Loading blocks or cut patches on the barrel???

[Glenn]

For speed and convience I have long used loading blocks rather than cutting patches on the end of the barrel. I buy cotton mattress ticking at the yardage shop, yeah I carry a micrometer and get some funny looks from the ladies. I then run the material through the washer and let it dry outside. I then cut out a bunch of patches on a drill press using a hole saw which has had the "teeth" ground off. I can cut a dozen at a time by carefully folding the material.
When I load blocks I try to center the patch on each hole and place the sprue straight up then seat the ball in the block. This process leaves patch material between the sides of the block hole and the ball with very little sticking out of the block and I "think" works OK. I have tried cutting a patch on the end of the barrel and I notice that these patches are NOT ROUND when recovered. The patches I cut with my hole saw, or the patches you buy are obviously round. This may not matter at all. Just before shooting I moose milk the loading blocks and seem to save time by using them.

OK, to the question........which way do you folks think best for accuracy? Loading from blocks or cutting on the end of the barrel?

[44man]

Doesn't matter for accuracy but is too much work for informal or target shooting. I only use them for hunting. I soak the blocks in an oil like neatsfoot oil so they don't draw out the patch lube. I remove the balls from the block after season. They will corrode if left in them too long.
I don't see any difference in using pre-cut patches or cutting them at the muzzle.

[KCSO]

SQUARE patches shoot just about as good as the roundes ones you can cut. Shape doesn't really matter and Ii have a patch cutter from the 1870's that cuts STAR shaped patches.

What I don't like is running a sharp piece of steel across the muxxle of my gun. That muzzle and the crown are THE most important part of accuracy aside from the tube itself. Boogered crowns and ram rod wear at the muzzle are traditionally the #1 cause of poor accuracy. Most every old gun I see has been shortened to correct on of these two problems.

I load only from a block or with a false muzzle for that reason. I quit cutting patches at the muzzle many years ago.

[piwo]

I have been pre-cutting my patches, lubing them and storing them in a tin. Been cutting round, but will try the square ones. Never tried a loading block......

[mooman76]

I just cut square patches. It's real easy with scissors and it also gives me a supply of cleaning patches.

[Single Shot]

Please explain a "loading block"

Thank You

[Blammer]

a load block is a "two by four" with some 50 cal hole drilled in it. (if you shoot 50 cal) then a patch and ball is loaded into the hole just like you would the end of your MZ. This "block" has about 6 or so holes in it. What it does is save the time for fumbling for a patch, laying it on the barrel then getting a ball and pushing it home all the while holding your rifle, while out the field.

Instead you pour the powder in the gun, take loading block, center a patched ball filled hole over the muzzle, use your starter ball to ram it into the barrel. Take out ramrod and finish raming home. Taaa daaa, loaded round.

Some loading blocks, have a 50 cal hole for holding the ball and patch, and on the other side is counter drilled out to the size of the barrel. so you slip this over the barrel, it automatically lines up the hole, help holds the rifle while you get ball starter to push it home. After you push it home let the block fall, (as it's attached to a string onyour belt) put starter ball away, grab ram rod finish ramming home, cap and shoot. Or prime and shoot.

[KCSO]

In our demonstrations I use a loading block with a slight recess for the muzzle of the gun and I load a medium lose fit of patch and ball. Loading against a timer in front of a crowd I run between 20 and 30 second with 25 average. That is to load and fire and hit a quarter sized target at 20 yards. I still haven't been able to run and reload in 100 yards at a full gallop like Capt. Clark but that may change as I run slower every year. The longest original loading block I have sen was 10 holes and 4-5 seems fairly common. My blocks are 1/2" thick and the ball drops out the bottom just enough to center the outift over the muzzle.

[flyingstick]

I've never used a loading block, but I'm gonna make one now and see if I like it. Nice Thread.

[Single Shot]

Thanks,

That is a great idea both for the black powder competition and to save time at the range.


I'll have to set some up for the club. We hold an annual camp out and at one of the events each person gets to shoot 3 rounds of black powder rifle.

The club supplies the guns and ammo. There are usually at least 150 people so we can pre-load the loading blocks the day before the event.



:castmine:

[Slamfire]

A patch knife should only be sharpened on one side, and the flat side is placed on the barrel. Cuts patches just fine and protects the crown. If you have a bad crown, don't shorten the barrel, taper it.
All that said, loading blocks are a convenience and if you seat the prb deep enough, you needn't make a counter bore for the muzzle to fit, the protruding ball centers itself. :drinks:

[RBak]

you needn't make a counter bore for the muzzle to fit, the protruding ball centers itself.

This is what I have always thought too. I have also found that square patches are not only extremely easy to make, but they seem to shoot just as well as the round one.

Russ...

[KCSO]

For most purposes you DON'T need a counterbore. When You are racing a timer it saves about 1 second and makes the job just a little more fumble free. As to not cutting and just counterboring a muzzle. That will work somewhat, but if the muzzle is really out of square you will still get uneven gas pressure on one side of the ball, maybe not enough to hurt hunting accuracy too bad but still a slight loss. On a good bench rifle whre you are looking for the utmost in accuracy NOTHING ever touches the muzzle of the finished rifle. All the loading is done with your false muzzle.

[RBak]

KCSO, Good point about staying away from the muzzle.
When you say "counterbore", are you referring to a simple "round" counterbore, say 1/4" deep, that "just fits" the diameter of the barrel?

You've got my mind working on how I might make a better mouse trap.
As I said before, I've always just used the protruding ball to center on the muzzle, and depended on the soft wood to protect the crown. I have a brand-new, unfired barrel that I just may do a little experimenting with.

I think I know what you've done but do you have a picture available of just how you did this?

Respectfully, Russ...

[Glenn]

I make the "counter bore" with a spade bit. Starting out with a small piece of walnut, maybe 6" long and 1" square I use the spade bit to make 6 counter bores about 1/8" deep. Then I go to the correct size drill, for the balls to be held in the loading block, and use the 1/2" or so deep hole made by the spade bit tip point as a center mark for the final drilling. This is really a quick task and your final holes will be centered in the counter bore. I think I can turn out a six shot loading block in less than 2 or 3 minutes once the little walnut blocks are cut to length and the space between holes to be have been marked. That only takes a minute or so.
If you want to get set up to save some time loading you can drill a correct sized hole in one end of the loading block and press in a powder measure device, I like to use a center fire rifle case which has been ground down to hold the right charge. Though not adjustable this type of powder measure is CHEAP, HANDY and accurate. When you want to reload in a hurry you can really shorten loading time mucho.
I walk through trailwalk shoots with my short ball starter sticking out through an empty hole in the loading block with the lower end of the ball starter slipped into a fairly tight fitting flat leather loop which is set through the strap of my possibles bag about chest high in front. You get to reach for it and put it away almost automatically after a while.
Hey guys, I hope this makes some visual sense.

[PAT303]

I got many strange looks when I started useing square patches but they are easy to cut and you use the whole piece of material.I have won to many times for anyone to say they don't shoot accurately. Pat

[Rattus58]

Loading blocks ... I have some loading blocks that I made which work decently. I force my bullets out the block a bit so as to align with the bore. I use a very tight patch so a long starter is usually what I use at that point to load the ball. I have a 40 caliber that I have a pin starter attached to the block that pushes a little less tight patch into the 40... but with a tight patch, you need a short starter there as well.

Very useful device the block is.... works with conicals too.

Aloha... :cool: