Hello,
By now my "svartkrutt love" has degenerated to the point that I not only shoot patched round balls, skirmish with a .58 Minié, but I also have an original Model 1842 .69 caliber musket. I got it with an extra rifled and sighted barrel for use with Minié balls, but I'm not sure if it is OK to shoot yet, unlike the smooth-bore barrel, which is quite accurate at 25 yards. I'll soon test it at 50.
I intend to make some tallow-dipped paper cartridges for it, and also try shooting it with a wet patch to snug it tight within the bore.
It might interest you European and Scandinavian muzzle-loaders to know how U.S. skirmishers get better accuracy results?
The balls are rasped so that they resemble a golf ball--as seen in Øyvind Flatnes' book--solely so that a lubricant can adhere to the surface, and to remove any sprue. Several coats of ALOX lube are applied and allowed to dry. The idea is that like a rifled barrel the lubricant will keep the fouling soft. A patch seems much easier to me, but of course it is results that count!
I'll be taking it to my very first smooth-bore match this month, February 2018.
Hälsnings från Texas!
dave
I am guessing your a N-SSA member.
The bumped up and Alox coated round balls were created because we can't use flammable patch material in skirmish events. They are afraid of cook offs from a hot ember in the barrel.
FYI.....they can shoot very accurate this way if the right combo if found. I shoot 45gr of 3F Swiss in my Potsdam smoothbore.