Kadooty

[Rum River]

I have medical problems with my hands, and the pounding I sometimes end up doing when using my short starter can take it's toll.

Anybody ever use the kadooty? I know the business seems to be gone, but I would be interested in how well they worked, and if there are any available somewhere.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

Your best bet would be to switch your patch size to something thinner. Having your load info would help greatly.

Another simple way to cut back the pounding is to simply take a spare ramrod and a little bottle of cleaning fluid and some patches and  run a lightly damp patch down your bore after each shot. That will cut down the fouling and make it smooth to  load. It also improved your accuracy so you'll improve things at both ends.

[Ironwood]

Like BigBlock said you might check your patches to see if you can use a thinner patch.  Also be sure you are using pure lead for your roundballs.  It's harder to get the patch to engrave a hardened roundball. 

Nothing wrong with using a mallet on the short starter.  I got this photo from a very old Lyman Handloading Manual.  The photo was used to illustrate how to load a muzzleloader.



 

[coyotejoe]

Great photo! That guy is really into being historically correct, you can tell by the "midnight cowboy" jacket! But seriously, I don't see how the "Kadooty" could help with your problem. It is not for starting the ball but for applying a consistent pressure to the ramrod in seating the ball on the powder.

[Ironwood]

CoyoteJoe,  That might very well be his everyday cloths.  It's a very old manual.   The first few pages are long gone so I don't know just how old it really is.  However it does have an ad for a Lyman single cavity mold with handles for $10.00.  An additional $4.50 if you want a hollow point.

[Gun Runner]

Ironwood I still use the same catalog for most of my cast reloading. I think its Lyman #42 or #45. Like yours the first few pages of mine are missing.

Gun Runner

[longcaribiner]

Smaller ball and or thinner patch, Patches as thin as .005 are available. 

As to the picture, in the old days folks weren't quite as picky about what was period correct, and just about any mix of old timey stuff was more correct than most. 

I remember a guy near Allentown PA that made a "Buckskin" out fit from raw hide.  He looked like the freakin tin man of OZ.   

I have an old 1940's American Rifleman showing a white bearded gent wearing beaded buckskins and firing a colt peacemaker.  The guy had gaudy conchos all over his belt and jacket.     

There are folks today who think it is necessary to process yer own skins, grow yer own flax and to spin yer own wool.  More power to ya, BUT.....

[Rum River]

Thanks for the replies.

The load I was using most recently is for my Pedersoli Kodiak in .72. The best load so far is a .715" ball (pretty much the only thing available) with a .010" patch over 90grs. FFg Goex. I used both the Cabelas round ball and the Rush Creek stuff from Track of the Wolf, I'm assuming they're pure lead or close to it.

I have the same difficulty with my hands no matter what combination of components I use in whatever rifle. I happen to have a Lyman Great Plains Hunter in .54 with an oversize bore. When I load .533" conicals in it there is very little resistance, but my hands are still poor enough it's a problem.

I already know I can go to a smaller ball or thinner patch, but the combination I have now shoots the best. I also know that the Kadooty is meant for use AFTER the short starter.

All of that having been said, back to my original question: Does anyone know of a source for a Kadooty? Classified ads somewhere? Leftover inventory in a gun shop somewhere? etc........

Thanks!

[Ironwood]

I'm sorry I misunderstood your request.  I tried the Kadooty website and it is no longer available.  You might try the contact at the very bottom of this article.
 http://www.muzzleblasts.com/archives/vol4no3/articles/mbo43-7.html