Author Topic: Touch hole drill size  (Read 473 times)

Offline Jerry V Lape

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Touch hole drill size
« on: May 07, 2024, 02:56:42 AM »
Looking for consensus about drill size for touch hole.  White lightening liners come with 1/16" hole.  I have previously gone to 5/64' which has worked well for me.  What are opinions here?   
 
« Last Edit: May 07, 2024, 03:06:28 AM by Jerry V Lape »

Offline smallpatch

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Re: Touch hole drill size
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2024, 03:32:19 AM »
Actually white lightnings are smaller than 1/16”. I always drill them out to 1/16” .
Touch hole size is relative to caliber. Larger cal. Will allow for a little larger size, but they will burn out quicker.
In His grip,

Dane

Offline Daryl

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Re: Touch hole drill size
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2024, 07:03:31 PM »
IIRC, White Lightning liners come with about a .052" hole, .010" smaller than 1/16".
1/16" works for me.
Too large for the granulation size of the powder and you will lose powder from the charge out the vent while seating the patched ball on the powder.
To test this, close the frizzen while seating the ball with cock at 1/2 bent position, then open the frizzen to see if you now have a self-priming lock.
If concerned about loading this way, remove the flint for the test. Loading with the cock at 1/2 bent, and priming first before introducing powder to the
bore was the normal procedure for loading paper ctgs. around the world by about every military there was who used paper ctgs. I'm thinking that was
just about all of them.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2024, 07:08:01 PM by Daryl »
Daryl

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