What size .58 cal round ball

[pilgrim]

    Hello to all,  I have recently found a 58 cal Hawken on my Muzzleloading rack.  Question is, what size round ball is best.  According to Lyman their only size mold is .570.  While the Lee mold I have is .575.  Yet the Investarms manual calls for .560 roundball.  Lee also makes a .562 mold.  When I load the .575 roundball with .010 patch, there is powder blow by.  With a .015 patch, there is a little powder blow by.  But with a .018 there is no powder blow by BUT this combo of .018 patch and .575 rb is extremely hard to load.  Almost need a mallet to start rb.   Seems the  last 6 inches of the bore of the rifle get really power fouled and makes loading difficult.   Any suggestions?   Thanks

[Baldy]

You might want to try loading a wad on top of the powder, then the prb.  The wad will stop a lot of the blowby and allow you to use and easier to load patch/ball combination.  you just have to keep a fairly tight fit for accuracy.  I have used this on 45, 50 and 54 cal with good results.

[pilgrim]

     Thanks Baldy

[Dogshirt]

If you are target shooting, go with the tight load and use Windex for patch lube, dripping wet. You can get lots of shots with minimal fouling.
Helps with cleaning too. Prelubed patches CAUSE  fouling problems.

[flintboomer]

Part of the bore/patch/ball question is always about what works in your rifle and what you can get your hands on.
Like Dogshirt I am not a fan of commercial prelubed patches and seldom use them. My .58 Green Mountain barrel is not picky about what I put down it but I prefer a really tight fitting combo which was a .570 swaged ball with a heavy cotton duck spit lubed patch hammer started. Now that I have a Lee .575 mould I will have to double check what it likes best, but I doubt that it will change things very much.

Using spit, windex, or some other water based lube does a quick cleaning of the bore when you load as compared to the grease lubes which are supposed to keep the fouling soft enough that you can get another load or two down before you have to wipe the bore.

[Mohawk13]

Have you tried a minie ball on lieu of the patched round ball? That may be a better alternative...

[pilgrim]

     Thanks Dogshirt and Flintboomer.  I was using spit patches cut at bore, but switched to prelubed patch.  I dug out some pillow ticking that I felt was too thin. Mics in at .016.   Not .020 that I use in 2 other rifles.  Will try this today.  Thanks again.

      Thanks Mohawk13,   I will have to give the minie ball some thought.  Lyman seems to have the best selsection of this type of projectile.  I will think on this,  Thanks again

[Hawken50]

  Concerning using windex.I agree it is a great cleaner,as long as its the kind without ammonia.I use the one labeled as windex with vineger.I have read in  one of Mike Venturino's books that the ammonia will react adversly with black powder.

[Mohawk13]

Correct Hawken 50, It forms an acid when mixed with black powder residue. It can eat a barrel away faster that you can say "Bob's Your Uncle"....It works for Mercury Salt based primers, But Not The Holy Black...

[pathfinder]

Beg,borrow or"liberate" .560,.562,and .570's,use pillow tick from the fabric store,washed and dryed,spit patch. Cut srtip's @1-3/4 wide,cut at the muzzle. What loads fairly easy is what ya start with,then adjust your powder charge,trying both 2 and 3f. Forget the minnie's,they'll never catch on!

[pilgrim]

     Thanks pathfinder, Hawken50 and Mohawk13

[Mohawk13]

WHAT! Minies will never catch on...hogwash I say....You are to much of a purist Pathfinder...and I can respect that....

[pathfinder]

They also tell me those brass bottle thingies with the bullet up front and ya stick in the back end of a gun is going to be the new craze! Can ya belive that? Stick it in the back end of a gun! Wah! Will NEVER will catch on!

[Otter]

They also tell me those brass bottle thingies with the bullet up front and ya stick in the back end of a gun is going to be the new craze! Can ya belive that? Stick it in the back end of a gun! Wah! Will NEVER will catch on!

Smokeless powder is a passing fad too!

[Red Badger]

They also tell me those brass bottle thingies with the bullet up front and ya stick in the back end of a gun is going to be the new craze! Can ya belive that? Stick it in the back end of a gun! Wah! Will NEVER will catch on!

Smokeless powder is a passing fad too!

You boys are having to much fun with this..... and getting close to the line.....