Patch Thickness needed with .50 cal (.490 Round Ball) Projectile?
11echo
Member Posts: 1,007 ✭✭
I inherited my Dad's .50 cal CVA frontier rifle, he never got a chance to fire it before his passing. It's been sitting in my safe since 2000. I'm at a point where I need to "thin" things out and keep what I really want. AND this rifle is looking really good to me, although I never fired a black powder weapon. I just purchased a bullet mold, round ball 176 gr., and I want to look at want else I'll need, and the oil patches have come up and I'm looking at what thickness I'll need? Shooting a 0.490 ball I had assumed it would be 0.005 thick patches (0.490 ball + 0.005 patch folded in two = 0.50), but looking on You Tube I saw a guy shoot .50 ball that was the same size projectile as mine (0.490 dia. ball) and he said he used 0.015 thick patches! So obviously there's more to this then what I'm guessing? Can anybody set me straight??
Comments
Your mathematical calculation is only an approximation of the thickness you need. Unfortunately, it is a matter of trial-and-error to get to the accuracy and ease-of-loading level that you are satisfied with. There is lots of info out there. Good luck.
I would recommend any Blackpowder Book written by Sam Fadala.
Also, don't forget that the patch has to fill the rifling grooves which are probably .005 deep or more.
I inherited a .50 cal. T/C Hawken many years ago & haven't fired it in some time. I dug out the accoutrement bag & mic'd several patches (original T/C). All were in the .018-.019 range. A friend of mine has done quite a bit of experimenting with propellants and settled on Hodgdon Blackhorn 209 as it is non-corrosive, shoots consistently and fouling is minimal. If you choose traditional black powder you will have to deal with timely cleanup or corrosion will be an issue. As navc130 recommended, check the info that is out there before jumping in.