OK if patches are a little big?

[rfd]

How about 32? That is the one I had in mind.

perhaps 11/32". get a cheap drill bit set and do some testing. when you've got the right bit, get short piece of hardwood board from a big box store and have at it.

[Eddie Southgate]

Minerat or rfd style is the way to go . I cut my own patches , oversized , and then trim with a pakistan straight razor at the muzzle . Barely seat the ball , gather excess patch and cut away the excess , preferably without cutting any fingers . Seat with the short starter rod then ram it home . Been working for me for over 50 years . Boards are great for hunting but I never use them otherwise .

[rfd]

Minerat or rfd style is the way to go . I cut my own patches , oversized , and then trim with a pakistan straight razor at the muzzle . Barely seat the ball , gather excess patch and cut away the excess , preferably without cutting any fingers . Seat with the short starter rod then ram it home . Been working for me for over 50 years . Boards are great for hunting but I never use them otherwise .

why precut oversized patches that will only get cut again at the muzzle instead of using a patch strip, which also reduces cloth waste?

[oldracer]

The fellow who taught me to shoot patched round balls told me the shape or the size of the patch is not as important as the thickness of the material when sealing the ball to the inside of the rifle. I see some of our shooters at out monthly matches hammer away to make the patched ball go down......then there are a couple who have little to no resistance when loading the patched round ball. Neither win very often if at all. I was told you should have some fair amount of resistance but be able to push the patched ball all the way down in one firm motion. Any patch material over top of the ball will just help clean out the bore and generally if you look at your patches after shooting they will show little to no discoloration of the part in front of the ball. I usually check one or two of my patches at every shoot or if I am practicing to see how they look.
John

[rfd]

spot on, oldracer, spot on.

[indian joe]

The fellow who taught me to shoot patched round balls told me the shape or the size of the patch is not as important as the thickness of the material when sealing the ball to the inside of the rifle. I see some of our shooters at out monthly matches hammer away to make the patched ball go down......then there are a couple who have little to no resistance when loading the patched round ball. Neither win very often if at all. I was told you should have some fair amount of resistance but be able to push the patched ball all the way down in one firm motion. Any patch material over top of the ball will just help clean out the bore and generally if you look at your patches after shooting they will show little to no discoloration of the part in front of the ball. I usually check one or two of my patches at every shoot or if I am practicing to see how they look.
John

If there is some ball showing when the patch is closed right over its ok - more patch than that is too much and it might work ok - didnt for me !!!! ----54 patches used in a 45 (yeah got lazy didnt I !) spread my groups out to better than double with my flinter - I shoot that gun a lot and all it took was change back to proper sized patches to sort the problem .

(definitions) regarding resistance--- if you can "push the ball all the way down in one firm motion" ---I would call that slick and easy loading ? ideal I reckon -most fellers on the range load tighter than that - I find I can beat most of the hammer wielders, so have never been interested in doing it (tight loading).

I precut all my patches simply because its easier (for me) - I have some good wad punches, a big hammer, good hardwood block on the back path - takes just a few minutes to cut a couple hundred - never as perfect as cut on the muzzle but --- me and a razor in the heat of a match ?? dunno about that - kinda see pictures of a bloke in a white coat with a needle in his paw

[rfd]

joe, make yerself a ball board and you'll be loading and shootin' faster 'n' a machine gun. promise.

[waksupi]

joe, make yerself a ball board and you'll be loading and shootin' faster 'n' a machine gun. promise.

For some reason, these seem to have fallen out of favor in this area. I seldom see them at the shoots here among the old timers. I used them years ago, but got away from them as my loading technique improved. The only time I've used them the past 20 years or so, was a block that held four, for hunting purposes.

[LAGS]

I still use loading boards even at the range.
That reminds me , I need to make one for my .61 Renagade.
I also do a 1/8" recessed counter bore on one side that fits the muzzle diameter.
That way it self centers on the end of the barrel and makes lineing up to the bore even faster.

[Buzzard II]

far too easy to make ...

.36 caliber patched ball--------------------> 3/8 inch drill bit
.40 caliber patched ball -------------------> 13/32 inch drill bit
.45 caliber patched ball--------------------> 15/32 inch drill bit
.50 caliber patched ball--------------------> 1/2 inch drill bit
.54 caliber patched ball--------------------> 35/64, 17/32 inch drill bit
.58 caliber patched ball--------------------> 19/32 inch drill bit
.62 caliber patched ball--------------------> 5/8 inch drill bit

Rob,
Thanks for supplying the drill bit sizes!
Bob

[rfd]

For some reason, these seem to have fallen out of favor in this area. I seldom see them at the shoots here among the old timers. I used them years ago, but got away from them as my loading technique improved. The only time I've used them the past 20 years or so, was a block that held four, for hunting purposes.

ric, they're indispensable at some shoots where time is a factor, and that's when i use 'em ... along with 90% of my fellow competitors.

