shooting my Lancaster today

[Baxter]

Shooting today at only 25yds, trying to learn something with my .54 lancaster. .530rb, 3Fg and some cotton .80-.89cal. patches from TOW, using Dutch's formula. First 5 rounds loaded with mild effort but every patch was blown-through. I wet-swabbed with two patches between shots, using Dutch's formulated patches, followed with dry patch and after 5 shots I had to use serious effort to get the wet patch to the breech and pull it back on a .54 jag. Second 5 shots I added a little spit to the patches, loading was significantly easier but between-shot wet and dry swabs were not much easier and after 5 shots I was grunting again to wet/dry swab. Gave up on the cotton swabs, found some .54cal .018 ticking patches from TOW that I'd lubed months ago with olive oil, 3Fg. Was very difficult to start the ball but once started, pushing the ball down the bore was fairly easy and wet and dry swabbing were much easier. I was able to find only two of these patches but they looked good to me - no holes in them, just sooted at the periphery. The first target was shot with the .018 cotton patches and 75gr 3Fg, the second target was shot with the ticking patches and 80gr 3FG. Had I not had my nylon hammer for starting the ticking patched balls, I'd probably have given up till another day. I show the 1st and 3d (labeled 2d) targets because the actual 2d target (.018 cotton patch, 75gr 3Fg looks a match to the first target). Wind was gusty but at about 0 - 10 degrees. I have a yard each of ticking, .018 and .020 uncompressed that I am going to tear into strips for next time with a patch-knife but I am rethinking lube for them and, given the loading difficulty with the .018 ticking patches today I may take my 12oz. ball-peen. I know that I have a lot to learn and this rifle needs a lot more shooting to "wear in" but this old man was thoroughly fatigued after just the 15 shots today, welcomed a cold beer to start the clean up once home. No dry-ball today but I did have a fumble with the .54cal ticking patch when it slid off the muzzle and the bare ball dropped into the bore over the powder charge and could not be coaxed out without the powder coming along too. Thanks for bearing with me; I welcome any/all comments.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Hey Baxter thats a fair start. What kinda barrel you using? I use a .50 jag to clean with and it is much easier. Just fold over one corner of your cleaning patch when you start it down and it won't come off. In my Rice .54 barrel I use 90grs. 3F with drill cloth patch. Change one thing at a time until you get your best group then move out to 50 yds. After getting as tight a group as you can then you can file the front sight down to get it sighted in for where you want it. Let us know how it works out for you. Dan.

 

[Many Klatch]

In my .54 I shoot a .526 ball with .012 spit patching. Loading is easy, I don't need a short starter or a hammer. You might try some thinner patching and a smaller ball. You shouldn't have to work that hard to load.

Many Klatch

 

[scotsman]

Hey Baxter,I shoot a .54 swamped Colerain barrel and have found that a .530 RB with a .015 lubed patch, an over powder wad and FFF Goex works well.

 

[Baxter]

My thanks to WVbuckbuster, Many Klatch and you for the responses. My daughter collected a wasp paper nest for me a couple of weeks ago and I wished that I had some at the range with me two days ago when my .015 lubed cotton patches were getting blown into burnt tatters, just to try as OP wads. My Lancaster's barrel is a Colerain (swamped - not that I think that swamped has anything to do with how it shoots - just info). I wish now that I'd stuck with the 75gr 3Fg when I shot those .018 ticking olive oiled patches because in using an 80gr load with them I changed three things and I should have known better (never change even two things, let alone three - charge, patch and lube). Many Klatch addressed my difficulty in starting the .530 ball over the .018 olive-oil soaked ticking patch and suggested a smaller ball and thinner patch. I am right-handed and have a very weak left hand (due to failed left shoulder surgery x 2) that is "fumbly" - hence the reason for trying the .80-.89cal .018" cotton patches from TOW so that I could hold the larger patch on the muzzle and my intent is to now tear strips from my .018 and .020 ticking and use a patch-knife in future trials since the TOW cotton patches fit well but were unsuitable for actual shooting results. My rifle barrel's muzzle seems very tight but once those .530 balls and the .018 ticking patches with olive-oil lube were started, they were easily pushed down onto the powder - so perhaps some additional loading/shooting will "wear in" the muzzle for easier loading? I read recommendations to judge the rifle only after some hundred+ rounds and mine now has about 40 rounds through it. ? I have questions about patch lube but I'll save that for another post. TIA. baxter

