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New Green Mountain .50 Cal Roundball Barrel Test

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New Green Mountain .50 Cal Roundball Barrel Test

Old 10-04-2019, 04:47 PM
  #11  
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Bronko, I have a Fabric cutter like you speak of It is a Fiskars Brand, I use a Piece of Plexi Glass as a Cutting Board, And you are correct, these Fabric cutters are SCARY Sharp!
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Old 10-04-2019, 04:53 PM
  #12  
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These are the Balls i am using, i have found Speer to be more Consistent than Hornady, I have a BUNCH of Hornady, But i prefer these Speer. Speer is what i will use until i get my .495 Mold and Start Casting my Own.


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Old 10-04-2019, 05:14 PM
  #13  
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I follow Lee Shaver’s Barrel Break in Below, But i ad Montana Extreme Bore Polish and Cleaning Compound to it, It is some REALLY Good Stuff, It flat out works!! I do it to EVERY Muzzleloader i own, All of my Rifles MUST shoot Sub MOA or they are GONE, That is a Mandatory Requirement of a Rifle in order to Secure itself a Spot in my Gun Safe. I have a 48 Gun Safe that is crammed full of Muzzleloaders, every one of them Have Bores that look like this.










Excerpt from “Breaking In a Barrel” by Lee Shaver:
Several years ago, I developed a process for breaking-in barrels for lead bullet use
that eliminated the afternoon of shooting and cleaning with jacketed bullet. It
began because I would occasionally have to get bad leading out of a barrel for a
customer, and when you charge what a gunsmith must charge to stay in business
you don’t want to spend an afternoon scrubbing the lead out of a customer’s gun.
And I’m sure the customer would rather not pay for said services.

What I learned was that when scrubbing lead out of a barrel, I could run a tight oily
patch through a few times and then take the patch off the jag. I would then unroll a
little 0000 steel wool and cut a piece the size of the patch. Place that over the
patch and then run it all through together. (The proper fit is when you have to
bump the rod a few times with the palm of your hand to get it started in the bore.)
When you shove that steel wool over a patch through the bore of a badly leaded
barrel, it may sound like paper tearing as the lead is ripped out of the barrel in a
pass or two. I can clean the lead out of the worst barrel in about ten or fifteen
minutes that way, and an average leaded barrel will be clean in a few strokes.

After using this technique for a while, I began to notice that the rifles that I was de-
leading that way seemed to lead less afterwards, which got me to thinking. We use
fine steel wool on the outside of old guns all the time to do some cleaning or spot
rust removal, and it does not damage the surface of the steel. It just scrubs it.
Which lead me to consider the fact that we are trying to break in a barrel by
smoothing the surface without cutting, and it seems to me that process would go
much quicker if we used something on the inside of the bore that was closer to the
hardness of the barrel instead of lead or copper. So I started trying the steel wool
and oiled patch technique on new barrels before shooting them. I use it about as
tight as I can get in the bore and wear out a steel wool pad or two in about 15
minutes, then I go and shoot the rifle.

How well does it work you might ask? On a few occasions, I have built a new rifle
and taken it to a match without ever having fired the rifle. All have performed
flawlessly in their first match and several times I won the match or set a record
with them. On one occasion, I set a new 300 yard range record with the first 13
shots out of a barrel. This method has become a service we offer to our customers
here in the shop and I have shared the technique many times with others.

So the next time you get ready to shoot that new rifle, just remember it is important
to break in a barrel properly, but if the operation you are doing to the barrel cuts –
it is not breaking it in. It may be making the barrel smoother, but to break the
barrel in you need to polish the bore by burnishing not cutting either by shooting it
or scrubbing it.
Lee Shaver

Last edited by Idaholewis; 10-04-2019 at 05:18 PM.
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Old 10-05-2019, 03:39 AM
  #14  
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Good Info, wonder how fine of steel wool should you use?
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Old 10-05-2019, 05:04 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by edmehlig
Good Info, wonder how fine of steel wool should you use?
0000 Steel Wool

Like Lee Shaver says, the key to this is getting it TIGHT, Depending on thickness of Patch, how tight your Patched Jag fits Will determine how much 0000 Steel Wool you need? I ad little pieces/strips of Steel Wool until i get a REALLY REALLY Tight fit. 1 stroke is All the way to the Breech Plug Where it Stops, Then Back out and Exit the Bore, That is 1 Stroke. Depending on the Bore? I have done as many as 200-250 Strokes. After a couple of Strokes, the Patch/0000 Steel Wool Will Hold it’s Form, I then ad The Montana Extreme Bore Polish and Compound to the Steel Wool. I go About 50-100 Strokes with the 0000 Steel wool, Then i do away with the Steel wool and Just use Patches with The Montana Extreme on it. Patches Turn JET Black From Polishing.

I do this is to EVERY SINGLE Brand new Rifle, or used, But New to Me. I do this before the Gun has Ever Fired its first Shot. My Safe COMPLETELY Packed with Keeper Rifles (Sub MOA Shooters) Don’t lie, this Procedure Works

The Same “GURU” That refers to “Boil on the ass of Society if you are against being Part of the NMLRA, Doesn’t understand Lee’s Procedure? His words, “Can’t understand why someone would mess with a Bore until they’ve proven it will not shoot as well as one thinks it should.” My advise to this “GURU” YOU Should Contact Lee Shaver’s (2 Time World Champion, along with NUMEROUS other Wins, and Records) And Tell Him He’s an IDIOT, That he don’t know what he’s doing. See how that Fly’s For ya?
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Old 10-05-2019, 10:53 AM
  #16  
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Why now I just may try that. Semisane sent me some .575" balls to shoot out of my .58 a couple years ago and they shot great with a .018" patch. I mistakenly purchased a .570" mold and can't get near the grouping I was getting with Semi's balls. I'm going to clean the bore like above and try using .020" material. Below is a pic of the 100 yard group with Semisanes balls.
Target states .535" ball incorrectly.
Attached Thumbnails New Green Mountain .50 Cal Roundball Barrel Test-58-rene-001.jpg  
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Old 10-06-2019, 02:00 PM
  #17  
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Back at again this morning. I wanted to Test a Group with this New Pocket Drill Material. Lubed with my Rendered Skunk Tallow And Cut at the Muzzle.

The little Sandpit where I usually shoot was Taken this Morning, Deer and Elk Season opens this Thursday the 10th, Lot of People shooting right now Checking their Rifles. This is one of my “ACE In the Hole” Spots that very few people go, 65 Yards to my Target here.


I decided to Try “Cutting at the Muzzle” this time, You can see my Patch Strip And Exacto Razor Blade in the Background


My first 2 Shots were in the Same Hole, just slightly widened it, my third shot is a little left and high, about a 1/2” out from the first 2 is all, Shooting over my Toyota Hood with LOTS of Flex in it, I’m good with this. I can drive nails with this Thing from my Bench


I only Found 2 of My Patches, They really blend in here! They look MUCH Better this Go Around Powder Charge was my Trusty 70 Grains of Swiss 2F, .018 Pocket Drill Material, lubed with my SS (Super Skunk )
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Old 10-06-2019, 03:09 PM
  #18  
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Those patches look much better. What insert are you using on your globe sight Lewis? I just put the crosshair one in mind for bullet testing but its too fine for hunting with. Then I normally use just the straight post.
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Old 10-06-2019, 07:49 PM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by bronko22000
Those patches look much better. What insert are you using on your globe sight Lewis? I just put the crosshair one in mind for bullet testing but its too fine for hunting with. Then I normally use just the straight post.
I use circle inserts EXCLUSIVELY for Target/Bench Shooting. For Hunting i prefer a Bead
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Old 10-07-2019, 04:48 AM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by bronko22000
Those patches look much better. What insert are you using on your globe sight Lewis? I just put the crosshair one in mind for bullet testing but its too fine for hunting with. Then I normally use just the straight post.
Are you using the Lee Shaver 17 Inserts, or the Stock Lyman inserts that come with the Globe? I personally Scrap the Stock inserts that come with the Lyman Globes, They are WAY to BIG N BULKY. I use Lee Shaver inserts as they are Ultra fine and allow a Much finer, detailed Sight picture.

Lee Shaver’s Beads in the Middle and Far left, Lyman on the Right. No Comparison!! For hunting i prefer the Middle Shaver’s Bead, and the RARE Occasion that i Target Shoot with a Bead i prefer the Ultra Fine bead on the Far left. The Lyman on the Right belongs in the Garbage


Here are my Shaver’s Circle Inserts, these are what i use EXCLUSIVELY for Target/Bench Shooting. The key to using these is also shooting at a Round Bullseye Target, take the Time to Swap out the Circle inserts until you find a “Match” and are getting the Best possible Sight picture for YOUR Eye, it doesn’t matter if the Target is 50, or 1,000 Yards there will be a Circle insert that Just “Looks right” when you settle in on the Target.






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