range report

[jamesthomas]

 Well guys i went to the range over the weekend to try out some of Roundball and Daryl's suggestions. While going down 10grns. to 60grns and trying a thicker patch[.18 with the .495 rb] allowed me to shot 10+ times without cleaning i could not shoot any kind of group at all. Shots were all over the target high, low and  middle always to the left. This was at 50 yrds which normally i can shoot 2 inch groups or less. Did'nt have time to try my regular load with the .15 patch. I'll go back and see if it shoots the same. Maybe my rifle likes the thinner patch.I tried it with 70grns. and the .18 patch with cleaning after every shot, still all over the target.Bummer! one shot would be 8 inches high 4 inches to the left from POI the next shot would be 8 inches low 4 inches to the left of POI.

[George Sutton]

Hi James,

Maybe your rifle likes to be wiped between shots. I have two .40 cal rifles, one has a Getz barrel and the other has a Rex Maxey barrel. Both of these rifles need wiping between shots or I get a crud ring down near the breech.

I also shoot a .58 and a little .32 both of which I can shoot all day without wiping. I only use spit for lube unless I'm hunting.

I suggest you put a micrometer in the barrel. Maybe you need a .498 or .500 roundball.

If you were shooting two inch groups at fifty yards was it with this rifle? What did you change and why?? Did you check your patches to see if your blowing or tearing patches??

I tried looking at your earlier posts to see what problems you were having and didn't find any that referred to your problem.

Centershot

[jamesthomas]

 Centershot ,yes it is the same rifle, if you look at the post neatsfoot oil you will find my problem.I shoot the 2" with 70 grns swiss .495 rb. .15 patch with cleaning after every shot.I was trying find a combo that would let me shoot at least 10 shots without cleaning.Just trying to save some cleaning patches and spend more time shooting instead of cleaning.

[Daryl]

James- shooting instead of cleaning is mainly why we found loads (ball/patch combos) that don't require wiping.  how you measure the pach thickness is also important. One person's .020" might only be .017" with another method of meauring. I generally find .003" difference between calipers and my michrometer when measuring the same piece of cloth.  tightness of the weave is another factor in patch integrity.

Since it's easily obtained here, we almost all use pure 100% denim here.  8oz. is too thin for most rifles except with balls that are bore size or larger still, while 10 oz seems to work in most everyone's rifle with a ball that is from .010" to .005" smaller than the bore.

When I measure store-bought ticking patches, lubed or dry, I get readings .003" to .004" smaller than what the package says with corresponding results- poor.  I ordered .018" and they were way to thin with burn lines.  They mic'd only .014".  After going back to my normal 10oz denim which measures .0215" for me, accuracy was restored and fired patches were reusable.  Some makes of 10oz. measure only .019" to .020", so one must try several. When you find one that work, buy 4 to 10 yards of it so you'll not run out. This running out of patch material usually happens when the store is out of that brand or weight.

I have never had a gun that worked better with a thin patch. I've never had a gun that worked as well cleaned betwen shots as when shot dirty & I've had more than a few.  All the guns I've had or other's guns I've worked with, shot perfectly without wiping, never building fouling from shot to shot.

Learning to shoot BP guns is a long curve - the learning curve.  Studying books like Ned Robert's book, "The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle" can be a quick way into shooting all day without having to wipe.  One merely crowns his rifle smoothly, then picks a ball/pach combination that goes to the bottom of the grooves.

 If the ball's diameter, pluss 2x the thickness of the patch does not measure out a couple to .004 larger than the groove diameter measurement, it cannot shoot 'cleanly',  as in; "Ven yu loads der next von, yu cleans der last von.

[jamesthomas]

 Well i had to back to the drawing board to find out which load my rifle wanted. This was after i smoothed the crown of my rifle like some have done used 320 grit emory cloth. Now instead of 70 grns 3f swiss with a .495 rd .15 patch which was giving me 1 1/2 to 2 inch groups at 50 yrds. Now she likes 70 grns of 2f with a .490 rd .18 to .20 patch. this is giving me the same groups maybe even better at 50 yrds. Some days at the range are better than others.After smothing the crown it would not keep a .495 rd ball on a paper plate at this range no matter what combo i used.I can also shoot around 10 shots without having to clean which is what i was looking for.

[hammerhead]

interesting thanks.

[Daryl]

Just tried what looks like mattress ticking, black and white strips.  It measured .025" in the store, but after washing, it measures .017" with the mic and .020" with the calipers. It's a strong weave, perhaps stronger than Denim and shoots well in the little .32 with a .311" ball, and my .40 with a .397" ball. Both guns load very easily - and of course shoot very clean - no wiping at any time after 5, 10, 50, or 100 shots, No wiping unless for some odd reason, you want to wipe out 1 shot's fouling as there's never more than that in the bore.