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You're on the path, Tom. Don't give up.

I'd pick up a Lee .690" RB mould - cheap like borsht - especially in the States. It will allow you to use a heavy patch. Heavy patches seal better and carry more lube which is needed to keep the fouling soft. That is why your accuracy disappeared with more powder - the accuracy should have become better from each barrel with more powder as well as the barrels should have come together into regulation as well.

I understand the bore of the Kodiaks is about .724".

The .715" ball should be OK, but you should be able to load a .022" patch with it. That you can't says one of two things - the patch you are using is too thin, indeed, it is as it cannot go to the bottom of the grooves to keep fouling at bay. It need not only to go to the bottom of the grooves, but to also compress against the lead (must be soft/pure for such a large ball). The .690" mould will allow you to shoot WW with a decently thick patch - over .020".

For example, I'm currently using a .684" ball in a .690" bore, .012" rifling, with a .030" patch. Yes, you have to want to get it in, but it goes and goes down with the rifle's hickory rod - no hammers or mallets like I've seen some people playing with.

This is what I call easy loading. I have since switched to a .574" ball, with the same patch and it loads litterlly the same, but of course, the accuracy is better.

At the time I shot the video, I had just aquired this rifle and was starting load development, hense the small ball and thin, .0215" patch. If you add the numbers up, you'd get .565" actual diameter + .0215" + .0215" = .608". The .580" bore has .008" rifling, so .580" + .008"+ .008" = .596". Therefore the load I used, gave .608" - .596" = .012" divided by 2 = .006" compression each side actually all the way around. I now use a .574" X .573" ball with a 10oz denim patch which measures .022". = muight tighter and shoots more accurately, but loads just as easily. Yes - I use a starter to get it down, then again to make certain it is on the powder hard.

I use this technique for all my ML rifles and smoothbores.
Incidently the barrels crossed by 1 1/2" at 50 yards and shot 1 1/2" different in elevation, left shooting low, right shooting high. At 100gr. 2F, they shot into the same group- 6 shots made a 1" group. At 110gr., they shot perfectly parallel, each making a 1" group, so that whole group was about 1 3/4" due to the overlap. So - 110gr. for hunting (OK for deer and black bear), and 100gr. works fine for trail walk competitions. I would prefer it shot 130gr. 2f for hunting, but it doens't. If I go to 120gr., they barrels cross again, but the elevation reverses, right shooting low, left shooting high.

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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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