Slug Guns and Muzzleloaders

[Slugun45]

Jim,
Do you use a wad between the powder and the base of the patched bullet?
The reason I ask is it's accepted that when shooting a BPCR bullet the base needs protection to prevent creating fins which are detrimental to accuracy.
The slug guns, which are extremely accurate, must maintain base integrity even though the base of the bullet is dead soft. If no wad is used what protects the bullet base?
Steve R.
AZ

Steve, I use an LDP wad under the paper patch, although I would say that I am in the minority in this. If the bullet base is soft lead and it is sized properly theoretically a wad shouldn't be necessary, but Web Terry told me to use a wad, so I use a wad and the proof is in the results. Jim

[sluggun pilgrim]

Hi all,
Last year i built a ML slug gun with a 40 cal false muzzle Rice barrel, underhammer action and percussion ignition. I'm shooting a paper patched bullet 400 grns with 60 grains of Swiss 2F. The best i can do at a 100 is about a 2+ inch group. Any long time slug gunm shooters out there who may be able to help me.

Cheers

Tried to send you a PM. Didnt work.

When you say "paper patch", what type? Most of us use a paper cross patch or a paper chase patch.

Joe.

Hi Joe
I've been using a chase patch, 2 thou Reynolds freezer paper, 60 thou vegetable fibre wad above the powder. Started with pure lead bullets and increased the tin lead ratio in small increments, best results so far is with 1:30. Always seem to get a tight group of 3 or 4 shots then fliers.
Hoping to try some onionskin paper this weekend.

sluggun pilgrim

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Try some .003 100% cotton Vellum from Office Depot and chase patch it. Oil the patch also to ease in loading. I run 60-1 alloy in my 40 slug gun and 76 grs of 1.5 Swiss. No wad.

KW
The Lunger

[sluggun pilgrim]

Hi KW
I live in Australia and sources of patch material are virtually impossible to obtain here. I've ordered some 2 thou onionskin from Buffaloe Arms. My swaged tapered bullet is 0.402 inches and the groove diameter of the barrel is 0.408.

Cheers
sluggun pilgrim

[Joe Gussenhoven]

Hi KW
I live in Australia and sources of patch material are virtually impossible to obtain here. I've ordered some 2 thou onionskin from Buffaloe Arms. My swaged tapered bullet is 0.402 inches and the groove diameter of the barrel is 0.408.

Cheers
sluggun pilgrim

What rifling profile/specs, is your rice barrel? Caliber? Heavy? Light?

I use tracing paper from the local art store. It's cotton rag.

Joe.

[sluggun pilgrim]

Hi Joe

The diameter of my barrel is 1 3/8 across the flats (the biggest Rice can make) and the barrel is 32 inches long (without false muzzle). It has a 1:16 twist 0.400 in the bore 0.408 in the groove. Although we can only use aperture sites in our domestic competition for loaddevelopment I use a 25 x Lyman Super Targetspot scope.

We do have some very good art supply shops here, I'll give them a try for cotton tracing paper.

Is there an ideal patch bullet diameter combination?

I also shoot black powder cartrige rifles, percussion and flint muzzle loaders.

Cheers Sluggun pilgrim

If we get some sunny weather in the next day or so i'll take a pic of it and post it on the web

[Joe Gussenhoven]

Hi Joe

The diameter of my barrel is 1 3/8 across the flats (the biggest Rice can make) and the barrel is 32 inches long (without false muzzle). It has a 1:16 twist 0.400 in the bore 0.408 in the groove. Although we can only use aperture sites in our domestic competition for loaddevelopment I use a 25 x Lyman Super Targetspot scope.

We do have some very good art supply shops here, I'll give them a try for cotton tracing paper.

Is there an ideal patch bullet diameter combination?

I also shoot black powder cartrige rifles, percussion and flint muzzle loaders.

Cheers Sluggun pilgrim

If we get some sunny weather in the next day or so i'll take a pic of it and post it on the web

An ideal fit,,,Hmm, dont know.

What combination are you using?

When you push the bullet down the barrel, what does it feel like?
Feel looser at the bottom? The same all the way down? Tighter at the bottom?

Have you pulled a loaded bullet out to see the condition of the patch?

In my .56 slug gun, bullet length has the most to do with accuracy.

I dont think the VF wad is necessary.

Joe.

[4065shooter]

The rifle and rig is much nicer than the name Lilith would imply..Yes she could steal your heart.

[Tom Baker]

LB,

Kenny is calling that slug rifle a much nicer name than I sometimes call my Briesen. I can do reasonable 5 to 8 shot strings, but late in the 10 shot string I get a couple of wanderers. I'm starting to think that the 118 grains of black is working on me......

I got lazy and careless cutting the paper patch strips and I've paid the price. I've tightened up considerably cutting the patches. Do you know what Rich was using to oil his patches? I'm using a mix of mink oil and saddle soap, but that may not suit the purists in the NRC. Maybe I'll just lie and say it's sperm oil.

Tom

[4065shooter]

Kid,
Rich was a big fan of bear oil, I've never used it. I do have a small amout of "whale oil" thats real slick stuff. Bought if off a guy at a gun show who had a box full in what appeared to be a legit military cardboard box. Had one hell of story to go with the oil too. I had to give him a $20 for a bottle because the story was sooo good. I'd give neatsfoot oil a try. It's highly spoken of in my Ned Roberts book.
Rich loved freezer paper also. So do I, but I've stopped using it because it's not period correct, at least yet to be proven. I've been thinking about wax paper which might make the grade but I havent researched it yet. I used onion skin at the NRC with a few shots showing promise, however I dont think I was consistent enough with the oil application amoung other issues I had with the rifle. I'm rebuilding the rilfe so better days are ahead. KW and I missed having deep discussions with you.