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Post by Leifer on Oct 6, 2012 8:33:35 GMT -7
Historic Context:
So it's the 1820s, you're a single guy down on your luck, and you get hired on with one of the outfits headed out to the Rocky Mountains, leaving from St. Louis. You're required to provide your own rifle and ball until the outfit reaches it's western trading post. You're able to secure a surplussed 1790s contract rifle chambered in .54 cal. What size ball and mold do you purchase to take with you? How do you determine what kind of "patching" to use based upon what's available in St. Louis?
Contemporary Context:
What would you recommend as a good replica mold that is available today for your persona? What would you recommend for "patching"?
Leifer
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Post by Rod on Oct 6, 2012 18:45:51 GMT -7
Here's the place for moulds----Larry Callahan makes a nice period mould. www.bagmolds.com/I'd actually recommend you buy some roundball before getting a mould, just to see what works best for your rifle. I'd suspect that something in .530 or .526 would be your best bet. Depending on your bore size (and they do vary a little) will determine what's best. For instance, I use .490 in my .50 Henry (.010 undersize), but .570 is a little to tight for my taste in my .58 Deringer, so I use a .563 in that one. Plain fabric store pillow ticking (aka ticken or ticklenburg at the time) is the usual patching of choice. A smaller ball in a larger bore will take thicker patching, and vise versa. I like to be able to thumb start the ball, and ram it down easily----I don't use a shortstarter, and don't want to fight the ball down the barrel (which can lead to a broken rammer). Are you planning to bring that rifle out to the cabin at the end of the month? I want to see that thing shoot! Rod |
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Post by Leifer on Oct 7, 2012 20:45:48 GMT -7
That explains the variance of responses I've been reading on different forums... I'm currently using .530, but even with a thin lubed patch it still is pretty rough trying to seat the ball, so I should try some smaller ones.
Is that the turkey shoot coming up? I sure plan to do so. Just haven't gotten an email yet about it, figured it be coming soon though. I'm hoping to get a doe with the contract rifle this year.
Leifer
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Post by Leifer on Nov 5, 2012 21:49:58 GMT -7
Well, tried some .526 ball this weekend and things worked MUCH better than with the .530 ball. Looks like I know what kind of mold I'll be getting. Thanks for the suggestion.
Leifer
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Post by Leifer on Jan 15, 2013 21:41:44 GMT -7
Well, got a phone call from Larry Callahan this evening. I'm sending him an envelope in the mail tomorrow and he'll be sending me a .526 mold in a couple weeks.
Leifer
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luke
Mountaineer
Posts: 66
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Post by luke on Oct 30, 2013 17:08:55 GMT -7
One thing with the pillow ticking, it is not all the same thickness. At least in my neck of the woods, the 45 inch wide pillow ticking is about ten thousandths, but the 30 inch wide is a bit thicker. I actually use the red stripped as it is a bit more accurate in my main rifle. I only use spit for general shooting, and bear oil for hunting.
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