.50 Cal Patched Roundball (.490 vs .495)

[Matthew323]

.43 caliber to .49 caliber patched balls killed off most of the whitetail deer East of the Mississippi River prior to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Along with smoothbore muskets firing both ball for big game (self-defense), and shot for small game. People forget that there was a HUGE DEMAND in Europe prior to the Revolutionary War for tanned deer hides. This resulted in the whitetail deer population being decimated every place that could be easily gotten to. From Florida to Massachusetts.

Which, not unreasonably, mightily angered the natives that depended upon venison for survival.

 

[Barn]

Mr. Lewis, What makes your shot of the recovered patches proud? I've never thought of checking those.

 

[Idaholewis]

Mr. Lewis, What makes your shot of the recovered patches proud? I've never thought of checking those.

They tell a Story if you take time to read them

 

[Matthew323]

The condition of the recovered patch let's a shooter know many things.

Foremost, is he getting a complete seal around the ball with the patch filling all of the groove's depth? If so, the patch will look much like Lewis's patches above in post #1 do. You will notice that his patches are not burnt through, have no fraying around the edges, are not cut through by sharp lands in any places, and the only scorch marks are directly behind the material under the ball.

Nice looking patches!!

 

[deermanok]

Couldn't agree more with checking fired patches. Even though they're not too easy to find on the ground sometimes, worth looking for.

 

[Bad Karma]

I’m not sure that I’ll ever dive in that rabbit hole? So far I haven’t been able to get the least bit interested in a Flintlock. Maybe when i get older and can’t hit anything? Then it won’t matter what i shoot, and will give me a good excuse

This response may belong in the “Feel the burn!” Thread!

 

[Scott-WV]

Nice looking group. What distance are you shooting?

 

[Idaholewis]

Nice looking group. What distance are you shooting?

This was 60 Yards