Suggestions on round ball size

[ADK Ephraim]

Gents! Need suggestions for roundball size and patch combo for an antique 40" 40 cal flinter that mics out at .401 bore, grove-to-grove at .422. Should I go with a .389 or .395 RB, and what thickness patch? Thanks!!

 

[paulvallandigham]

Try the .395 and .015" thick patching. It may be snug, but with those deep grooves, You need that patching.

 

[pegesus59]

Suggestions are just that, suggestions, and should be taken with a grain of salt. Each gun is different, and each has it's own optimum load. Working up that load/patch/ball combination is half the fun of shooting. I do not like a combination that you have to drive in with a hammer, but thats just me. I would start with a .390 RB with .018 washed pillow ticking.
Try different ball sizes, patch thicknesses, and lubes till you find what is right for you gun. Just have fun and enjoy the rifle. :hmm:

 

[ADK Ephraim]

Thanks gents!! Both responses are most helpful. My initial thinking was to go with .15 ticking and to try the two RB sizes for ease of loading. Your comments about experimenting to work up the size combination is, indeed, half the fun of shooting a new gun!! Mike

 

[nchawkeye]

The good thing about a .40 is that a 3/8 ramrod fills the bore...I can shoot either .390s or .395s in mine with decent accuracy...I think its because smaller balls have less surface area, so once you get them started it takes less ramrod pressure to seat them than say on my .54...I use .015 patches for both and 40-60 grains fff, with no problem of patch burnout...40s evidently are pretty forgiving...