GreyD
32 Cal
I recently acquired a 20 gauge flintlock (my first smoothbore) and have questions. First, when I clean with patch and jag (20g), the first 2-3 inches seem really tight. Sometimes difficult to even get started through the bore. Once I'm past that initial point it is smooth sailing. Is this normal? Is this due to the initial compression of the patch or something? It is a colerain barrel and as far as i know not choked and supposedly never fired so I wouldn't think someone short started it and fired, bulging out the rear portion of the barrel.
Second, I have been using a 0.595 ball with 0.015 patching (I tried 0.600 ball and it was just too tight with that patching). And with that combination if I don't swab it after every other shot I can barely load it. Even loading the second shot without swabbing is really tough so I typically swab after every shot. When I first shot it without cleaning after my first few shots, I had to pull the ball because I couldn't get the ball past the midpoint of the barrel. So how many loads between swabs is common on a smoothbore? Should I be using an even smaller ball or thinner patching to make it easier to load? I would like to be able to load more than one or two times without swabbing or at least make the loading the second round more reasonable. I'm concerned that if the ball is looser, however, I am going to lose accuracy. I've been reading about using wads, etc., and how even a bare ball in a smoothbore with wads can expand making it tight in the barrel and fairly accurate. I haven't tried wads yet but might try it at some point. At this point I'm not sure what to do other than swab after every other shot at a minimum or go to looser ball/patch combo and lose accuracy.
Second, I have been using a 0.595 ball with 0.015 patching (I tried 0.600 ball and it was just too tight with that patching). And with that combination if I don't swab it after every other shot I can barely load it. Even loading the second shot without swabbing is really tough so I typically swab after every shot. When I first shot it without cleaning after my first few shots, I had to pull the ball because I couldn't get the ball past the midpoint of the barrel. So how many loads between swabs is common on a smoothbore? Should I be using an even smaller ball or thinner patching to make it easier to load? I would like to be able to load more than one or two times without swabbing or at least make the loading the second round more reasonable. I'm concerned that if the ball is looser, however, I am going to lose accuracy. I've been reading about using wads, etc., and how even a bare ball in a smoothbore with wads can expand making it tight in the barrel and fairly accurate. I haven't tried wads yet but might try it at some point. At this point I'm not sure what to do other than swab after every other shot at a minimum or go to looser ball/patch combo and lose accuracy.