best round ball size for 1766 Charleville Pedersoli ?

[bosunmate]

Hello, I'm just finishing up a Pedersoli 1766 Charleville kit. Longtime caster & loader, but my first flintlock. Pedersoli says the barrel is .690; they recommend a .675 round ball, with a .007 inch patch. I'm not seeing such a thin patch material available online in the US. I see .010, and .015, but not .007. I'd hate to order a $100 round ball mold and find out it's a bad size. Anyone have experience with this gun? I've polished the smoothbore so it's very slick. Thanks -

[centershot]

Rifled or smoothbore?

[Mk42gunner]

No experience with a .69 cal musket, but I have taken a micrometer to a fabric store before.

IIRC "pocket drill" is a bit thinner than pillow ticking, supposedly linen, and may make decent patches.

Robert

[whisler]

Considering the fact that you will want to reload the musket after firing and the fouling will take up some amount of space and may be crusty to boot, I think I would use a smaller ball and thicker patch material. That way if fouling interferes with loading you can reduce patch thickness and still load. If you use a tight ball/patch combo, you may need to swab the bore after every shot. Not the end of the world for casual shooting, but a PITA for hunting. Just my opinion.

[mehavey]

Get the 0.675" ball & 0.018" (standard) striped pillow-ticking.
Cut into strips, 5 colored-stripes wide.
Spit-Patch/Cut-at-Muzzle.
Damp-wipe between shots.


postscript:
Get a half dozen (at least) extra flints: https://www.trackofthewolf.com//Categories/PartDetail.aspx/988/1/FLINT-ENG-9
Get a steel range rod/jag for cleaning -- a Must non-rotating handle
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/830/1
Also a breech fouling scraper:
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/list/Item.aspx/579/1

[Sasquatch-1]

You should be able to get 100% cotton fabric that thin at a fabric store such as JoAnn's. As stated, take a micrometer or caliper with you. You might have to get some interesting prints, but that makes the range trip interesting.

Make sure you run it through the wash a couple of times to get rid of the sizing.

[waksupi]

Keep in mind, a smooth bore doesn't need as tight of load as a rifle.

[bedbugbilly]

bosummate - I don't have your firearm - but I do have a 1842 .69 "Macon Rifle" - which is basically a two band model 1842 musket.

Ideal/Lyman made a .678 round ball mould for years (and may still) that was intended for use in .69 caliber muskets such as the 1816 and 1842. It will work with a patch out of either a .69 rifle or smoothbore and your musket, if based on original, is a smooth bore. Waksupi give sage advice in his remarks.

I have a 20 gauge .620 smoothbore flint Fusil-de-Chase and in that, for example, I use both a .60 and a .610 round ball with pillow ticking patching. On a smoothbore you are going to accumulate fouling that will inhibit getting a tightly patched ball down the bore after just a few shots and if you go that route, then yo will probably find yourself running a wet patch down the bore every other shot or so to keep the fouling under control.

The Ideal/Lyman .678 moulds are out there but it might take some looking to find one.

Another thing to keep in mind is that as a military musket, it utilized a paper cartridge when in military use. The U.S. Military stipulated that in a .69 caliber smoothbore musket - such as the early model smoothbores up through the 1842 model smoothbore (some were reworked and rifled) - for a paper cartridge found ball load or a paper cartridge "buck and ball" load, the round ball was to of .650. In the case of flintlock models, the tail was torn off and the firelock primed, the remaining powder then introduced into the bore and the ball or buck and ball load introduced into the bore and rammed home with the paper which acted to take up the space between the .650 ball and the .690 bore as well as cover wadding over the seated load. One must remember that these were military muskets as is yours, and with Napoleonic Tactics and repeated firings in the battle line, the fouling built up and for the distances they were shooting in volley fire or at will, the .650 ball perfumed sufficiently.

I wanted to make paper cartridge ball and buck and ball loads for my 1842 Macon Rifle to do some experiments and the closest thing I could find to a .650 ball was an Ideal .648. At .002 smaller than the government specs of .650 for ball and buck and ball loads, it will have to do.

I guess it all depends on your intended use of your firelock. If it is going to be used for target practice and/or hunting . . . then choose the appropriate ball size for that. If you are going to use it with an original style load, then try to find out what the French stipulated for ball size for a ball or buck and ball paper cartridge load and roll your own. If you are still "on the fence" as far as what you think you might want as far as ball size - thin I would suggest that you buy some balls in the sizes you'd like to try first from someplace like Track of the Wolf or others and try them first. One you see which works best for your intended use, then try to find a mould. Bit as waksupi reminds . . . . it doesn't need as tight of a load as a rifle.

Good luck!

[Nobade]

You may enjoy watching some of Mike Bellivue (sp?) on Youtube talking about original loads for smoothbore muskets. He's done a lot of work with them and gives some good advice as well as showing what they are realistically capable of using different loads.

[bosunmate]

Thanks everyone for the very helpful replies. This helps a lot - Bosunmate.

[bosunmate]

Thanks mehavey - very useful. I've purchased an adapter so that the threaded end of the ramrod can be adapted to standard US cleaning jags. But I realize that you don't want to have to thread a jag onto the ramrod after every shot at the range, which is why you probably suggest getting the range rod. Do you know if the original ramrods were threaded like the Pedersoli versions?

[Sasquatch-1]

You may enjoy watching some of Mike Bellivue (sp?) on Youtube talking about original loads for smoothbore muskets. He's done a lot of work with them and gives some good advice as well as showing what they are realistically capable of using different loads.

"Duelist 1954", I believe is his screen name. Watch his older stuff. His newer stuff, he is starting to get a little "Long Winded".

[Nobade]

"Duelist 1954", I believe is his screen name. Watch his older stuff. His newer stuff, he is starting to get a little "Long Winded".

That's the name!
Good advice BTW.

[bosunmate]

Thanks mehavey, I obtained all of the items you recommended and they were all very helpful at the range -