 

[majg1234]

not a bad start at all,just my craziness but I always polish all my rifle bore if new before shooting,CF or ML.I use auto polishing compound on mops.Red then white followed by Flitz 10-15 passes each with cleaning between types of compound.....just a ritual I've done for many years and works for me.BTW I use a smaller ball or thinner patch with all my ML's. I can thumb start all of them and with a felt OP wad have no blown patches and groups @75ds are always about 2 inches often very much less.Of course I'm a hunter not a target shooter.Good luck with her and make smoke

 

[Baxter]

I appreciate your comments; buying some felt wads from TOW would be an easy thing to do - might allow me to use the .80cal, .018 cotton patches that loaded easily for me. Dry, lubed or pre-lubed recommendation(s) to try? TIA. baxter

 

[DanChamberlain]

Baxter

I'm a real fan of Doc Fadala's advice that a patched ball combo does NOT need to be so tight fitting that it is difficult to load. For years and years, I've used a ball/patch combo that I can start with my fingers and seat with minimal effort on a clean bore. For hunting accuracy, it works supremely well. A soft lead ball will "seat up" to force the patch to engage the rifling.

I'm not a "target" shooter. This has worked well for me from everything from a .36 squirrel getter to a .54 deer getter. 50 yard groups on the .54 are normally three shot cloverleafs so I'm not losing anything over the guys who have to bust a nut seating their balls so to speak.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

Does the patch material tear easily in any direction? Much of the blue stripe ticking in America, perhaps all of it, comes from China and is useless since its much weaker than the old American made stuff and may fail when the ball is started. Also the crown can cut patches at loading and create problems.

The diameter of the patch is irrelevant so long as its not too small or so big it makes loading a PITA.
Some barrels will blow patches with dry, high friction lubes and may require a patch over the powder as a gasket.

Loose loads seldom shoot all that well, most of the accurate loads I know of use a ball withing .005 of the bore size and a patch .015 to .020 thick. I can load a 54 with a 535 ball and a .018 patch with no starter with a "slick" lube. High friction lubes may need a starter and a clean bore.
Usually for target work higher friction loads will give the best accuracy. For hunting they are not all that practical for a couple of reasons and I tend to use a natural oil like Neatsfoot or tallow.
People who like the loose loads need to shoot 10 shot strings to get a better idea of how the rifle really shoots or shoot a number of 3 shot strings and look for extreme spread. Paying attention to the wind. A surprisingly light breeze will move a ball an inch at 50 yards. I would also point out that its just as easy to throw a shot into the group of a bad load as it is to throw one out with a good load.
Three shot groups are for checking zero.
5 are better, 10 better still.
Dan

 

[Baxter]

Thanks Dan. The size of the patch IS relevant to me, as explained in my OP - "physical handicap" sort of thing for me. I can live with a patched ball that is a PITA to load for now, anticipating that my new rifle's muzzle will "break in" in another hundred rounds or so - the targets are going nowhere so I have time on my side. Olive oil lubricated .018 precut .54 ticking patches did well for me - held up well so I will continue in that direction for now but I appreciate what you say. baxter

 

[hanshi]

I think you may be correct concerning the China/ticking weakness. However as far as I can tell virtually no textiles are made in the USA any longer; at least I've not encountered any. The ticking I use is .024" and the last I bought was brown striped but still .024". It seems to work quite well; but then I normally also use an op wad of some sort, wasp nest, felt wads, etc. Since I used t-shirts and whatever I could find for decades, the thicker ticking appears to be a good bet.