Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Craftsmanship => Gun Building and Repair => Topic started by: Longhunter on December 12, 2012, 05:46:29 PM

Title: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: Longhunter on December 12, 2012, 05:46:29 PM: That's kind of a personal question but I'm just curious if anyone has had a problem having a small hole... :hey-hey
Title: Re: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: ridjrunr on December 12, 2012, 06:11:41 PM: Ron, I have 3 flinters, had a 4th flint pistol and all have or do have a 1/16th or .0625 hole. Never a problem, all were coned on the inside as they where all liners except my trade gun,but it was still a .0625 hole. Depending on the gun I use 2or 3f for the charge and always so far 4f in the pan. No problems here. All are various makers,converted cva w/L&R lock, pedersoli rifle and pistol and unknown trade gun with a finely tuned LOTT lock on it.
Title: Re: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: Fletcher on December 12, 2012, 06:57:16 PM: Yeah Ron that does sound a bit personal at the first read - but we are all friends here :santa

ps - when I first got her (.62 smoothie) I was told to use FF for the charge and FFFF in the pan. Since it
is most used for Rondy Trade Gun shootin' it turns out that 70 to 80 gr FFF and FFF in the pan works just great!
Title: Re: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: gunmaker on December 12, 2012, 08:15:18 PM: .0625" or .0735 usually works well. I use same pan filler as load I'm shooting & locks go off every time. If a lock won't fire 2f or 3f somethings not right. Musket cartridges use part of the load as priming.........Tom
Title: Re: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: pathfinder on December 12, 2012, 10:40:35 PM: I've only seen 1 CenterMark shoot quick with the touch hole they come with. Swamp was having all kind's of problems with his and I told him I have changed out a lot of them to the White lightning liner and problem solved! Simple swap out. Easy fix!!
Title: Re: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: MedicineSoldier on December 12, 2012, 10:56:28 PM: Longhunter,

I drilled out my Centermark touchhole to 1/16" a number of years ago (sometime last century) and have used 3f for the main charge as well as priming for just about as long. It has worked well for me and I would think it will work well for you also.

Medicine Soldier
Title: White lightningRe: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: Hank in WV on December 13, 2012, 05:20:15 AM: +1 on the White lightning.
Title: Re: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: wattlebuster on December 15, 2012, 08:38:42 AM: I've got 6 flintlocks. 5 have whitelightning liners and my Caywood does not have a liner but is outside coned. All have 1/16th holes in them. I charge with Fg to FFFg depending on the gun and prime with FFFg in all of them. Zero problems so far with all of them. The caywood does demand a sharp flint but if ya give it a sharp flint its the best sparker out of the bunch, but of course that has nothing to do with the vent hole size.
Title: Re: How big is your touch hole?
Post by: biliff on December 15, 2012, 03:04:31 PM: All mine start out at 1/16". My most used rifle is now a "loose" 1/16", but I haven't tried to gauge it for an exact measurement.