[Eddie Southgate]

why precut oversized patches that will only get cut again at the muzzle instead of using a patch strip, which also reduces cloth waste?

I only cut two sizes ,one for .45 and smaller and one that will do .45 to .54 . I have plenty of cloth .

[oldracer]

I should have said a very firm motion as I actually sort of hop up on my toes to gain the leverage to seat the patched ball. When I tried the 0.44 balls with 0.005 patches in my newly created pistol, it felt like loading a bore rider slug gun bullet! I didn't mention I tamp the patched round ball with 3 bumps on the rod, no more, no less. That is mainly to just make sure that it is all the way down as I have had a couple that didn't bottom out and also went PAST the loaded marker on my super rod! We all know hat that means so now to do the following:

- If no powder is loaded....insert the funnel and leave it in.
- If powder HAS been loaded then the patched ball is immediately loader and ram rod (super rod) is left in the barrel.

This works well and since starting that idea no issues. If it is with my slug guns with NO false muzzle I do the same otherwise I leave the false muzzle attached and its lanyard prevents getting the gun in position to shoot. Remember TRY EVERY POSSIBILITY SEVERAL TIMES OFF A REST OR LEAD SLED.
John

[rfd]

two of the most important parts of my traditional muzzleloader loading process ...

* blow down the barrel after a shot is taken to make sure there's nothing left glowing in the chamber

* once the patched ball is pushed (not rammed) into the chamber i'll keep flicking the rod down until it trampolines upwards of its own accord, which means the ball is fully seated and the powder is slightly compressed

additionally, i'll typically use a brass muzzle guard anytime a rod needs to go down the tube.

[indian joe]

[QUOTE=oldracer;4765166]I should have said a very firm motion as I actually sort of hop up on my toes to gain the leverage to seat the patched ball. When I tried the 0.44 balls with 0.005 patches in my newly created pistol, it felt like loading a bore rider slug gun bullet! I didn't mention I tamp the patched round ball with 3 bumps on the rod, no more, no less. That is mainly to just make sure that it is all the way down

I knew what ya meant once I thought about it a bit - but first reaction wuz Nah! I load easy and they shoot straight --if we loaded side by side at the range one of us would likely be accused of copying the other - three bumps on the rod - yep!
Joe

[waksupi]

two of the most important parts of my traditional muzzleloader loading process ...

* blow down the barrel after a shot is taken to make sure there's nothing left glowing in the chamber

* once the patched ball is pushed (not rammed) into the chamber i'll keep flicking the rod down until it trampolines upwards of its own accord, which means the ball is fully seated and the powder is slightly compressed

additionally, i'll typically use a brass muzzle guard anytime a rod needs to go down the tube.

The lawyer laden NMLRA does a disservice to shooters when they started telling them to not blow down the bore.

[waksupi]

ric, they're indispensable at some shoots where time is a factor, and that's when i use 'em ... along with 90% of my fellow competitors.

Speed shoots are pretty much outlawed ion this area, as pilgrims had a nasty habit of breaking ramrods and running them through their hands.

[rfd]

Speed shoots are pretty much outlawed ion this area, as pilgrims had a nasty habit of breaking ramrods and running them through their hands.

a metal ramrod as a rule requirement fixes the stupid people that get the event banned.

[rfd]

The lawyer laden NMLRA does a disservice to shooters when they started telling them to not blow down the bore.

indeed. never used to be that way until that org got too big for its britches, changed focus and direction.

blowing down the barrel was a standard procedure done from back eons ago to near the end of the 20th century. this simple process eliminated accidents and saved lives. could've help mike nesbitt back in 2012 when as he poured a measured load down the tube it all exploded, barely missing his face, blowing the measure out of sight, blackening and numbing his hand. he was Very Lucky he didn't get a full powder explosion in the face. THIS is why we always blow down the barrel.

http://bwanabob.info/page2.html

[LAGS]

I made up a bellows to blow down the barrel and have seen guys use a peice of plastic tubing to blow down the barrel without putting your face near the muzzle.
Is that legal in competition to use those type of devices?