# roundball question



## Ga Waters (Dec 21, 2014)

What is the diameter of store bought 50 cal round ball patches? I'm making a punch for cutting them. Thanks.


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## Whiteeagle (Dec 21, 2014)

I made mine out of a piece of steel tubing 1 1/8" in diameter. I cut my patches from pillow ticking fro Wal-Mart (the thinner size)and lube them wit a home made lube. Have not had any problems. I did use a 1" punch, but took longer to center ball on muzzle. Prior to that, and for 25+ years, I just cut them on the muzzle with a Patch Knife like the "Old Timers" did! Never hav bought any already cut, so don't know the commercial size! Hope this helps.


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## Ga Waters (Dec 21, 2014)

Thank you Whiteeagle. Exactly what I needed.


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## frankwright (Dec 22, 2014)

My commercially bought .50  cal patches are 1 5/16" and there is a little variance from brand to brand.


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## Wrangler Hunter (Jan 28, 2015)

Whiteeagle said:


> I made mine out of a piece of steel tubing 1 1/8" in diameter. I cut my patches from pillow ticking fro Wal-Mart (the thinner size)and lube them wit a home made lube. Have not had any problems. I did use a 1" punch, but took longer to center ball on muzzle. Prior to that, and for 25+ years, I just cut them on the muzzle with a Patch Knife like the "Old Timers" did! Never hav bought any already cut, so don't know the commercial size! Hope this helps.



What do you use for homemade lube?  and do you cut the ticking in strips first or just cut out a round section when you have it over the muzzle?


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## Whiteeagle (Jan 28, 2015)

Wrangler Hunter, I just used pieces about 8" roughly cut off a yard piece and it would suffice a couple of hunting trips, and kept the scrap for swabbing between shots when target shooting. As for lube, I make mine using 1 part Bees Wax, 1 part Crisco, and 4 oz. cooking oil. Used real LARD instead of Crisco, 'til they stopped selling it at the local store. Worked better with the lard, not as stiff as the Crisco. I have always been on the "primitive" side of muzzle loading and hunting.


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## SASS249 (Jan 28, 2015)

I generally use peanut oil and beeswax.  You can vary the amount of wax to give you a pretty soft lube that still does not melt in hot weather.


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## Whiteeagle (Jan 29, 2015)

SASS249, never thought about the peanut oil, will have to try it. Did try cocoanut butter, too costly & messy in warmer weather. The longrifle in your avatar, flintlock?


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jan 29, 2015)

in selecting the thickness of your patches
just make sure the ball/patch combo has
a "tight" fit as it goes down the barrel....

If it slides down easy you will not get a 
good seal and your accuracy will suffer....

Google "moose milk" as a patch lube and
as a cleaning solvent....The recipe i have
uses NAPA water based cutting oil...

.In 30+ yrs of
Shooting a 54 cal Hawken i have used all
types lubes and find slightly damp MM patches
( not soggy) stored in a baggie works very well for me.....
I just put a bunch of pre cut patches in a small
baggie and add a few drops of MM till i get them
all slightly damp...

I wipe with MM patch and 2 dry patches between
shots with no increase in seating pressure or
crud build up...


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## SASS249 (Jan 29, 2015)

Yes Whiteeagle the rifle is a .54 left-handed flintlock.  It was built by my friend Ron Brimer.  It started life as a Jim Chambers Isaac Haines kit and then Ron did his magic.

I pretty much only shoot flint.


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## Wrangler Hunter (Feb 1, 2015)

Whiteeagle said:


> Wrangler Hunter, I just used pieces about 8" roughly cut off a yard piece and it would suffice a couple of hunting trips, and kept the scrap for swabbing between shots when target shooting. As for lube, I make mine using 1 part Bees Wax, 1 part Crisco, and 4 oz. cooking oil. Used real LARD instead of Crisco, 'til they stopped selling it at the local store. Worked better with the lard, not as stiff as the Crisco. I have always been on the "primitive" side of muzzle loading and hunting.



When I shot Cowboy Action Shooting, I shot blackpowder in my 44 mags and pan lubed the bullets I cast with half crisco and half beeswax.  I was thinking that would be too thick, so I guess that is what the cooking oil is for to thin it out.


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