exchange with a customer about ML bullets
Jan 26, 2023 9:57:36 GMT -7
todddoyka, missionary, and 1 more like this
Post by Bullshop on Jan 26, 2023 9:57:36 GMT -7
question
I mailed in the below order along with a check yesterday. Mean while Tavis Osler (my huntin partner) had received some of the same bullets in the same size. (.503) He dropped a couple off for me last night and I tried them in my rifle. They were very very tight. I did get them down but it was all I could do. I am worried that they are a little large and may make a follow up shot in a dirty barrel very difficult. Though I have hunted with a muzzleloader for a long time I have very little knowledge and have never tried to refine a load for a good rifle. My concerns related to sizing are, loading a dirty barrel for multiple follow up shots if necessary, engaging the rifling for accuracy and making sure the bullet stays seated.
I know you are very very knowledgeable and I am hoping you will guide me. Seems to me that a slightly smaller sizing would work but I do not know if there are bad effects. What do you think. At this point we can change my order as it is on the way. That said if I have to make multiple orders I can but I would love to get it the first time
What do ya think?
answer
Finding the right fit for a ML bullet always includes some compromise. You have to settle for something in-between easy loading in a fouled bore and the bullet having enough bore contact to stay in place in a clean bore. The only other solution is to foul the bore before loading and always load into a fouled bore. If you hade trouble loading a .503” diameter into your clean bore I would say that .503” is too large for your rifle. The question is then what diameter would be good. That is where you will have to make the compromise decision. I will take a guess nothing more and say that in a fouled bore a .501” diameter may be as large as your rifle will accept for ease of loading.
Q
Is there a worry about engaging the rifling for accuracy. I am an elk hunter and I am not able to put a hole in hole even if the rifle could but I want to be reasonably accurate as elk are hard enough to kill.
answer
The whole principle of muzzleloading conical bullets is based on the obturation of the bullet to fit the barrel groove diameter. That is why we only use pure lead at BHN-5 for casting ML bullets. Whith the physics involved the heaviest bullets your rifling twist will stabilize will offer the greatest resistance to being moved by the powder gas so will have the greatest chance of obturating to the full groove diameter of your barrel. Under normal conditions even a soft pure lead bullet of a couple thousandths of an inch under bore diameter will still obturate sufficiently to engage the rifling and shoot accurately. The issue with bullets too small in diameter is that they can move off the powder and be randomly positioned anywhere in the barrel and can act as a barrel obstruction and damage or ruin the gun and put the shooter in danger.
I mailed in the below order along with a check yesterday. Mean while Tavis Osler (my huntin partner) had received some of the same bullets in the same size. (.503) He dropped a couple off for me last night and I tried them in my rifle. They were very very tight. I did get them down but it was all I could do. I am worried that they are a little large and may make a follow up shot in a dirty barrel very difficult. Though I have hunted with a muzzleloader for a long time I have very little knowledge and have never tried to refine a load for a good rifle. My concerns related to sizing are, loading a dirty barrel for multiple follow up shots if necessary, engaging the rifling for accuracy and making sure the bullet stays seated.
I know you are very very knowledgeable and I am hoping you will guide me. Seems to me that a slightly smaller sizing would work but I do not know if there are bad effects. What do you think. At this point we can change my order as it is on the way. That said if I have to make multiple orders I can but I would love to get it the first time
What do ya think?
answer
Finding the right fit for a ML bullet always includes some compromise. You have to settle for something in-between easy loading in a fouled bore and the bullet having enough bore contact to stay in place in a clean bore. The only other solution is to foul the bore before loading and always load into a fouled bore. If you hade trouble loading a .503” diameter into your clean bore I would say that .503” is too large for your rifle. The question is then what diameter would be good. That is where you will have to make the compromise decision. I will take a guess nothing more and say that in a fouled bore a .501” diameter may be as large as your rifle will accept for ease of loading.
Q
Is there a worry about engaging the rifling for accuracy. I am an elk hunter and I am not able to put a hole in hole even if the rifle could but I want to be reasonably accurate as elk are hard enough to kill.
answer
The whole principle of muzzleloading conical bullets is based on the obturation of the bullet to fit the barrel groove diameter. That is why we only use pure lead at BHN-5 for casting ML bullets. Whith the physics involved the heaviest bullets your rifling twist will stabilize will offer the greatest resistance to being moved by the powder gas so will have the greatest chance of obturating to the full groove diameter of your barrel. Under normal conditions even a soft pure lead bullet of a couple thousandths of an inch under bore diameter will still obturate sufficiently to engage the rifling and shoot accurately. The issue with bullets too small in diameter is that they can move off the powder and be randomly positioned anywhere in the barrel and can act as a barrel obstruction and damage or ruin the gun and put the shooter in danger.