What size ball for .45 Cal.??

[1950DAVE]

What size ball and what size patch do you most of you use for your .45 cal rifles? Would you suggest a starting powder load for to try a rifle I have never used?

 

[Skychief]

My rifles like a .445 ball and a 18 thousandths patch with 65 grains of 3f. I would suggest starting with 50 grains and go from there. :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

As one set of reference info, this is what I happen to use:

.010" under bore size balls... .440" for a .45cal...with a somewhat thick patch of .018".
The thicker patch holds more lube, resists the fire better, accommodates minor variances in ball diameters, etc.

And one rule of thumb as a starting place for a practice powder charge is to basically use "the caliber" as the charge...in the case of a .45, using 45 to 50 grains is a pretty good practice load for 25-50yds at the range.

 

[bjmac]

At 50 yards, I use a .440 round ball, spit lubed .010 patch and 55 grains Goex. Able to shoot 1" groups pretty consistently. This is with a .45 CVA that I just finished.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

+ 1 - I shoot the Pedersoli Frontier...

 

[Fred_Dwyer]

What size ball and what size patch do you most of you use for your .45 cal rifles?

I have 2 45s, one shoots a .440 the other likes .445. So it just depends on the bore and groove depth.

 

[ohio ramrod]

While each rifle barrel is different. It has been my personal experience that most barrels prefer a ball that is .010 or .005 under the land to land diameter. With a patch that is at least the thickness of the rifling grove depth. So with out knowing your barrel specs I would suggest you start with a .440 ball ( the most readily available for 45 caliber ) .015 patch (most likely to be found at the stores that sell precut/lubed patches )And start at 40 grain FFF black powder. As you try different load combinations remember to change only one variable at a time un till you get your best groups. :hmm:

 

[Rifleman1776]

As said, it depends on the barrel. I have, and have had, several .45 ml rifles. I have used balls ranging from .430 to .457. The .457 goes into a Douglas premium barrel for competition use only.

 

[rawhide]

In my cva kentucky I shoot a cast .440 ball and a .012 cotton patch lubed with olive oil or 3 rivers. with 60 grains of FFFg goex or 777. shoots better then I can.

 

[Tony Logan]

I am shooting .445 ball with .015 oxyoke patch, over 60 g FFF goex in my Green Mtn. It loads pretty easy and shoots better than me. Much better than me lately. I had to get out he 22 single shot out the other day just to see that I could still shoot a gun and hit anything after an hour long frustrating waste of blackpowder and lead session. I was trying to hit paint balls off of golf tees at 15-20 yds. They make a pretty good target for those that can see and actually hit what they see. Aim small miss small, that's what they say.

 

[Tyrone]

.445 ball, .016 pillow ticking patch, 65 grains FFFg at 50 yards

 

[ord sgt]

I use a .440 ball and .015 thick Wonderlube patch and 50 grains FFFg. Same load in my T/C hawken and CVA Penna. rifles.

 

[longcruise]

My TC .45 shoots .440 and .445 equally well. At a recent match I ran out of both and shot .433 balls with a thicker patch and POI stayed pretty much the same. I'm inclined toward lighter charges with 45 grains of scheutzen 3f being my most used.

What I'm hoping you will take away from the above is that it may not be as critical as we think, especially when charges are moderate. Many guys shoot much heavier charges in their .45s, but they are often also hunting large game with them and want a bit more oomph. Both .440 and .445 balls are a good start point along with a variety of patch materials.

Some shooters kinda wonder about my next piece of advice, but here it is. Since patch integrity is so important to accurate shooting, I recommend that you go to the range with two balls sizes and four or five patch thicknesses and shoot all the combos three or four times at the highest charge recommended by your rifle/barrel manufacturer. Read the patches from all the combos, being careful not to mix them up. Look for the best patch survivors and go with that patch ball combo. I'm not saying you should settle on max charges for your shooting. This is only to test the integrity of your patch ball combo. Don't pay any attention to accuracy during patch testing. You can work on an accurate charge later.

 

[1950DAVE]

Thanks folks, there should be enough fodder to feed on. for now.
Dave

 

[sealgaire]

As said above, every rifle is a bit diffferent. I have a .45 flinter and two .45 caplocks. They all take unique loads. What you don't want to do is put too thick a patch, get it a bit down the barrel and then think you need to use a hammer on the ramrod. Pick your ball size, .440 or a bit larger, and then strart with a very thin patch, like a .005". If that is too loose, it should go down hard, but not real hard, then go to the next thicker patch. Once you find the patch thickness that works then start experimenting with lubes. Comercial lube, spit, bear grease, etc. When you find what works stick with it. Enjoy.

Sealgaire

 

[410-er]

I have some 45's.They each like different ball sizes of .440,445,and one likes a .451.

 

[Ken Cormier]

different gun differt stuff .
GM barrel 440 15 thou 55 gr goex
douglas barrel 435 15 thou 60 gr

 

[hanshi]

I shoot two different .45s; one came with the recommendation that it shot a .433 ball, the other shoots a .440 or a .445. To keep from buying yet another mold I just use the .440 for both. I also have a .445 mold but haven't done any serious accuracy comparisons.

 

[rwiliff]

.433 with a heavy patch.

Warmest Regards,
Robert

 

[Dave K]

You didn't say, unless I missed it, what brand of barrel do you have and what does it measure? If it is a made in the 70's Hopkin Allen 45cal. belly slapper, or a Numeric Arms barrel, it will want a .433 ball.