Smaller ball - thicker patch

For the second card of the session, I started off the first six shots using .350 ball and .010 oiled patch, again with 9 grains of Krank's FFFg. The ball/patch combination proved a lot harder to load. The ball proved very difficult to start, and I almost ended up using a rubber mallet. The recoil and the noise of this load was a lot louder.

 

For the second six shots I kept with the .350 ball and 9 grains of Krank's FFFg, but changed to a .005 oiled patch. The ball was a lot easier to start and to load. The noise also reduced slightly. Overall score for this card was 70. The magpie shot at 5 o'clock gauged out to a 6.

Given the difficulty [only one source] and price [high] of the .354 balls, I will probably stay with .350 balls [readily available and cheaper] with 0.005 oiled patches.

Next month is the Trafalgar Meeting and Arms Fair at NRA Bisley, so I will be looking to stock up on balls, powder and patches!

Stats

 

Detail scores: 74 + 70
Average score: 74.2
Personal best: 83
Barrel count:  64