Originally Posted by
ADVWannabee
I have a Lyman percussion gun that I gave up on because I couldn't get it to fire in damp weather. As it worked out, pretty much every time I had that gun out for deer, it was damp out. Well my younger brother has killed two deer in two outings with a borrowed gun so I can't let him show me up.
Anyway, I have a Knight and an Encore now and have really gotten the BP bug. So I now wish to get the Lyman going with patch and ball for next season. I was using pre-lubed conicals and have never used a patch. I understand you seat the ball in the center of the patch and ram it on down, but what size ball and patch do I need? I have seen balls at .490 so do you get a .01 patch or a .005 patch since the patch is basically doubled when surrounding the ball? Is 90 gr of powder sufficient? My goal is to take a deer within 70 yards.
One of the keys to avoid hangfire/misfire is to wipe the bore with dry patches to remove any oil/moisture from the bore. Also snap off a couple of caps to dry the nipple/breach area. Do these first before loading. I would also recommend using real black powder, it makes a huge difference, as far as reliable ignition. In a .50 caliber, a .490 roundball will work fine. I go to Wal-Mart and buy pillow ticking material, either red, or blue stripped. It is about .018" thick. 1 yard of this material will make many patches. I cut it in approx. 1 1/8" squares with sharp scissors. Lube patches with Hoppes #9 Plus Black Powder Solvent And Patch Lube. This loading combination is extremly accurate in my Lyman Deerstalker. (90 Grains FFG Goex), and I don't have misfires. Also, a tight fitting #11 cap normally will keep out moisture, even in the rain.