I would try without the Vege Wad, I believe the Vege Wad Could do more harm to accuracy than good? A hard Card type wad such as Vege Fibre is Best with a Flat Base Bullet. Think of it this Way, How can a Bore Diameter Disc Seal Behind a Roundball? When the Powder Goes off the Vege Wad will be forced to “conform” to the Contour of the Ball, rendering it useless as a Gas Seal.
Try a 100% Cotton Ball in place of the Vege Fibre (Make sure it’s 100% Cotton, and NOT that Synthetic Stuff) The Cotton Ball will “FORM” Around the Patched Ball
The guys that shoot smoothbores love to argue over whether you should shoot with wads or bare ball.
And, those that shoot with wads love to argue over whether you should shoot with wads that are punched out of pressed materials like vege fiber, cards, wool, etc.; or instead use loose material like flax tow, wasp nest, sheep's wool, etc.
Idaholewis shows his ability to think outside of the box by his use of cotton balls to fill the hollow bases of minie balls, and bullets.
And he is absolutely right in pointing out that punched out wads are designed to seal circular bores behind bullets and shot charges that fill the bore completely from side to side.
Such wads ARE NOT DESIGNED TO SEAL THE BORE BEHIND A BALL!!
Yet, It's the FIRST thing you are told to do when shooting a ball out of a smoothbore.
And, if It won't seal the bore behind a ball in a smoothbore barrel, then it can't possibly seal the barrel behind a ball in a RIFLE BARREL.
I can't tell you how many times that I have read online someone suggesting that a wad be used behind a patched ball to help seal the bore when the shooter is having accuracy troubles.
A well lubed big fat cotton ball at least has THE POTENTIAL to fill the grooves of a rifle barrel completely behind a patched ball.
In my opinion it is but a stop gap measure.
It has been demonstrated many, many, many times that if a shooter is willing to experiment long enough, 99% of the barrels manufactured today for muzzleloading WILL HAVE a load combination for patched ball that will give outstanding accuracy.
AND THAT INCLUDES IN LINES WITH FAST TWIST BARRELS.
Go to Doc White's website if you don't believe me. He talks about it there.
The elephant-in-the-room kicker is this:
That totally accurate load combo might not measure up TO YOUR IDEA ( OR THE GUN WRITER'S/MEDIA'S IDEA) OF WHAT A HUNTING LOAD FOR A MUZZLELOADING RIFLE SHOULD BE!!!!!!
The powder charge WILL PROBABLY BE FAR LIGHTER than you think it should be, that ball MIGHT NOT BE leaving the muzzle as fast as you think it should, it WILL NOT shoot as flat as a bullet, the effective killing range of the ball will be FAR SHORTER than a bullet's will...but, it will kill whitetail and mule deer just as dead as a bullet. You are just going TO HAVE TO GET CLOSER.
Even with shallow groove rifling like T/C's, CVA's, and other import rifles have; there is a patch thickness, lube, ball diameter, and powder charge that in conjunction with the barrel's rate of twist should provide 1" groups at 50 yds off of a bench rest. And 3"-4" groups, minimum, at 100 yds.
Modern barrels, especially those manufactured in Europe, are very, very good. A barrel made in Europe is held to higher standards than those made in the USA. I am JUST talking about the barrel, and it's proofing.
Unless one gets a substandard barrel that is drilled off center, poorly rifled, etc., it should be ACCURATE.
So, use the cotton ball if you must, but KNOW that there SHOULD BE AN ACCURATE LOAD OUT THERE WAITING FOR YOU TO FIND IT!!!!!!!!
You just have to be willing, and patient enough to find it. Good Luck!!
Bruce
P.s.
I had my best results using fabric store purchased heavy blue denim material. This was the early 1970's. One time when I went back to purchase more the store was out, and the owner sold me a cotton duck used for upholstery.
This was in the days before I knew that I was supposed to measure the thickness with a micrometer. I just went by the weight per ounce that the lady told me.
I know now that I lucked into a tight weave material that withstood the insertion of a 0.445" ball into a 0.450" bore with a groove diameter of 0.474"
I used either a patch well-wetted with saliva, or Crisco smeared liberally between my thumb and fingers on the fabric.
Patches were cut at the muzzle.
If I can correctly recall, I settled on a powder charge of 65 grains of DuPont fffg.
This was in a 42" long, 13/16", straight octagon barrel.
My best shooting ever was 5 shots under a quarter at 85 yds from the bench.
On my subsequent long rifles, I just kept using what had already worked.
All of those rifles were more accurate than I was capable of shooting
