Need shooting advice, look at these patches, please.

Just finished my first build, 40 cal. 38” barrel. First time to shoot a flintlock… what can I say but…. I’m Smitten! As I sit here typing this, I’m trying to figure out a way to get back to the range to shoot again without the wife knowing…

But let me get to my questions. Look at these patches please. Do they look normal. I had an extremely hard time seating the .395 ball with pillow ticking. Just using gun oil as a lubricant (all I had at the time). In fact, I had to turn my wooden handle on my knife sideways and then use my hammer to seat the bullet. Pushing down and seating the ball on the charge was fairly easy. And I swabbed twice between shots.

Can a patch and ball be to tight?

Thanks, mule333

I bought some linen yesterday. That’ll be next trip to the range.

Toooooooooooo tight. maybe a lighter patch or better yet a .390 ball. I see a many shooters pound and carve and cuss at the range, not realizing that the ball is to big. I get a kick out of watching it. The patch follows the rifling, not the ball in a long gun, not all long guns of course, minnies and such. I like to start my load with a little force and then I like for it to just glide down on the charge and don't do any of that wam,wam,wamm on a patched ball. Just seat it by the mark you have should have on the ramrod.
It might not hurt to glide a scotch brite pad down the barrel 50 or so times with your favorite lube on it. Just 2 cents.

What charge are you shooting, might be on the heavy side but it also (in combination) that your rifling is a little sharp, cutting the patches then blowing them apart. Does your cleaning patch get cut while cleaning. You could try using some cotton drill (very tight weave) or a small wad of wasp nest between powder and patch. I sure don't like forcing a ball down the barrel, rather thumb start it, much easier to pull if needed.

Flintlock said:

Does your cleaning patch get cut while cleaning.

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No, it comes out normal, no jagged edges or bunched up.

sawyer04 said:

It might not hurt to glide a scotch brite pad down the barrel 50 or so times with your favorite lube on it. Just 2 cents.

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I’ve read this before on other post… excuse my stupidity but how do you apply it on the end of the ramrod….. do I need a worm?

Mule333 said:

I’ve read this before on other post… excuse my stupidity but how do you apply it on the end of the ramrod….. do I need a worm?

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Hmm … that sounds like I’m being a smarta$$…. And I’m not…. Should have worded that a little better. Sorry

There is no "Federal Bureau of Barrel Dimensions", nor is there an industry accepted set of standards (SAAMI) as there is for cartridge bore diameters and rifling depths. So, some ML barrels are tighter than others.

I have one 40 caliber barrel made by a very respected maker that just will not accept a .395 ball with even a thin patch. It shoots marvelously with a .390 ball and pillow ticking patch lubed with grease or moose milk. Starts with a good heel of the hand thump, cut the patch and a bit of effort to finish starting.

Track Of The Wolf lists hand cast balls of .389 diameter, you might try them. Lee Precision sells a two cavity mold for .390 balls. I use that, and get a lot of balls from a pound of lead. NB: some months ago I tried various sequences for filling the mold cavities. Best results came from filling the outer cavity, then filling the inner cavity as a separate operation with a fresh ladle-full of lead. Does add a bit of time, but less time than eyeballing each ball, or weighing.

Lastly, like all things mechanical, barrels break in, and it may take quite a few shots to stabilize. I put at least fifty shots through a new barrel before adjusting the sights.

Idaho Lewis puts a patch over the powder. In his youtube video his patches were similar to yours until he put in an over powder patch. It may be the quickest and easiest thing to try first. Check out his video. Good luck.

Mule333 said:

Just finished my first build, 40 cal. 38” barrel. First time to shoot a flintlock… what can I say but…. I’m Smitten! As I sit here typing this, I’m trying to figure out a way to get back to the range to shoot again without the wife knowing…

But let me get to my questions. Look at these patches please. Do they look normal. I had an extremely hard time seating the .395 ball with pillow ticking. Just using gun oil as a lubricant (all I had at the time). In fact, I had to turn my wooden handle on my knife sideways and then use my hammer to seat the bullet. Pushing down and seating the ball on the charge was fairly easy. And I swabbed twice between shots.

Can a patch and ball be to tight?View attachment 98135

Thanks, mule333

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Did you crown the muzzle? If you did, are there any sharp entry edges? If you did not, or there is sharpness at the muzzle, then that is a possibility where your problem is .
Make sure your crown is proper angle and no sharp edges. Make sure your patch is large enough to cover the sides of the ball.
Larry

I was just up at the range this morning with my 45 caliber rifle.
Wanted to try some .445 round balls. Shooting with a single cotton patch, I couldn't find a one.
After a few shots, I decided to try Idaho Lewis's double patch idea.
My accuracy improved dramatically and I found all of my patches. They were good enough to almost reuse. I wished I had taken a picture of them.

Larry (Omaha) said:

Did you crown the muzzle

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No, I haven’t yet… thought about it but, thought I’d better leave it.

ppg1949 said:

Idaho Lewis puts a patch over the powder. In his youtube video his patches were similar to yours until he put in an over powder patch. It may be the quickest and easiest thing to try first. Check out his video. Good luck.

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I may try this next time….

The shredding of the patch edges is normal. What I look for is what is the condition of the patch where the patch, lands and the ball meets. If the lands are too sharp, there will be tiny holes where the lands cut the patch. If the crown is too sharp, there will be circumferential cuts along the ring left as the rifle is fired.

Linen patches will hold together better than cotton

Mule333 said:

No, I haven’t yet… thought about it but, thought I’d better leave it.

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Try this: Load a ball without powder, and still use lube. Pull the ball and look at your patch. If it has circular cuts in it, the muzzle could be your problem.
Larry

Grenadier1758 said:

The shredding of the patch edges is normal.

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I agree, but don't it look excessive to you, or is it just because it is a small patch?
Larry

I use a Lee Cast .390 rb with pillow ticking and liquid wrench lube. I was able to get some pure lead in a trade with a member of another forum.
Shoots great.
Good luck with your new rifle.

lube makes all the difference.

He hasn't stated the load or how it is shooting. I think the way the patches are frayed, he is shooting heavy loads but can't tell for sure.

One other thing could affect patches is the condition of the bore. I have one with a sewer pipe for a bore and it shreds patches but still shoots less than 2in at 50yd.