Smoothbores

[peter72]

Gents,*
I've put some money down on another Pedersoli,* Indian Trade Musket 20g.
There's a lot of reading available out there for loading a rb in a smoothbore.
Id be interested in hearing any experiences with loads and successes in your smoothbore.
I've read of just the rb on a lubed patch and rb, lubed patch over an overpowder wad &/or card, rb with no patch over a wad/card and other variations.



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[waksupi]

This covers smoothbores fairly well.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?160666-Gots-a-question-for-you-Trade-gun-shooters

[bedbugbilly]

I have a 20 Ga. Fusil-de-Chasse. I use a .610 RB with a pillow ticking patch over 60 gr. of 2F - I'll mention it is a 42" barrel. I have tried using an over the powder card under the patched ball but out of mine, I really don't see where it helps much. At smoothbore ranges, it shoots well - or as well as I can shoot. I'm not going to win any long range matches with it but it's not intended for that anyway - but it's fun to try at long range!

My brother, on the other hand, has a 20 ga. NW Trade Gun with a 36" barrel. His gun seems to shoot better with the over the powder card under the patched ball - .610 ball with pillow ticking.

I believe you can get a sample pack of cards from Circle Fly - you used to be able to anyway. It might be good to get one or two packs and try them out of your smoothbore.

Just as a side note - I was at Friendship many years ago camping and shooting on the primitive range. A fairly well known fellow had a new (custom) smoothbore 20 ga. with a 42" barrel that he brought to try out. It wasn't suiting him where it was hitting after a number of rounds. He pulled the barrel from the stock, walked over to a tree with a crotch, slide the barrel in the crotch and gave it a couple of gentle "tugs" to "straighten" it. Not something I would recommend but for him, it worked. I don't know what he would have done it he had "over corrected" it . . . maybe use it to shoot around corners?

Every gun is going to shoot differently so just experiment with you new one. And don't get discouraged . . . it's a transition from a rifle to a smoothbore if you've never shot one before. It takes time to "learn" the gun and how it shoots but you'll figure it out! Good luck to you sir and I hope you'll post some photos of it when you get it! I'd love to see it!

[waksupi]

I have a 20 Ga. Fusil-de-Chasse. I use a .610 RB with a pillow ticking patch over 60 gr. of 2F - I'll mention it is a 42" barrel. I have tried using an over the powder card under the patched ball but out of mine, I really don't see where it helps much. At smoothbore ranges, it shoots well - or as well as I can shoot. I'm not going to win any long range matches with it but it's not intended for that anyway - but it's fun to try at long range!

My brother, on the other hand, has a 20 ga. NW Trade Gun with a 36" barrel. His gun seems to shoot better with the over the powder card under the patched ball - .610 ball with pillow ticking.

I believe you can get a sample pack of cards from Circle Fly - you used to be able to anyway. It might be good to get one or two packs and try them out of your smoothbore.

Just as a side note - I was at Friendship many years ago camping and shooting on the primitive range. A fairly well known fellow had a new (custom) smoothbore 20 ga. with a 42" barrel that he brought to try out. It wasn't suiting him where it was hitting after a number of rounds. He pulled the barrel from the stock, walked over to a tree with a crotch, slide the barrel in the crotch and gave it a couple of gentle "tugs" to "straighten" it. Not something I would recommend but for him, it worked. I don't know what he would have done it he had "over corrected" it . . . maybe use it to shoot around corners?

Every gun is going to shoot differently so just experiment with you new one. And don't get discouraged . . . it's a transition from a rifle to a smoothbore if you've never shot one before. It takes time to "learn" the gun and how it shoots but you'll figure it out! Good luck to you sir and I hope you'll post some photos of it when you get it! I'd love to see it!

I have a special tree to whack outside my shop for "adjusting" sights.

[northmn]

I built a 20 gauge "smooth rifle" based on a Beck design. I got about a 3" group at 75 yards with it but had to pay a lot of attention to loading. I used 100 grains of 2f and a fairly tight greased patch. However, the big thing was that I had to be very consistent with the ball. I loaded the ball based on the part from the mold and marked it such that it was loaded the same way every time. Weighed them to make sure they were also standardized. Smooth bores tend to go South at the longer ranges. You can just about load one to shoot one hole at 25 yards and see them open up at 50. Add to that the idiotic standards that call for no rear sight and 50 yards is about it. I built the smooth rifle for hunting and so far have shot a few small game critters with it with shot and a few clay pigeons. If you look at many originals they had makeshift rear sights. I also do not think higher velocities are conducive to accuracy out of a smooth bore. 100 grains of 2f does not drive a 600 ball very fast.

DP

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I have a special tree to whack outside my shop for "adjusting" sights.

Without recommending either in the strict sense of the word, I would put a lot more trust in whacking the barrel against a solid but not hard object, than in sticking it in a crotch and pulling.

It is the old story, your 100 yard group is going to be a lot bigger than twice the size of your 50 yard one. People put lot of time and trouble, or achieve lucrative patents, devising sophisticate slugs which I think improve very little on that. But a lot of woodland hunting is done at twenty or thirty, at which range you would have trouble noticing any superiority in the rifle.

[waksupi]

Without recommending either in the strict sense of the word, I would put a lot more trust in whacking the barrel against a solid but not hard object, than in sticking it in a crotch and pulling.

It is the old story, your 100 yard group is going to be a lot bigger than twice the size of your 50 yard one. People put lot of time and trouble, or achieve lucrative patents, devising sophisticate slugs which I think improve very little on that. But a lot of woodland hunting is done at twenty or thirty, at which range you would have trouble noticing any superiority in the rifle.

Totally agree, putting it in a crotch to bend is asking for sudden trouble!

[mozeppa]

Totally agree, putting it in a crotch to bend is asking for sudden trouble!

dealing with anybody's crotch is asking for trouble!

[rfd]

for all my smoothies, i've tried bare ball, towed ball, wadded ball and still prefer patched ball.

ALWAYS need to do some testing - give 'em all a go and see what yer gun and you like best.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

dealing with anybody's crotch is asking for trouble!

Somebody was bound to say it!

[peter72]

Thanks for the input gents. I hope to have the gun in the next few weeks :)

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