Trouble Loading Second Shot

This has been great, I really appreciate all the comments and advice. Thank you everyone for your time and expertise.

Dealing with dry fouling after the shot is the wrong time to fix the problem.
You fix the problem before shooting via thin lubricated wads, grease cookies or a lubricated backing wad.
The coating of the bore and after compression forces mix lubricant with the fouling thus keeping it soft or probably more accurately put, in suspension.
I don't get this dry patch jibba jabba and never will!

I used to hunt with my CVA Bobcat using a Hornady Great Plains Bullet loaded the night before, but loading those for follow up shots was near impossible. For field reloads I'd use patch round balls.

Have you tried using Pyrodex instead of black powder? It doesn't foul was much and I got excellent accuracy with it.

SDSmlf said:

Guessing you hunt without a ramrod, powder or extra roundball, so as to assist in helping your pinpoint focus. No need for extra flint or if going percussion, weighing yourself down with a second percussion cap. Must lighten the load.

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Guess I should have written that differently so people wouldn't misconstrue it.
Oh well, others have pointed out the problem, use the proper lube.

Usually I don't get a second shot at an animal that I have missed with the first shot. They usually don't stick around long enough no matter how fast I can reload.

Boomerang said:

Usually I don't get a second shot at an animal that I have missed with the first shot. They usually don't stick around long enough no matter how fast I can reload.

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That's the point I was making, usually it's a one shot deal anyway .

You always want to be able to reoad a "quick" follow up shot when hunting game.

Scota@4570 said:

Tiny groups are great at a target shoot. They are not needed for hunting big game.

If you need a second shot, like approaching a hog that may not be dead, skip the patch. Be sure to seat the ball hard to make sure is stays on the powder.

As has others have said use a looser combo. 100 yards is a long shot in the real world of open sights and round balls. You do not need guilt edge target accuracy. Minuet of paper plate is sufficient at 100 yards. 4" at 50 yards is sufficient too. You can achieve that with a loose combination. Try 490 or even 485 balls. A 485 with a thicker patch will load easier and the patch will carry more lube for your second shot.

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I agree, working on shooting a specific pig target. My only response is small target, small miss. Practice, practice, practice.

Carbon 6 said:

That's the point I was making, usually it's a one shot deal anyway .

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I agree on a clean miss, what happens if you don’t make a kill shot, but miss slightly and wound the animal? Don’t you want a second second shot as soon as possible to follow up? I can’t stand a suffering animal, it’s my responsibility to be as ethical as possible and be prepared for any eventuality.

Exactly. Anyone that says they dont care about a second shot, isn't a hunter. For hogs, you damn sure want a quick follow up shot.

Carbon 6 said:

Give up on the notion of a second shot, focus on the first shot.

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Do you have a bayonet lug on that rifle? Has a lot to do with how bad you need a second shot...

Billy Boy said:

Do you have a bayonet lug on that rifle? Has a lot to do with how bad you need a second shot...

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Nope, no lug. If the pig was that mad and came at me, I'd either look for a tree or use my rifle as a club. The chances of my climbing a tree quickly are nil! So to everyone's point, make the first shot count, totally agree.

Frontier's said:

Exactly. Anyone that says they dont care about a second shot, isn't a hunter. For hogs, you damn sure want a quick follow up shot.

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Concur

I always always always carry a back up weapon when hunting, no matter if its black powder , center fire or archery season. For the dispatching of a wounded critter to the dispatching of a hungry than I am critter I will have a pistol handy. Once in awhile its a KY .50 but almost always I carry a 12" .45 BP revolver or my ROA. There fore if I have failed to see the game go down I am really not in any hurry to reload. I will calm down for several minutes, reload and start tracking about 20 min later when the game has had time to also settle and hopefully expire before I amble along (this is mainly in bow season as its been only a time or two I can recall not seeing the prey drop in sight). Always calm myself first says I, otherwise yer more apt to snap a ram rod etc (or spill 1/2 of two powder loads LOL).

Lookie, perfect example just took place at home. This is why you want a second shot

Your Green Mountain barrel should have .012" deep rifling. The .495 rounball and .015" Lubed patch should load easily for your second shot. I have several GM barrels in .50 calibre. That is my patch/ball combination. I can easily load five or more shots before having to wipe. Bore butter on the loading patches.

Well yea, he's shooting dry patch BIG difference.

Frontier's said:

Lookie, perfect example just took place at home. This is why you want a second shot

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Holy cow thats a nice looking bear! I saw one two weeks ago, shiny black with dark rust gruff o the neck and chest. Running hard!

Crane Senior said:

I have a 50 cal Hawken type I’ve put together with the barrel being the Green Mountain drop in TC replacement. It’s a 1/66 twist and is dead on accurate at 100 yds with a .495 ball, .015 patch (1:6 Ballistol mix dry patch) and 80 gr 2F Goex and or 80gr Swiss 1.5. I want to use this load next week to hunt pigs. The problem is that I can use the wooden ram rod for the first load, but cannot get the second load down without using my range rod. I can get about 3/4 of the way down the barrel with the wooden rod and that’s it. The barrel probably has 150 rounds through it and looks clean as can be to me, no pits and no rings.

I have a feeling I know what next steps might be, but would appreciate hearing from the more seasoned folk on this forum.

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I bought a .50 cal GM drop in for my T/C many years ago from Tip Curtis. His partial advice on proper use, was to swab (once down & up) first with a damp (not wet) patch and then a dry one, between EVERY shot.
Not being convenient to do in the field (unless you carry a snuff tin with some damp patches in it), my advice would be to get an unbreakable Delrin replacement rod to use in the field. They are available on eBay, Track of the Wolf and Cabelas yo name a few.

Crane Senior said:

Nope, no lug. If the pig was that mad and came at me, I'd either look for a tree or use my rifle as a club. The chances of my climbing a tree quickly are nil! So to everyone's point, make the first shot count, totally agree.

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Ya, if a dangerous animal charges you are you just going to stand there and proceed to reload?
Bears are great sprinters, I'll bet they can do the 100 dash faster than you can reload (less than 10 seconds). How fast can you reload ?