Round ball in the V2 ?

[deermanok]

Just wondering if anyone has tried a patched round ball in their Optima pistol.

 

[toytruck]

No, haven't tried it. 1:28 twist not suited for round ball.

 

[deermanok]

No, haven't tried it. 1:28 twist not suited for round ball.

I guess I didn't realize that was a such a fast twist on the V2, thanks.

 

[Idaholewis]

Patched Roundball can most definitely be Accurate Through a Fast 1:28 Twist, if you do some research on here you will find it, pay attention to Our Late Cayuga (Dave Anderson) He knew how to do it!

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/1-28-twist-and-prb-questions-please.25169/

 

[deermanok]

Interesting, I believe that I'll have to give the round ball a chance in my V2 just to see how it works.

 

[MrTom]

The only thing I can think of regarding round ball accuracy in the pistol might be the short barrel length. I've never tried a round ball in either of mine....I just never saw the practicality in it.

 

[Matthew323]

When I get the Optima V2 pistol back from DOC White, and Levi Reed, I fully intend to spend some time shooting Speer or Hornady swaged lead balls out of it.

First, because I know it can be done, and until this question today I had yet to read any place online of any shooter doing it.

Second, because if I want to just shoot for fun, or to maintain my shooting skills, there is NO cheaper way to shoot than patched ball.

1. If I cast my own balls....
2. Load w/Goex black powder.....
3. Purchase primers in cases/5000....
4. And purchase patch material from a fabric store in bulk, then the cost of shooting plumets compared to shooting conicals, or bullets/sabots.

The powder charge in all likelihood will be fairly low to keep the tightly patched ball from stripping out of the rifling, and skipping down the bore.

I will start with....
1. 25 grain charge by volume of BH209....
2. .40-.49 caliber, 0.015" thick, Premium Lube, 1.125" diameter, Eastern Maine shooting patch....
3. .495" diameter swaged round ball

 

[Chris W.]

Patched Roundball can most definitely be Accurate Through a Fast 1:28 Twist, if you do some research on here you will find it, pay attention to Our Late Cayuga (Dave Anderson) He knew how to do it!

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/1-28-twist-and-prb-questions-please.25169/

I miss chatting with cayuga. The man was a wealth of knowledge.

 

[deermanok]

I'm not set up to cast my own but I can get 100 round balls for $ 12.00 as apposed to 15 conicals for close to $ 20.00.
For simply messing around target shooting, the round ball makes perfect sense to me.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Once you get setup to cast, conicals are barely more $ than balls.

 

[fourbore]

I am sitting here and recall another discussion on casting bullets with wheel weights. I would bet a couple bucks that bullets could be cast in a 45 LC mold from about any scrap lead and fired with a sabot. That adds the cost of a sabot, but; on the plus side practice ammo would or could approximate the power and hopefully near POI of the expensive hunting loads.

I still get the appeal of light loads with patched balls for both low cost, fun or small game hunting. I will watch this discussion.

 

[Matthew323]

I am sitting here and recall another discussion on casting bullets with wheel weights. I would bet a couple bucks that bullets could be cast in a 45 LC mold from about any scrap lead and fired with a sabot. That adds the cost of a sabot, but; on the plus side practice ammo would or could approximate the power and hopefully near POI of the expensive hunting loads.

I still get the appeal of light loads with patched balls for both low cost, fun or small game hunting. I will watch this discussion.

I was wondering about that myself. You don't need grease grooves to shoot in a sabot. Order the crush rib sabots in bulk (6,500 ct), share the cost with several other shooters if necessary.

Have Tom at Accurate make up several molds to cover the same range of bullet weights that No Excuses offers.

In a .50 caliber sabot to shoot .400" diameter flat based lead bullets, the range is 175 grains to 300 grains by 25 grain increments.

In a .50 caliber sabot to shoot .451" diameter flat based lead bullets, the range is 250 grains to 400 grains by 50 grain increments.

 

[fourbore]

Where can I find 6500 bulk Harvester sabots?

 

[Matthew323]

Where can I find 6500 bulk Harvester sabots?

I called Harvester, and spoke to the owner who told me that the only price break was to purchase them in bulk, which was a 6,500 count case. I forget the cost, but the savings per crush rib sabot was substantial.