Quote:
assuming you have a clean bore.. It should be hardest to start but get easier on the way down?
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I'd describe it differently: with a perfectly clean bore it will require more force to start the ball than to move it down the bore. Once it's started, the force to move it all the way down will be less than that required to start it, but should be the same all the way down.
I know that's a bit of a nit, but the way you described it, it could be interpreted to mean that the force to move the ball decreases as the ball moves down. Theoretically, it should be constant with a clean bore.
Regarding the partially seated ball: Hawg's right about 'just' bulging the barrel if the ball is halfway down a thick-walled barrel. But I think it gets worse if the ball is near the breech end. It can be catastrophic even in a thick-walled barrel depending on the amount of powder with the ball just an inch or so off the powder. Like g.willikers, I haven't tested that.