What am I doing wrong?

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

I just purchased a Pedersoli Kentucky percussion rifle in .50 cal. I am using a .49 round ball and when I try to load it with a lubed patch it will not start with the ball starter unless I hammer it in. Once it enters the muzzle, I can use the long end of the ball starter to push it in but, when I use the ramrod to finish it, it is a hard push. The second shot is even more difficult as now I have to litterally use a hammer on the steel ramrod to seat the bullet.

 

My Hawken rifle in .45 cal is way easier to load than the Kentucky rifle.

 

Any adivce, comments, etc would be appreciated.

 

I was going to go into muzzle loading to supplement my CAS to get more shoots per year.

[Kid Kneestone SASS #14851]

Check the ball size with a micrometer, and the patch thickness? Are you using a lube or spit on the patch? A .490 ball should fit just fine in a 50 cal rifle. Are the balls soft pure lead? Pillow ticking used to run about .013"? I generally run a damp patch and a clean patch between shots to keep the fouling down.

 

Hope you find the culprit to your problem,

 

Kid Kneestone

Edited June 28, 2014 by Kid Kneestone SASS #14851

[Fingers McGee]

.490 rb & prelubed .010 patch from any one of a number of sources should take care of your problem. I've always enhanced the performance of prelubed patches by marinating them in Hoppe's #9 Plus BP solvent.

 

Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee