undersized ball experiment

[LME]

Has anyone tried a smaller cal. ball in a rifle by using a very thick patch? Like a .45 in a .54? I would think you could stack patches until you got a good seal? I have not tried this but I can't get it off my mind?

 

[FishDFly]

Folks have talked about it before.

 

[LME]

Folks have talked about it before.

I should have looked it up? There just isn't much that hasn't been discussed on this forum?

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

I'll try that idea when it warms up on video. Great suggestion.

 

[FishDFly]

I should have looked it up? There just isn't much that hasn't been discussed on this forum?

I can't remember what I read, just remember folks asking about doing it.

 

[Brokennock]

Has anyone tried a smaller cal. ball in a rifle by using a very thick patch? Like a .45 in a .54? I would think you could stack patches until you got a good seal? I have not tried this but I can't get it off my mind?

There is a very recent thread about a guy using .32 or a .36 (can't remember which) in a much bigger bore. Had good success with a combo of wad below patched ball and double patch on the ball or some such. He took a lot of b.s. from some people here (big surprise I know ) as to why and how he couldn't possibly be actually having good results so the topic died.
If I can find it again I'll post a link.

 

[Brokennock]

Has anyone tried a smaller cal. ball in a rifle by using a very thick patch? Like a .45 in a .54? I would think you could stack patches until you got a good seal? I have not tried this but I can't get it off my mind?

Found it,
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/32-out-of-a-40.156123/

 

[rafterob]

I shot .440 balls one day out of my .50 cal because I ran out of .495 balls. Offhand accuracy was pretty much the same for me. I double patched and they were an easy load to start down the barrel.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I've told the story before. I once went to a large match with my .45 cal. Douglas barreled "Half Breed" target rifle. Normally, I use .445" balls in it but have also used quite a few .457" to try to squeeze more accuracy from the rifle. However, this day, I found I had forgotten to pack any round balls for the event. The only balls I could find from the vendors was a box of Hornaday swaged .440". Not wanting to sit out the competition I bought them. They shot so well I won the 100 yard bench rest match. This was against heavy genuine bench rifles. I only used my normal ticking patching. Not too shabby. (BTW, the rifle only weighs 11 lb.)

 

[centershot]

I've thought about doing this with my .54 Renegade, just because it's ornery about what it will shoot accurately. It likes a .530" ball with 0.017" ticking patch but that load is so $^%^&^@#$%$&%^%$^ ornery to load that I have been searching for something that I can push down the bore a little easier. I think I'd like to try a 1/8" hard card over the powder with a .490" ball with two 0.015" patches. That would give 0.010" compression on the ball, hopefully enough to securely grip the rifling with the card taking the force f the burning powder. We'll see when the weather improves......

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Years ago I tried a .380 ball in my .40 (normally shoot a .395) with a much thicker patch and a reduced powder charge for smaller game. The accuracy was lousy. I gave up on that.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Grenadier1758]

Because I wanted an easy to load for an out of the pouch match at my gun club, I chose a 0.526 ball and 0.010" cotton patch for my 1803 Harper's Ferry Rifle. Normally I shoot a 0.535" and 0.018" cotton drill patching. Bench rest accuracy was almost the same. The 0.010" patches were shredded, and the impact moved up slightly. Certainly not the results I expected. I expected the groups to open up. I guess that rifle just was so happy to out on the range that it didn't really care what the load configuration was. I did not test for long range (100 yards) shooting, but this competition was at shorter ranges.

 

[1950DAVE]

Has anyone tried a smaller cal. ball in a rifle by using a very thick patch? Like a .45 in a .54? I would think you could stack patches until you got a good seal? I have not tried this but I can't get it off my mind?

Is that the kind of thinking that brought about these?

 

[stephenprops1]

I'll try that idea when it warms up on video. Great suggestion.

I guess accuracy would suffer. In a pinch it would probably suffice at close range.

 

[Rudyard]

Well I found loading 445 ball it prouved to hard even on a range & useless for a hunting load so I now use much smaller balls and don't believe the accuracy has been any worse for all practicle purposes . Much as all the ball loadings whatever caliber . & Ive been a round ball shooter since the early 60s.
Regards Rudyard

 

[Pierre009]

There is a very recent thread about a guy using .32 or a .36 (can't remember which) in a much bigger bore. Had good success with a combo of wad below patched ball and double patch on the ball or some such. He took a lot of b.s. from some people here (big surprise I know ) as to why and how he couldn't possibly be actually having good results so the topic died.
If I can find it again I'll post a link.

Makes sense...should work???

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I've tried things like that before with mixed results and haven't really done any serious testing. What you are essentially doing is putting your projectile inside a sabot made out of cloth. You should therefore get higher velocity with the same charge weight because of the lighter projectile. Accuracy may or may not improve. The only drawback I could see is using more patches than you would use with the standard ball sizes.

Something I haven't tried yet... at least I don't think I have... is a sub-caliber pistol bullet wearing a patch. I have tried paper-patching .358 LSWC bullets in my T/C Seneca in .36 caliber. This worked with the few bullets I made up, but I haven't really done extensive testing there either. Warm weather is coming!

 

[Brokennock]

I guess accuracy would suffer. In a pinch it would probably suffice at close range.

I've told the story before. I once went to a large match with my .45 cal. Douglas barreled "Half Breed" target rifle. Normally, I use .445" balls in it but have also used quite a few .457" to try to squeeze more accuracy from the rifle. However, this day, I found I had forgotten to pack any round balls for the event. The only balls I could find from the vendors was a box of Hornaday swaged .440". Not wanting to sit out the competition I bought them. They shot so well I won the 100 yard bench rest match. This was against heavy genuine bench rifles. I only used my normal ticking patching. Not too shabby. (BTW, the rifle only weighs 11 lb.)

 

[Pierre009]

I've tried things like that before with mixed results and haven't really done any serious testing. What you are essentially doing is putting your projectile inside a sabot made out of cloth. You should therefore get higher velocity with the same charge weight because of the lighter projectile. Accuracy may or may not improve. The only drawback I could see is using more patches than you would use with the standard ball sizes.

Something I haven't tried yet... at least I don't think I have... is a sub-caliber pistol bullet wearing a patch. I have tried paper-patching .358 LSWC bullets in my T/C Seneca in .36 caliber. This worked with the few bullets I made up, but I haven't really done extensive testing there either. Warm weather is coming!

Like the old accelerator round that was discontinued or made illegal??? Worked great in a 308...

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Like the old accelerator round that was discontinued or made illegal??? Worked great in a 308...

Pretty much...