What size should my roundballs be?

[mto7464]

Just cast up some .490 rb's. I have never fired a muzzle loader so the dumb question. The balls will just roll into the bore, without a patch of course. I assume this is okay and the patch material will take up the slack.

 

[cynthialee]

yes the ball is smaller than the bore on purpose, the patch takes up the slack

 

[Cowboy2]

Nothing dumb about asking questions. Dumb is being too embarrassed to ask and then messing something up (or worse, yourself).

 

[buffalo]

Depending on the depth of your rifling you will want to try a .015 patch all the way to .020 patch.

What is the rate of twist in your barrel? Slow twist barrels have a deeper groove and require a thicker patch or .018 to .020

1:48 or faster is usually a shallow groove and require a .015 patch.

You may even want to try a .495 sized ball to help take up some of the slack.

 

[cynthialee]

So what are you shooting?

I hope that you have read up on the topic at least. Do you have any one local to you that can show you the basics?

For safety sake could you run us through your planed activities? Loading procedures and products used...
I am guessing you are not new to guns altogether?

 

[Len Graves]

You can "read" your patches to see if they are doing what you want them to do. Shoot where you can easily ( and safely) retrieve your shot patches. if your patch is just about burned up you probably need something tighter. if your patch has cuts on it by the rifling it may be too tight, or possibly you need to round out the crown of the barrel where the rifling is cutting the patch. In the last instance you will notice the ball loads very hard. In the end you should have a slightly scorched patch slightly frayed on rhe edge with no holes cut in it. Consistency in loading is also a factor. of course discovering what is the correct patch and ball combination can be a difficult job. With the variables mentioned and add to that powder load you will have to experiment for accuracy Etc. I hope you enjoy the process as it requires shooting your smoke pole . Good luck

 

[bpd303]

If you are casting for your .50 cal GPR the 490 balls should work fine. Try different patches to see which will allow you to start the ball without too much effort then work on different powder charges & patch lube to see what the rifle shoots most accurately with.

 

[mto7464]

Yes its a GPR. I have been shooting and reloading smokless for 30 plus years. I have done a lot of reading here on the board and learned a lot, just never have fired one on my own. I got a buddy that wants me to come out to his place. He has his own range and even an inside bench (ac and heat) thats part of his house/reloading room. Thanks for all the advive. Just need a few more things from TOTW to get here monday.

 

[54ball]

Off topic but the GPR has a crescent but. It should be held like a rifle not a musket. The on the shoulder hold that the Army teaches is a Musket hold.
Rifles with crescents should be held off hand on the ball of the shoulder or upper arm. The crescent butt wraps around the round area. If you try to hold it like a musket or modern centerfire rifle those two points will dig into your shoulder which can be uncomfortable to say the least.
Does he have a fan? It's gonna get smokey.
Shooting off hand the right way is quite comfortable with a crescent butt.
Good Luck

 

[Barry Duggan]

Just a fun fact to know, if your balls are slightly oversize, rolling one down your barrel can sometimes lead to it getting stuck.
:cursing:

 

[George T.]

The GPR will shoot either the .490 or .495 balls in 50. The .490 will need either .o15 or .018 the .495 will need either .010 or .015. The tighter the combo the better it will shoot.

Good Luck! Geo. T.

 

[Richard Brinkman]

PM sent.

 

[Rifleman1776]

My classic reply to that question is: the size you need is the size that works best.
What I do and suggest is get a couple of boxes of commercial made round balls in, at least, two sizes. In your case .490 and .495. Try both with different patches and loads. The one that works best for you is the one to use. Now, often the larger ball will be the most accurate but harder to load. That is fine on the range. You can set back the smaller size for hunting where ease of loading in the field can be very important. The loss of accuracy will be very minimal. As we say here it will still be 'minute of deer' accurate.

 

[Ole Frog]

Tip Curtis said a curious thing when I picked up my Lancaster
I asked him "what size ball should I start with the .490?"
His reply was "No that's a green Mountain barrel, use the .495. Had it been the Colerain then you'd start with the .490"
He also set out a .015 patch to go with the balls I bought from him.
I found it interesting that the different companies would be different size bores for the same .50 cal.
BTW He was right the .495 was just a little stiff to start but went down the barrel very well once started. It also shot very well

 

[ZUG]

Tip Curtis said a curious thing when I picked up my Lancaster
I asked him "what size ball should I start with the .490?"
His reply was "No that's a green Mountain barrel, use the .495. Had it been the Colerain then you'd start with the .490"
He also set out a .015 patch to go with the balls I bought from him.
I found it interesting that the different companies would be different size bores for the same .50 cal.
BTW He was right the .495 was just a little stiff to start but went down the barrel very well once started. It also shot very well

I got a Green Mountain barrel in .45 and with a .440 ball and .015 patch it shoots 4" groups at 50 yds but with a .445 ball and the same patch it shoots under 1.5" groups (same powder charges).

 

[RedFeather]

Came across some .53 (.520) Hornady balls. Would they be worth the effort in a T/C .54? Guess these are for the Sainte Fe hawken of some years back?

 

[buffalo]

Came across some .53 (.520) Hornady balls. Would they be worth the effort in a T/C .54? Guess these are for the Sainte Fe hawken of some years back?

I don't think you could find a .025 thick patch to create a tight enough fit in the barrel but I could be wrong.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Came across some .53 (.520) Hornady balls. Would they be worth the effort in a T/C .54? Guess these are for the Sainte Fe hawken of some years back?

Throw in the casting pot.

 

[Barry Duggan]

I have an Investarm .45cal. that is the same way. Won't shoot a .440" dia. ball no matter what patch/lube/powder combo I try. But, with a .445", you wouldn't think it was the same gun.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Yep, it's just like that sometimes. The gun will always tell you what it likes! :wink: