What size round ball mold?

[wwpete52]

What would be the correct caliber round ball mold for a 16 gauge smoothbore?

[Three Hawks]

Good question.  Since there are no standards for muzzleloading gun bores the best thing to do would be to wait until you had it in hand then measure the bore.   Any gun shop or smith would do this if you don't own inside measuring instruments.    

Added:  16 ga is usually regarded as having a NOMINAL diameter of .662".   Actual diameter is anyone's guess.

Your mileage, as always, may vary.

Three Hawks

[Uncle Russ]

I agree with 3-Hawks.

FWIW; here is my experience.
My own .69 cal requires a ball of .652, and a patch of .014......No and's, if's, or but's about it, that is what it has to be in order for my gun to shoot good.
Powder charges can vary a bit, but ball and patch simply has to be just right....a typical charge of Goex FFg in my gun is 120gr. I can punch paper with 60 / 70gr, but when it comes to serious shooting I like 110 / 120gr.
Everyone's mileage seems to vary on this, and there is no reason to think your gun will be any different....let the gun speak for itself!
 
I have been shooting the same .69cal since early 1970 and we have developed a very warm relationship.
Turner Kirkland would roll over in his grave if he knew the mileage I've gotten from one of his old $130 guns!

Remember, with a smooth bore, you have no lands / grooves for patch compression / displacement.
Something else to remember is the fact that don't want to have to "hammer" the ball in to get it started...if it is tight to start, it will be tight all the way down. You want a nice "snug to tight" fit from start to seating.

None of this can be discussed with any degree of accuracy until you know the actual diameter of your bore.
Once you know that, and remember the fact that a round ball has two sides, no matter how you look at it, then you will be able to get yourself a roundball mould, and determine the thickness of the patch you will be needing.

Also, there is a good chance you might want to consider Jeff Tanner, as the source of that mould, once you determine the size mould you will be needing....a "custom" mould for just a bit more than  Lee prices.
Standard commercial moulds are sort of a "one size fits all" and although it's possible that your smoothie just may fall right in line with this, chances are it won't....so be prepared.

Smooth bores can shoot as well as any rifle, given the proper ball / patch fit...in fact, there is a good chance you are going to be pleasantly surprised after just a few trips to the range.

Perhaps the best advice anyone can give at this point is; don't expect a ill fitting ball to shoot well! It ain't going to happen, and it will give you a lot of unnecessary grief.

Get it in your hand, then let's talk.

Uncle Russ...

[FG1]

Measure your bore and deduct .030 and that will give you ball size and enough room to play with different patches.

[Sir Michael]

I use a ball 0.020 in smaller than the bore.

[mario]

I use a ball 0.020 in smaller than the bore.

Me too. And wadding, no patch.

If a military arm, I use a bal that's .05" smaller to allow for paper cartridges.

Mario

[wwpete52]

Thanks for all of the great info guys!

[Uncle Russ]

I got a couple of PM asking what I meant by "a round ball having two sides."
Soooo, just in case someone else may have misunderstood, here is I meant......

If you have a patch that is .012 thick, once it goes on the ball it becomes .024 thick...remember the two sides of the round ball?

If your bore mic's .690, and your ball is .660, you will need a patch that is .014 to give you a total of .668...leaving .002 of "wiggle" room.

If your ball is .660 and you choose a patch of .016 thickness you won't be able to load it in a smoothbore.  (16 + 16 + 660 = .692 and you will never get that down the barrel of a .690 bore)
Same scenario if your ball is .668 and your patch material is .012 thick (12 + 12 + 668 = 692 an object .692 is not going down the barrel of a .690 bore).  

You might be able to do this with a "rifled" bore, where you have room in the lands / grooves for displacement, but it simply won't happen with a smoothbore....there's no place for the patch to go..

It has been said that a .002 / .004 difference in the diameter of the bore, and the patch / ball combination, is to be preferred, as it makes for that "not too tight loading" when shooting ball in a smoothbore. I like .002...tight, but not too tight.
I personally believe this particular "old sayin" has tremendous merit....unlike many of the other things we hear pertaining to muzzleloading.

All this is another good reason to "compress" your material when you are buying it for patches.
I use a micrometer with a clutch top that clicks when it is tight, then once it clicks, it won't get any tighter....while a caliper is dependent on the pressure you apply, right then, for its reading.

I hope everyone can understand this. It is a bit of mumbo / jumbo but my intentions are good.

Uncle Russ...

[Two Steps]

Russ explained:

If you have a patch that is .012 thick, once it goes on the ball it becomes .024 thick...remember the two sides of the round ball?

Darn Russ...I missed another one... ...you are gonna grade on the curve aren't ya??
Al

[wwpete52]

I had a flat tire once but it was only flat on one side!

[Uncle Russ]

Inside, outside, one side........... My goodness fellers!What's a mother to do?  



Uncle Russ...

[Fletcher]

Two Steps ya still flunk.  Uncle Russ meant every ball has a right side..............

and a wrong side..............

[Two Steps]

Two Steps ya still flunk. Uncle Russ meant every ball has a right side..............

and a wrong side.

 :oops:   Oh well...maybe next time we can try True of False, leastways I gotta chance then.    
Al

[B. Miller]

With 16 gage you are very limited to what is available.  I have a NSW Officers Fusil which is 16 gage and I know.  Matt's web site says 0.668 bit I'm not sure about that.  I roll a French style paper cartridges for shooting using 20 lb. cotton paper and a 0.648 RB which I purchase from TOW or the Log Cabin Shop.  Once the ball is in the paper I triple dip the ball end of the cartridge in a home made lube then add 80 grains of FFG and fold down.  I purchased NSW's 0.65 Lyman mold and it works but it eventually gets tight going down the barrel.   The 648 just works better.  NEI Hand Tools sells the 0.648 RB Mold.  I have very good accuracy with this set up.  There is a man in Great Britian making brass RB molds at a very reasonable price. I haven't gone this route yet but I am considering it.
Hope this helps,
Bruce

[Three Hawks]

The guy in England is Jeff Tanner.  His molds, while a tad primitive having no sprue cutter, are very well made and work very well indeed.  You'll need a set of handles, Lee's work well.  I cut the sprues with a Revlon plier type toenail trimmer, $2.99 at the drugstore.  (Get over it.)

Not expensive and the turnaround is almost unbelievably quick.  They are also made in any diameter you wish.

jeff.ballmoulds@talktalk.net

Iv'e got one in .480" and it's a doozy.  

Three Hawks