For Christmas I got my Dad an .44 caliber 1851 Pietta repro black powder revolver. We have cleaned it, fired some caps on otherwise unloaded cylinders to clean out the passageways, etc. But I'm confused about a couple of details.
1) One manual says use .451 balls, another says .454 balls. The local shooting store had those two sizes plus .457. They also had patches that were 0.010 thick, as well as 0.015. I understand (I think) the concept that every gun will like a particular combination, but I'm willing to sacrifice a little accuracy for a little easier loading for my father (he's 81).
2) It seems like many favor using a wad over powder, then a ball, then maybe lube over that (although it seems that may be both redundant and unnecessary). If you use a wad, do you still use a patch with the ball?
In summary, I'm trying to avoid buying supplies I won't use, and I'm looking for a good starting recipe for wad (yes/no), ball diameter (which one), patch (both yes/no and thickness). I'm an avid reloaded, so I can sort out the powder recommendations easily enough. Thanks for the help.
1) One manual says use .451 balls, another says .454 balls. The local shooting store had those two sizes plus .457. They also had patches that were 0.010 thick, as well as 0.015. I understand (I think) the concept that every gun will like a particular combination, but I'm willing to sacrifice a little accuracy for a little easier loading for my father (he's 81).
2) It seems like many favor using a wad over powder, then a ball, then maybe lube over that (although it seems that may be both redundant and unnecessary). If you use a wad, do you still use a patch with the ball?
In summary, I'm trying to avoid buying supplies I won't use, and I'm looking for a good starting recipe for wad (yes/no), ball diameter (which one), patch (both yes/no and thickness). I'm an avid reloaded, so I can sort out the powder recommendations easily enough. Thanks for the help.