Ball to forcing cone space?

[ZVP]

I shoot 5 different BP Revolvers snd each needs a different ball to cone space.
It's all been a trial and error testand the results can be impressive! Why do you think I shoot with 5 diff3rent filler loads?

How have you all tackled the problem of IF you need to space the ball or not?
If you know any tricks please share OK?
Thanks
ZVP

 

[mec]

I've double the treated over-powder wads on the rare occasions that the loading stem was too short to seat the ball properly. In general though I just load enough powder. These things don't recoil very much and I am not skilled enough to detect any accuracy advantage to cream of wheat, et al though I have read that match shooters find squib loads to be their most accurate and select various breakfast foods some of which compress and others which do not:

 

[BowerR64]

Thats some fine shooting right there.

 

[mec]

credit goes mostly to the equipment. These belt and/or holster revolvers with no especially rigorous loading techniques, are as accurate or more so than some really good modern ones and generally a lot easier to shoot. If you haven't done much slowfire shooting at 25 yards or so, try it. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

 

[BCRider]

ZVP, I take it you're shooting for serious accuracy? I've found that my .44's shoot about the same as MEC when simply loaded with 30gns and the ball pushed down onto the powder. This produces a bit of a distance to the forcing cone and the rifling. But since my old guy eyes and nerves can't do much or any better than the same sort of 4 inch group that MEC is getting I don't see any value in trying to make the guns themselves shoot any better. They're already way better than me.

I get the same 4'ish inch size groups with my modern stuff as well. And if I'm really on the ball on any particular day I can manage to tighten it up to 3'ish inches fairly often... if I ignore the outside flyer.

If you need more than that then I can see using the fillers to tighten things up. But then you're looking at also trying different size balls to attain different size swaged belt lines that dig into the rifling in their own way as well.

Then there's the charge weight you need to produce the ideal muzzle velocity that produces the optimum spin stability and thus the tightest groups. All these things need to be factored in and tested. And for each I could see where the ball's starting point would perhaps change a little for each case.

 

[ZVP]

The gap in front of the ball worries me because of my experiences with smokeless powder. You have to have consistancy at that point.
I found that the hotter loads work best in my Remingtons and 75% loads in the Colt Clones.
Patches, Cream of Wheat and all seem to need to be regulated to get the best accuracy.
Yes it's accuracy I'm after4" is life or death in some cases! I would like to keep it at 2"
Everything fires slow in BP, it all takes time to go off. So you have to hold steady longer than with smokeless powder. Besides holding still helps follow through with all guns!
I have been chosing a fvorite caliber, and I think mine is to be .36!
It's a powder miser also a lead miser plus the flat trajectory seem to make shooting easier! I don't mind the quieter report, or thr Bigger is better crowed because I'm in this to relax! I amtired of rattling a 50 count box in 5 minutes or even faster with a semi-auto!
First I went to CF SIngle Ations and my Ruger Single Six to slow down. That was before theammo shortage came about. The CF's are great, you learn to develop a slow hold that keeps things
Accuracy is the thing
ZVP

 

[BCRider]

I hear you on all counts. And if you've got the steadiness to zero in on 2 inch groups at 25 yards I'm all envious. I'm afraid those days are well behind me... if I was ever able even then.

 

[DD4lifeusmc]

spacing

Personally I think it is hogwash, but each his own.
I started shooting these back in late 70's.
bought two factory kits Navy Arms 1858 NMA 44. Filed, sanded and fit them.
Went to the neighborhood makeshift range. Just an area about mile out of town where everybody congregated to shoot. Targets? whatever. Paper, bottles, can, silhouettes, gongs, whatever you wanted to shoot at.
I loaded the factory recommendation 28 gr fffg. settled on 30 gr over the years. Filed the sights a tad to gain consistency.
Then as in any other tool LEARNED HOW TO USE IT!
Which meant and means, learn the point of aim for the desired Point of Impact.
Mine with a benchrest, Aim dead center on the bulls eye, usually at least clip the edge (1" dia bull) at about 20 yd.
Another thing we did years ago. Drive a desert road about 5 to 10 mph. aim out the window at bottles and cans in the ditch. Over time got more hits than misses.
Your stuff of filler and ball spacing is a bunch of hooey in my opinion.
Load enough powder (around 20 gr fffg on average) you don't need filler.
Learn where the gun shoots (fun or competition).
Wad or not. Wads are not a necessity, but they can help reduce the fouling and when lubed can help soften the fouling. And over ball lube is not a necessity to prevent cross fires if you load correctly to begin with.
35+ years, numerous different BP C&B revolvers have never had a chain fire.
But like I said this is just my opinion.