Bigger ball or thicker patch ?

[Tim Ault]

Was thinking about trying a bigger dia. Ball in my 45 , now Im using the normal .440 with .018 patch of ticking material , was thinking though of trying .445 ball for an improvement in accuracy . Has anyone found an improvement either going to bigger ball or just using thicker patch?  . The bore on my barrel is .452 X .480 when I slugged it . It's a round bottomed colerain  my accuracy now with my best load is roughly 1.5 or a hair less  for 3 shots at 5   Would like to do better than that but may just be all the better that skinny barrel will do ?  Thoughts anyone ?

Tim

[cooter]

While changing ball or patch may or may not help, changing the
powder charge also made help. Instead of buying extra balls
try more or less powder with your ball and patch combination.

Try thicker patch with your ball. try all possibles befor spending
more money is my way of thinking.  Good luck.

[Tim Ault]

While changing ball or patch may or may not help, changing the
powder charge also made help. Instead of buying extra balls
try more or less powder with your ball and patch combination.

Try thicker patch with your ball. try all possibles befor spending
more money is my way of thinking.  Good luck.

Thanks,I have ran the charge weights up and down from 20 gr to 75 gr and 30 and 65 gr of 3F are my sweet spots with my current combo of patch and ball .

[Red Badger]

If you have already played with changing powder, then the next step is different patches, then if your still not happy go ahead and buy the new size ball especially if you have a mold for your current size, you can always melt them down and recast.  I am looking for 62 cal roundball and looks like I am going to have to buy a box from track ( my local store does not support anything over .54 cal), I figure I will try the .615 balls and if they don't work melt 'em down and recast.   Then when I find the ball I am happy with I will buy a mould for that size

[bugflipper]

If you have some old blue jeans that don't fit or can get some at a yard sale that may solve your problem. They are pretty thick and make a good patch if you have too much room in the bore.

[flintboomer]

Changing ball size definitely can make a difference in accuracy, but it might not, you will have to ask the gun if you really want to know. Changing patching or lube can also make a difference and the only way to know is to try a lot of combinations.
One of my rifles likes hand lotion and another likes spit. I have tried a lot of different combinations and those are my favorites but you and your rifle may prefer something else.

One of my .50s likes a .490 ball and another likes a .495-.498. A couple of rifles don't seem to care what I use.

[Papa]

Tim,
I have both Rayl and Green Mountain .45 barrels and both get the best accuracy with .445 ball and pre lubed .015 patches. Your charge range seems reasonable, I am shooting 45-50 grains of 3F.
Mark

[Tim Ault]

Thanks all, I found some different patch material I'll give a try this weekend .020 from an old cotton work shirt and .022 denim material  . Never thought to try different lube I always been using spit as I don't have to wipe the bore at all .

Tim

[DandJofAZ]

Haven't tried different lube???   Boy are you in for it!!!  Everybody has the best lube (for their own taste and rifle).  Jump on him guys... 

Two parts sheep tallow
one part bees wax
one part Murphy"s oil soap
one part olive oil.

vary quantity of oil and tallow depending on temp. of shooting area...(more tallow in summer)

See other 100+ posts on lube...

Doug

[bugflipper]

Haven't tried different lube???   Boy are you in for it!!!  Everybody has the best lube (for their own taste and rifle).  Jump on him guys... 

Two parts sheep tallow
one part bees wax
one part Murphy"s oil soap
one part olive oil.

vary quantity of oil and tallow depending on temp. of shooting area...(more tallow in summer)

See other 100+ posts on lube...

Doug

Can't get to out of hand with those spit patch fellows. They have an overactive salavory gland. Bet they could spit in your eye at 50 paces into the wind. 

[Tim Ault]

Haven't tried different lube???   Boy are you in for it!!!  Everybody has the best lube (for their own taste and rifle).  Jump on him guys... 

Two parts sheep tallow
one part bees wax
one part Murphy"s oil soap
one part olive oil.

vary quantity of oil and tallow depending on temp. of shooting area...(more tallow in summer)

See other 100+ posts on lube...

Doug

I know what your saying Doug , I have some lube I made up with soy wax and olive oil and yes it works ok for patch and conical lube buuuuuut I don't like the whole shoot three shots or I can't load another ball without Putting all 180 lbs of me on the rod to load another ! Lol, or have to swab the bore . With plain ole spit I  can shoot all afternoon without swabbing with same amount of pressure on the rod when I load  . To me that equals consistency and that in turn equals accuracy . I'll stick with my spit except if I load for a walk  into the woods then I just use my other oil base lube on the patch but very sparingly . I did some testing and my first oil lube shot lands exactly in the same group as the following spit patches .

[Dogshirt]

1 stick of butter
1 1/2 onion............
Never mind, that's my stuffing recipe, I just use spit as well.

[Hawken50]

   I have used about everything from spit to crisco to bore butter to olive oil to mink oil to bear oil even moose milk made from Ballistol........all have had varing degrees of success. The only bad thing about that is when ya fergit that your using a lube and stick the patch in yur mouth.    Speccialy the Ballistol.........     

[bugflipper]

Fwwwweeewww! That stuff stinks bad enough wouldn't want to taste it.
Lately what I've been using is khaki pants. I got tired of luring individual patches. I melted the 1/2 beeswax to alox and threw a handful of patches in it. Got them out with tweezers and laid them on tinfoil. Did a whole freezer bag in about 5 minutes. The good thing is they are hard enough to be dry, don't melt on a sunny day. No nasty sticky stuff on your hands. Can't say it's any better than anyone else's lube but it works for me and gives tight groups. I used one of the snap pockets off the khakis to keep a handful in the possibles bag and they aren't leaching through it or sticking together. They are actually easy loading as well. No swabbing in between shots.

[halfstock]

All of that is great but the most important part is tobacco juice and "whiskey".