Guys, feel free to jump in and help.
Here's what I've learned playing around with my CVA .45 cal. Kentucky rifle. Now, this a 1:66 twist. No sabots, or other such tomfoolery the 1:45 guys use.
First off, with an old school front loader like that, the first thing you have to do is shoot the crap out of it. Second, while synthetic powder is ok, Crisco shortening is actually a really good patch lube. It kinda seasons the barrel,(and it smells good when you shoot it.
Now...on to the finer points. I found that you can get patch material from the fabric store. Now, the easy thing is those pre cut round patches. Here's what happens, though: if you don't perfectly center that patch, it can affect the trajectory of that bullet.
So, like the old timers did, I cut square patches of material rubbed with Crisco, then seat the ball 1/2 way. Then take a sharp knife and trim the cloth flush with the barrel.
After ramming it down, I take the ramrod and "throw" it down the barrel until it bounces out. This makes for a consistent packing of the load.
Ball size and patch size are important as well.
Now, we'll get into the super fine tuning. Just like rifle cartridge reloaders do, you gotta shoot groups with different powder loads to find the shot your gun prefers. Mine was about 70 IIRC.
If this sounds like a lot of work...well, it is. However, for you guys with REAL antique style ( or even antique) muzzleloaders, these steps will immensely improve your accuracy.
Here's what I've learned playing around with my CVA .45 cal. Kentucky rifle. Now, this a 1:66 twist. No sabots, or other such tomfoolery the 1:45 guys use.
First off, with an old school front loader like that, the first thing you have to do is shoot the crap out of it. Second, while synthetic powder is ok, Crisco shortening is actually a really good patch lube. It kinda seasons the barrel,(and it smells good when you shoot it.
Now...on to the finer points. I found that you can get patch material from the fabric store. Now, the easy thing is those pre cut round patches. Here's what happens, though: if you don't perfectly center that patch, it can affect the trajectory of that bullet.
So, like the old timers did, I cut square patches of material rubbed with Crisco, then seat the ball 1/2 way. Then take a sharp knife and trim the cloth flush with the barrel.
After ramming it down, I take the ramrod and "throw" it down the barrel until it bounces out. This makes for a consistent packing of the load.
Ball size and patch size are important as well.
Now, we'll get into the super fine tuning. Just like rifle cartridge reloaders do, you gotta shoot groups with different powder loads to find the shot your gun prefers. Mine was about 70 IIRC.
If this sounds like a lot of work...well, it is. However, for you guys with REAL antique style ( or even antique) muzzleloaders, these steps will immensely improve your accuracy.
Last edited by a moderator: