Ardesa Ranger

[Sea Wolf]

Hi Everyone,

I have an Ardesa Ranger muzzle loading rifle. It's .45 calibre with an 8 groove 1:66 twist barrel.

It's made to shoot .440 led ball, patched, and this is what I have been shooting up to now.

As I cast my own bullets, I'm wondering if I can safely use bullets instead of balls, which I don't see a problem with ?

Also ... can I use bullets without patches ?

Has anyone done this with a Ranger ? What size bullets did you use ?

Sea Wolf



“Any government that does not trust its citizens with firearms is either a tyranny, or planning to become one.”

Joseph P. Martino

[dromia]

Welcome to Full-Bore UK!

Yes it will shoot conicals.

Hollow base could be a way to go a la Minie style or just over bore diameter grease groove solids.

I'd be inclined to paper patch to bore diameter.

I'd also use plastic wads from milk containers one on top of the powder then some lubricant, udder cream is what I use now, another wad then the boolit.

The lubricant is mainly to keep fouling down.

You need to slug the barrel to know what size boolits to use.

I'd cast pureish lead with around 2% tin.

[dromia]

Why not introduce yourself on the New Members forum.

[Sea Wolf]

Thanks for the replies.

Actually I'm not a new member. Been a member for a while, but not been on for some time. For some reason I could not get logged in with the user name and password I registered with before, so I registered again with the same ID.

Pukkabundhooks. Yes I know of you and have bought from you. My friend Mike pops in to your place now and again and buys stuff for a few of us in the club.

I used a micrometer on the front of the bore and it seems to be .45. which is what the manufacturer says.

It's recommended to use .440 ball, patched. The cast balls I've been using come out at .445 and fit fine. They come in at 130 gn.

I have cast some pure lead .45 minie type three groove 250 gn bullets which look like they will go in without difficulty without a patch, but of course I can't push them in too far or they might get stuck and I'd not be able to get them out. Looks like the only way to see is to go to the range, put in a small charge of powder and try to ram one in. If it goes in fine. If not a small charge should get it out without too much internal pressure.

I do have a bullet mould for a minie type .440 bullet at 200gn, which would definitely go in patched, but the point of the question is that I was hoping to do away with the patches.

Of course the lubed patches will help, as you say, to keep fouling down.

Thanks for your help. Any further assistance appreciated.

I'm quite well versed in muzzle loading revolvers, but as you can probably tell I'm fairly new to the long gun stuff. As well as the Ardesa Ranger I also have a more modern .50 calibre Ardesa Vortek which is an awesome beast with a full load of 150 gns of Pyrodex !

You mentioned slugging the barrel. Never done that before. I can see how that would be easy with a straight through barrel, but how do you do that with a muzzle loader with a hole at only one end of the barrel ?

Sea Wolf

[meles meles]

Actually I'm not a new member. Been a member for a while, but not been on for some time. For some reason I could not get logged in with the user name and password I registered with before, so I registered again with the same ID.

Sea Wolf

EEEK ! That must make him one of the undead !

*Runs off in search of silver bullets*

[Sea Wolf]

Is that a cue for a zombie hunt ? :lol:

[meles meles]

"Roll up, roll up, queue here for the zombie hunt, tickets a guinea each ! "

[dromia]

None of my recommendations other than the paper patching option require patching.

The old method of slugging a muzzle loader which I have used for decades with no problem is to drop a good length of brass rod into the barrel first, it needs to be long enough to have weight but short enough to be able to move up and down with in the barrel, say half barrel length. Once the rod is in lube the inside of the muzzle, lube an oversize pure lead ball, seat it on the muzzle and pound it in with a soft faced hammer 'till flush, push in a further 1/4" so that the excess lead ring separates. Invert the rifle so it is muzzle down and start shaking it up and down you will feel the brass rod moving inside and hitting the slug and you will soon get the cadence, keep doing so 'till the slug pops out only few shakes are usually necessary. It is quicker than reading this.

Alternatively you could use one of those CO2 bullet pullers, be sure and put a cloth over the muzzle as the slug can travel.

[meles meles]

... as the slug can travel.

But not far, nor fast, ooman. Trust us, we're an expert on gastropods...

[dromia]

Trust me on this, shove a C02 capsule up their backsy and discharge it, they will move far and fast beyond their normal gait.