Round ball advice

[jonk]

A local club has round ball matches over the winter at 35 yards. While I will shoot my .45 KY rifle at some of them, I'd like to shoot a musket as well. Given that I only shoot minies during the skirmish season, I have no experience with round balls out of skirmish guns. To my understanding:

-generally the slower twists work better; ideally a 1:66 for round ball for instance.
-So that the ball and patch engrave rifling, I'm thinking that I should order a mold that with patch totals out at about .002 over bore groove diameter. So for instance, for my Springfield that measures .583", a .570" roundball and .015 patch would give .585".

This sound about right?

[Eggman]

Do they require round ball for musket? Commonly they allow either. Back when I used a .575 and .10 pillow ticking.

[jonk]

Do they require round ball for musket? Commonly they allow either. Back when I used a .575 and .10 pillow ticking.

No, they are most strict: round ball only. I have no idea why. As I'm just a guest, I won't question their rules, just be happy I have a place to shoot bp in the off season and in competition no less. Still, the match is at 35 yards, I don't have to be that great to do pretty well at that distance; I've even thought of taking a smoothbore out at that range.

I'd like to avoid the .575 ball just because while my Springfield is a bit over sized, my Enfield and Fayetteville, should I decide to try them, are .577 and .578 respectively. It's a lot easier to use a thicker or thinner patch than force a really fat round ball down a bore...

[Francis J. Miller Jr, 02601]

Jonk,

Instead of buying a mold, check your local gun shop for Hornady swaged round balls, that's what I use in my 32, 45, 50, and 54 cals. I would do like Eggman said, get .575 ball and .010 patch, or if you find .570 balls, I would use .018 pillow ticking.