patch and thus, your flyers. Considering the load you
used, 55gr/ 3f and that ticking patch, that might also be the best accuracy for that load, with your sights, hold, etc
and that there are no flyers at all.

[Mike from OK]

I'm going to work on it some more Daryl... Different powders... Different lubes... Maybe some denim patches too.

Might as well see how far I can tweak it.

Mike

[WadePatton]

You don't have to have it recrowned just smooth it up some with 400 grit wet/dry paper.It probably only has a small spot at the end of the rifling that is cutting the patch when you load. There is a thread somewhere that shows how to do that, I believe by Taylor or Daryl Sapergia.

320 or 400 paper, at least an inch square, phat thumb.  Hold barrel, apply paper to crown with thumb and twist it around a bit--remember how much.  Then rotate the barrel 1/4 turn or 90 degrees and repeat-sanding for the same amount time/strokes as the first, and repeat twice to complete a full-circle and even distribution of the imperfections inherent in freehand work.   Also you might poke something into the bbl to catch the cuttings and grit as you work for easier cleanup before loading--or not.  You're simply not going to remove much metal, it's a polishing operation. 

[Daryl]

Perfectly explained, Wade.