can a .50cal muzzleloader fire a .44cal ball?

[TrapperPete]

yes .480 is one of the very few molds in stock at TOW or any where given the current mess.

I was referring more to the local gun store that stocks .490 and .440 a few tins of caps

I have taken my dial caliper to local fabric stores or gone and raided the wifes scraps for a patch material.

I keep a few bags of different thicknesses in my box when kids bring a 50 to the line I can usually find something that we can make work with .490 that I have lots of cast up.

the 6 cavity TOW LEE round ball mold is the way to go for casting balls

 

[Twisted_1in66]

I'm a new player for muzzleloader... I have some less-strength for my arm so very haaaaaaaard to push .50cal ball into .50cal muzzleloader barrel
Each time shooting my muzzleloader in range, when I go home I feel my arm sooooo sore...
So I have a question, can I shoot .44cal ball in my .50cal muzzleloader? Or even smaller, .36cal...? When shoot smaller ball, would it be dangerous to effect serious injury or XXX?

The short answer is "not accurately, no".

If you are trying to push a .50 lead ball down the barrel instead of a patched .490 lead ball, which is commonly used for .50 cal rifle, it's no wonder you can't seat it correctly. If you don't have .490 lead balls, get some and use those. The reason for the patched ball is that the patch will enter the rifling grooves and spin the ball nicely as it is shot out without worrying about about "leading the grooves" by shooting an un-patched .50 lead ball. Compressing a cotton patch is much easier than forcing grooves into a lead ball

Cut up some blue striped pillow ticking to use as the patch for the ball and don't forget to either spit-patch it before loading (put it in you mouth and get it wet), or use some patch lubricant on it. I've used Stumpy's Moose Snot for the last 17 years and that works extremely well.

Put the patch on top of the muzzle, .490 lead ball on top of that, short starter to get it going, then ramrod to seat it. Grab the ramrod about a foot above the muzzle and push it down about a foot at a time sliding your hand up as needed. If you try to reach 2 or 3-feet above the muzzle, you may very well break a wooden ramrod and cut your hand open when you do it.

Seat the patched ball all the way to the bottom of the barrel until you feel the powder and then just push a little more to get it secure. Do not keep hammering on it once it's on the powder. Then fire and repeat. If it gets harder to load, run a wet patch down the barrel to clean out some of the residue and then load it again.

Hope that helps and welcome to the campfire!

 

[Grenadier1758]

...

I have taken my dial caliper to local fabric stores or gone and raided the wifes scraps for a patch material.

...

Make sure the scraps from your wife's scrap collection are 100% cotton. Polyester will melt on firing. That is a mess and I don't want to see the thread on how to clean plastic from the bore.

 

[Kansas Jake]

To check if a scrap is cotton or polyester burn a small piece. if it turns to ash it is natural. If it burns to a little hard ball it is manmade fabric.