577 enfield shooting question

[DesG]

I give a quick scrub with a piece of 4x2 lightly dipped in E45 skin cream every 4 shots or so in my Charles Moore .44 pistol. I can feel a ring of crud about three inches up from the chamber which can make getting the next ball seated difficult without hammering. After the scrub the balls seats nicely with hand pressure. I try not to get it too wet so as not to dampen the powder.

[vbull]

Thanks for the replies. Still not happy with the bullets seating higher after a few shots. Anyone else experience this or do you reckon I'm doing something wrong ?

[tacfoley]

Thanks for the replies. Still not happy with the bullets seating higher after a few shots. Anyone else experience this or do you reckon I'm doing something wrong ?

Sir - do not - under ANY circumstances - try and shoot a short-loaded bullet in ANY firearm.

ANY air-space between powder and ball give you that chance of shooting a literal pipe-bomb.

The least you will get is a bulged/ringed barrel.

The most you can get is a burst barrel, right where you will be holding it.

See the useful and petrifying little movie on Youtube about this very subject.

Whatever it takes, you MUST seat that bullet on the charge - shoot it, and THEN sort out the cruddy tide-ring.

tac

[tacfoley]

I give a quick scrub with a piece of 4x2 lightly dipped in E45 skin cream every 4 shots or so in my Charles Moore .44 pistol. I can feel a ring of crud about three inches up from the chamber which can make getting the next ball seated difficult without hammering. After the scrub the balls seats nicely with hand pressure. I try not to get it too wet so as not to dampen the powder.

Don't you shoot with patches?

tac

[DesG]

Don't you shoot with patches?

tac

14 thou black tight woven cotton cut from my old work trousers (thankfully no longer required, retirement is grand) Lubed with extra virgin olive oil. Work a dream with a .440 ball.

I have marked my working ramrod with yellow tape to show full seating. As stated above, not fully seating the ball (patched or otherwise) could ruin your entire day!

[vbull]

Thanks for the advice Tac, I did end up using a wood mallet on the bullet as I already knew it was vital to sit the bullet on the powder.

[enfield2band]

As Tac said it is down to the lubricant. I vary mine according to the season. In summer, on a hot day, I increase the amount of beeswax to tallow. In winter I reduce the amount of beeswax so the lube is not too stiff to do its job.

I do not have a problem loading a minnie bullet after several shots, in fact I can shoot all day without any problems.
This is down to the lube, it should be leaving a thin coating on the bore so the residue left behind does not crust up.

When I first started using muzzleloaders I had to scrub the barrel out with a phosphor bronze brush after a few shots. This, I thought, is not right, so I experimented with different lubes, ( even Trex which worked), until I found a combination that kept the residue soft in the bore.
I expect the lube to vary from powder to powder due to the amount of residue left behind, (on average 30% of the charge, so I am told).

Interestingly, a friend of mine went to the Continent a few years ago to shoot a match. It was won by a German, and he (the German) did not have any problems loading Minnie bullets. He was inserting it into the barrel and letting the weight of the ramrod seat it.

I am not saying that the lube will work all the time in any gun, but it will make the day less troublesome if you do not have to keep swabbing out every few shots if you can formulate one that does work.

[dodgyrog]

Paul Matthews formula for a saponified lube prevents the problem of hard fouling - Blow down the barrel after each shot and the lube residue softens

[tacfoley]

Paul Matthews formula for a saponified lube prevents the problem of hard fouling - Blow down the barrel after each shot and the lube residue softens

Being THE definitive cheapskate, that is what I do, too.

I'm even doing it on my Youtube movie of me shooting my Musketoon.

tac

[harricook]

Paul Matthews formula for a saponified lube prevents the problem of hard fouling - Blow down the barrel after each shot and the lube residue softens

I use the BPL (Black Powder Lube) that Andy Allwwod makes - about £3 the last 'stick' I bought (for stick think toilet roll sized tube)

Probably last bought one about 2 years agao - it lasts for ages !!!

I chuck about 25 or so minies in a sammich bag with about 1/2 tsp of lube and roll them around (the bag probably still has enough init to do another 25 !!)

Yes they are a little 'sticky' when shooting and you will need a rag with you but hey Black Powder shootin' IS a messy sport !!


Not many times I need to wash my hads BEFORE going to the loo !!! #


Roy