Bore??? Groove??

[SharpsShooter]

I sized one of the patched specimens from my new Tom Ballard mould this morning after letting them dry overnight. Dang! it slicks up and irons the patch nicely. My smallest sizer is .457" unless I use my .453 push through. The bore on the Pedresoli Rolling Block is .450" and groove is .455 according to the 457125 I drove down the bore. I know the rule is "patch to bore with black powder, and to groove for smokeless" Thinner paper is of course an option,but I am already at bore diameter "as cast" so it seems I will be over bore to start with.

It is a incredble shooter with the 457125, but I want to complicate my life:D

Thoughts???

SS



http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/SharpsShooter_photos/485grPatchedSized457.jpg

[leftiye]

So, you're using black powder? Size the whole thang down to fit in the bore. (unless your rifle has a freebore)

[SharpsShooter]

I don't think it will size from a patched diameter of .458 down to .450 without destroying it.


SS

[Nrut]

Run it thru your .453" push thru upside down and see what happens...don't use any or very little lube..(try both ways).. Anyway using Vellum paper which is pretty tough I can size down a PP quite a bit some times...

I friend has that same rifle and it's a incredible shooter like you say...

[calaloo]

The gospel according to Paul Matthews is that if you wipe after every shot you may shoot a groove size bullet with black powder. The bore size bullet accomidates powder fowling.

[leftiye]

Sharpe Check with Docone on how much sizing he does, and how it works out. (you can actually size the boolit itself down WHILE patched) A very slow leade (1 degree) may allow groove sized boolits to work well with BP too. But it would seem that having a certain amount of freebore also would be better still.

[SharpsShooter]

Thanks guys. I tried sizing them but the jump from .458 to .453 was destroying 60% of therm in the push through die. [smilie=b:

Sooo I did what I was trying to avoid.......go to the store. Man, people really jump and look at ya funny when you whip out a shiny micrometer and start measuring paper thickness in the school supply aisle. I settled on good quality tracing paper that was .0015", grabbed two packets of 40 sheets each and after a quick and almost painless checkout, I returned home to give it another go.

Tracing paper is remarkably easy to work with even if you have 10 thumbs and a penchant for fumbleitis as I do. Long story short, I patched them, dried them with a blowdryer and sized them down to .453" too. All thats left is the shooting........

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/SharpsShooter_photos/Ballard450485grPatchedSized453diame.jpg

SS