20 smoothie flinter

[bigted]

So this is my first group that actually grouped instead of patterning. .615 lead ball with .010 patch lubed with my bee wax, Vaseline, olive oil lube. 110 grains 2F Old E powder.


This excellent group is as above except the patch is a .015 thick cleaning patch. Yep cotton cleaning patch's


Here is my last PATTERN. This is how i have been shooting till today in the groups above. I have been making a mountain out of a mole hill. Too much reading and not enough shooting. Today i learned 2 things ... 1- don't overthink a flintlock. And 2nd ... don't have your cock at full cock notch when trying to knapp your flint ... you can get bit as below when the cock slips off the notch and your first two fingers get in the way as shown below.



All in all i have [ i think and hope] come around the corner with this flinter. Has taken 3 outings and 60 or 70 balls. I was very near throwing in the towel when in aggravation i threw caution to the wind and instead of overthingking all the variables i have read about i would just shoot it and not think too much about all the info darting around in my mind from all the reading i did to NOT be a newby with the flintlocks. ... HA HA.

What a wonderful time. I think i may have awakened a monster.

[bigted]

The culprit.





Only think i still don't care for is the 44 inch barrel length. I also do not care for the " no rear sight" thing. I may try a vintage looking peep to see if i can get a better " feel" for sighting confidence.

All shooting today was done at 40 yards. Very fun all told.

[45workhorse]

Mighty fine looking fowler you got there.
Keep an eye on the gun and don't let it sit to long in the dark, they breed faster in the dark.

[Multigunner]

Looks more like a "Buck and Ball" gun than a fowling piece. generaly loaded with three or more buckshot and one bore sized ball or two or three bore sized balls.

[Beerd]

110 grains of 2F sounds plenty stout.
..

[bigted]

Very curious in the recoil dept. 110 grains seems a bit stiff but easy to handle. I figure this to be a real hunting load and would be surprised if anything in America to withstand a good solid hit from it.

Most curious tho is at this range (40 yards) it still prints to point of aim with a 60 grain load which i will use for target and small game ( altho maybe a 62 cal ball might be just a small bit over kill on a bunny ). Altho i still need to get some 4 or 5 shot to see what she is capable of for the small game thing.

Still toying with the notion of shortening the barrel by a foot or so. I think 36 inch barrel length would be so much better. Just too long for me i think.

[waksupi]

110 grains of 2F sounds plenty stout.
..

I'm thinking the same thing.

[Beerd]

I would think that anything hit by a 320 grain roundball launched with 65 or 70 grains of good blackpowder will be in a world of hurt.
..

[quail4jake]

My compliments, Bigted! Spot on with the .615 ball and .010 cleaning patch, beautiful fusil too. I just passed my 40th anniversary with the 20 bore, birdshot, buckshot, ball...we do it all, which is why this smoothbore was the choice of early colonists here in the 17th and 18th century. Those groups you show are all dead deer at 40 yds, which is my max range with my 20 bore. 110 gr is 4 drams and stout for the 20 but there are accounts of over 5 drams in New England fowling pieces, GOOD LORD! The standard 20 bore shot load is 7/8 oz shot and 2 1/2 drams (70 gr round) FFg which patterns well, ball seems to work at 3 dr (80 gr round). I made an antler measure that gives me about 75 gr Swiss FFg and about 7/8 oz #8 shot which is all I use with my horn of FFg, ball block and shot pouch with tow swirled in bore butter for wadding. Yeah that sharp flint on the thumb stings! My 20 bore 1670 long carbine:

[bigted]

OMG ... did the deed. Cut 8 inch off so now she is 36 inch ... my god what a difference. She swings so fast now and low n behold i can actually see the front sight now ... LOL

Been threatening to cut her down ever since we met and she came to live with me. Feels like a carbine now.

Cant wait to go shoot it now. It is plainly another smoothie now and i bet she will need more load development which means much more shooting which means i need to spend some time at the casting bench. More news after a range trip.

[bigted]

Jake ... good looking Fowler. 40 years of great times i bet, congrats. So with a handle such as yours im bettin you have some great quail recipes.

[Good Cheer]

About recoil, here's some partly useful numbers from a 32" flint rifle with GOEX and .60 round ball.
80 grains FFg 1314FPS.
120 grains FFg 1533FPS.

[quail4jake]

About recoil, here's some partly useful numbers from a 32" flint rifle with GOEX and .60 round ball.
80 grains FFg 1314FPS.
120 grains FFg 1533FPS.

Good numbers, faster than I thought, thanks for posting! Can you imagine that big soft ball striking a heavy bone at that velocity? COMMINUTED!