Finally got out to shoot it today as the local range wont allow bp guns. Shot bout 15 rounds and i have to say I'm impressed. Plunked down the money and bought a rb mold. My next ? is, is there a big difference in what you use for patching? and the thickness? Don't know if they can be as finicky as a smokeless gun as far as componets. thanks
David
David,
The answer to your question about patch thickness making a difference? Yes, it can make a big difference.
In my experience muzzle-loaders can be just as finicky as modern rifle barrels. Some will shoot just about any load combination well and others are very particular.
Working up a load for your muzzle-loader isn't much different than working up a good handload for your centerfire rifles. I approach it in this sequence;
Start with the recommended ball size and patch thickness. (Say a 490 ball with a 10 thick patch for a 50 caliber rifle.)
Choose a powder granulation. In 50 caliber both 2-fg and 3-fg can produce good groups. (I use 3-fg because I can also use it in my pistols)
Choose a brand of percussion caps and stick with that same brand while testing the other components.
The powder charge is the first variable I work with. I wipe the bore between shots and keep notes until I find the sweet spot on the powder measure.
Collect your fired patches and examine them for signs of burn through, cuts and tears, or slippage. If these signs are present you will want to try a thicker or thinner patch.
You may also need to try smaller or larger balls. Both 480 and 495 size are available in 50 caliber.
When you find the patch thickness / ball size combination that doesn't allow gas to escape around the sides or burn through (examine your fired patches) you can experiment with different lubes.
When you have found the best combination of powder charge, patch thickness/material, lube, and ball size you can try different brands / types of percussion caps. Some rifles will show a preference for caps, standard or magnum, and one brand may work better than another.
At some point you may want to weigh and sort the balls. Round balls that are lighter than the others will have voids or bubbles inside. Those won't balance and stabilize and they won't shoot into a tight group.
Another variable to consider is what you use to clean and lube your barrel. I have one rifle that will not group with Bore Butter in it's barrel. Some times it pays to check that.
When you have found the powder charge your rifle shoots best be sure to weigh that charge on your scales and record it.
If you ever loose your powder measure and have to replace it, that can save a lot of trouble if the two measures don't measure exactly the same.
After all that, I will go back and test my powder charge again working up and down from that best charge in case all the other changes I've made have effected that. You may also want to try a different granulation. As a general rule of thumb, 50 calibers and smaller are at their best with 3-f and larger calibers perform best with 2-f. But that isn't always true. Some rifle barrels want to go against the rules.
Just like tuning a load for a center-fire rifle, you may not need or want to go through all those steps. You can stop experimenting at any point the rifle is shooting groups that are acceptable to you.
Only one of my three 50 caliber percussion rifles required going through that entire process. The other two shot well as soon I found the best powder charge.
They both like 490 balls and 10 patches just fine and they don't care what lube I use. Pre-cut pre-lubed patches shoot just fine. I have used different lubes including Crisco, white grease, spit, Bore Butter, and lard with good results. Those rifles are not finicky at all.
My "finicky" rifle showed improvement / preferences for every variable I tried. If I change any element of the load it shows in the groups. Whether that's good or bad may be open for opinion. It is the most accurate rifle I have and the one I shoot in competition.
This rifle showed sweet spots for 40 grains and 80 grains of powder. It also shot better with 495 balls and thick patches.
The 40 grain loads shoot tighter groups with 20 thick denim patching and moose milk lube. While the best 80 grain load takes an 18 thick ticking patch and mink oil lube. If I change anything about those loads it shows in the groups.
With this "picky" rifle I have bought enough patching material to last a long time. I don't want to run out of it and not be able to find the exact same stuff. That might require going through the entire process again.
This was a long winded answer to a simple question. Yes, patch thickness can make a difference. You will just need to experiment to see if it makes a difference in your rifle. Let us know what you find.