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.530 versus .535 RB, given complementary patch thicknesses

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Hello guys. I find myself with over 100 Hornady RB's in .530, and another box of 100 n .535, plus a batch that aren't in boxes, so I'm not sure what they are (ugh). I've been shooting both in my Lyman GPR, but now that I have a pistol too, I'm trying to find the ideal load for the rifle that will shoot satisfactorily in the pistol too so that I only carry one size ball and one size patch.

I have patches in .010 and .015 both brand new packages from OX-Yoke--pre-lubed with Wunder Lube. (I know a lot of you prefer your own lube, but I tend to favor pre-lubed out of consistency and convenience).

Should I expect the same performance out of a .530 RB + .015 patch as I would the slightly larger .535 ball with the slightly thinner .010 patch? Total diameter should be the same, so it's a matter of lead vs patch proportions.

I ask because, from what I've read, guys who shoot what I own (Lyman GPR and Pendersoli Kentucky pistol) often recommend the larger ball with "whatever patch works best." Well... fair enough... but it got me thinking that the total diameter could, in theory, be identical stuffed down the tube, so mainly as an academic exercise, I toss this out there.

Obviously you know that I'll be stuffing all different varieties down the barrels when this heat breaks and I can make it to the range again! But... what is your experience with this. Does .545 = .545, or would you expect there to be accuracy differences depending on the ball vs. patch size?
 
My shallow TC Renegade prefers a .530 with an .018" pillow patch. I've tried a .535 with a .015" cotton patch and a .012" linen patch, felt every bit as tight as the .530 combo, but simply didn't shoot as well.
I personally would play around with both sizes with different patches. Find out what combo's shoot well in the rifle (hopefully more than one combo shoots well) and then try those in the pistol to see if you are lucky enough to just carry one combo for both.
 
I've tried both sizes and have molds for each. I use the same .018 patch. The .535 is tough to load with this combo but seems to produce tighter groups. What I've been doing when hunting is, I load the 1st round with the .535 on a clean barrel. Subsequent shots I then use the .530 for easier loading.
 
I've tried both sizes and have molds for each. I use the same .018 patch. The .535 is tough to load with this combo but seems to produce tighter groups. What I've been doing when hunting is, I load the 1st round with the .535 on a clean barrel. Subsequent shots I then use the .530 for easier loading.

With a difference in ball size of only .005, I wonder if it's possible to reliably tell the difference with a simple caliper? I don't have a fancy scale for weighing my round balls, and I suspect that over the years my leather sack has a bit of both in it.
 

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