Re: 44 Ballard

MAH · Post by **MAH** » Mon Aug 24, 2020 7:01 am

My first attempt in posting photos here, please bare with me. If it does attach this a group shot with a original Ballard at 700 hundred yards. An amazing group. What makes it amazing is is a normal representation of the ability of gun and shooter. This is the best of the best so far.

MAH

IMG_2349 (2).PNG

jackrabbit · Post by **jackrabbit** » Mon Aug 24, 2020 7:04 am

How big is the target?

Not sure what you mean by "normal representation" but then say this is the best of the best? If this is the best of the best, then it is not normal.

Either way, looks like good shooting and that is always fun!

MAH · Post by **MAH** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 5:40 am

Jackrabbit

The target sized correctly for seven hundred yards. Since there is no target made for that distance. Look up a eight hundred yard target dimension and a 600 yd. target. Interpolate for 700 yards.
Normal means just that. Stop and think! The rifle and shooter will produce excellent groups every time out. This particular group was the best of the lot. Not hard!

MAH

kwilliams · Post by **kwilliams** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 5:43 am

Do you shoot this group with iron sights? It is a fine group for sure, which .44 cartridge?
thanks
kw

jackrabbit · Post by **jackrabbit** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:43 am

MAH wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 5:40 am Jackrabbit

The target sized correctly for seven hundred yards. Since there is no target made for that distance. Look up a eight hundred yard target dimension and a 600 yd. target. Interpolate for 700 yards.
Normal means just that. Stop and think! The rifle and shooter will produce excellent groups every time out. This particular group was the best of the lot. Not hard!

MAH

If you are trying to impress someone, pretty sure you are going to have to go elsewhere......there are a lot of really good shooters here. No load info, no info on sights, no target size, no fouling control procedure, appears to just be some douchebag bragging about the size of his penis. You want to brag about something? Show up at a match and see how your excellent "normal" shooting lines up with real riflemen.
Kiss my ass,
Cody

SSShooter · Post by **SSShooter** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:14 am

Being a 44 and from FL makes me wondering if the OP is posting a group shot by TomK with one of his several original 44-100 Creedmoor rifles (Hepburn, Sharps, Roller)? Tom is a great shooter with some terrific original rifles, but he would also be one of the last folks to brag about his shooting, so if him, no blame attached and congrats on a great group. Believe Tom has also gone over to the 'dark side' (as Woody puts it

) and shoots PP in his original rifles.

Kurt · Post by **Kurt** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:46 am

The rind spacing on a MR-1 600 yard target is 6" if I remember right.
That makes those 6 in the 9 ring look very good to me.

I hope that was a .44-75 Ballard caliber

Kurt · Post by **Kurt** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 9:01 am

Maybe I should have said, the X is 6", the 10 is 12". making the rings 3" wide from the I think the 8-7 they doubled in diameter.
I might be wrong because it's been a while since I seen them.

kwilliams · Post by **kwilliams** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 10:02 am

Pretty harsh reply don't you think?
kw

Tomklinger · Post by **Tomklinger** » Tue Aug 25, 2020 3:10 pm

SSShooter,
It’s me, Mark is just proud of how far this old Ballard rifle has developed over the summer. He’s been spotting for me all summer. I can give you some details on the rifle and load. I love to shoot originals, and am lucky to have a few. I load and shoot these rifles as close as I can to the way they did back in the Creedmoor days, which I will talk about. This one is a Ballard #7 long range. Built in 1876. The Ctg.Is the original 44/100 Ballard Everlasting. The bullet is a Kal tool and die 530g. Hollow base nose pour elliptical paper patch bullet. .435 before patch and .443 after. It’s 1.480 long. I use the Hyde method of patching.
Rocky Mountain Ctg. made the brass from a chamber cast and did an excellent job. No resizing needed. I use large pistol primers, which I had the primer pockets cut for. Coffee filter in the bottom of the case over the shot hole. Drop tube 95gr. 1f Swiss powder. No compression. Wad stack that works best so far is 1playing card, 2 .085 hard card wads, set the bullet .100 in the case and that’s it. Very simple! There is nothing in the load that wasn’t available in the 1870s.
The rifle is completely original. It has the long range vernier tang sight with the spirit level wind gauge front sight. For competition sometimes I change to a Kelly long range rear sight. The bore measures .442 with six lands and grooves. The groove is .448. The twist rate is 1 in 20”.
At 700 yds. I add 2 min. of right in my front sight to compensate for spin drift. That puts me at zero. The current load is right at 1350 fps.I lightly lube the paper patch with jojoba bean oil without removing it from the case just before the relay.
My wiping technique is pretty basic, I use 90% tap water and 10% soluble oil. After the shot, I run one wet patch, then a brush up and down the bore a few times, then a snug damp patch and then dry the bore completely. Ready for the next shot!
The whole concept is really very simple. With the information I have been able to find on Ballards this is as close to the original load as I can get. The only difference is most likely the volume of powder. I’m sure powder manufacturing has changed over the years.
Hope this helps with any questions!
Tom Klinger

RK · Post by RK » Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:14 pm

Tom Klinger, thanks for the info. Some people are an asset to the sport.

SSShooter · Post by **SSShooter** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 4:15 pm

Hi Tom - thought that was going to be you once I saw the rifle, 44cal, distance & location. Just more of your typical good shooting.
Some day you are going to have to stop working so many hours so you can head out west & shoot with Cody & those folks. After all, they let Gazaway shoot with them and I understand everyone had a good time.

Am sure you would enjoy meeting & shooting together and they to see your original Creedmoor rifles.
Looking forward to seeing you at Kidwell's SE Regional where I'm sure you will put one of them to work.

Tomklinger · Post by **Tomklinger** » Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:21 pm

Glenn,
Always good to hear from you! Hope everyone is staying safe. Thank you for the kind words and am looking forward to seeing everyone in Georgia. I’ll be using the Hepburn, Whitney roller .22 and the Ballard....another year or two and I’ll have plenty of time...I hope

See you in Nov.
Tom