Hands Up For Smoothbore PRB Hunters

[rodwha]

Quite curious about hunting with a patched ball from a smoothbore (28 ga/.550").

Seems the average range is about 50 yds + with a few who excel with theirs and can go a bit further (6" groups).

So what say you?

[triggerhappy243]

If i had one..... It would be on my list of things to do to prove someone wrong.

[DIRT Farmer]

There was the day when all of the stars aligned the breezes was perfect and I was shooting way over my head. 4 inches 100 yards offhand in a match with several witnesses.
At 125 to 150 all bets are off. This was with a 28 ga Colrain medium weight barrel

[DIRT Farmer]

Also my brown bess would hold the 7 ring black at 100 if I could keep from flinching from the recoil

[Maven]

Yes, 50 yd. is practically a cakewalk if you practice; double that if your smoothbore has a rear sight. Btw, I say this because I know a smoothbore (20ga.) shooter who routinely hits gongs at 50 - 100 yd. using a patched RB. Two Sundays ago I witnessed a hit on a 6' tall oxygen tank @ 125 yd. Hunting with a smoothbore isn't the main problem, but finding the proper RB diameter and patch thickness which -> repeatably accurate results may take some time and effort.

[rodwha]

If i had one..... It would be on my list of things to do to prove someone wrong.

Maybe you need one too then.

Funny that you raised your hand but haven't done so...

[triggerhappy243]

no, i do not need one. it is of no interest. some guys like jets, some like egg beaters, some like trucks........ and some like to walk.

[rfd]

hand up, can i get a witness?

20ga jackie smoothie, 42" OTR w/front sight only, .595 ball in a .015 greased patch, 70 grains of swiss 3f, DRT @ 50 yards if the operator does the right thing. a 7lb lightweight that's joy to hold offhand and packs a wallop on any kinda north american critter.

https://i.imgur.com/7KJXIul.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/u8rP0bi.jpg

before she got colored and coated ...
https://i.imgur.com/tEmVpJO.jpg

a custom akton boot i stitched up, to tame her recoil ...
https://i.imgur.com/HblufSd.jpg

[rodwha]

Very nice rfd!

Is there padding in the boot or is it just leather?

[rfd]

1/2" akton gel pad (from kick killer). all my bpcr guns use kick killer akton powdered butt pads. i can fire off a hundred 80+ grain .45-70 528 grain bullet loads all day long and no shoulder issues (and i do have a bad gun shoulder to begin with).

https://i.imgur.com/V50OfJx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OE5Z4xX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LIDv4pW.jpg

[Beerd]

not sure I'd be brave enough to whack off the stock to get the right length of pull.
but ya do what ya gotta do.
..

[rfd]

in my case for the above smoothie, the butt's shape wasn't to my liking and so i took off about 1/4" to flatten the curve. the akton filled butt boot added about 3/8" back. works fine for me. yep, to each their own. ;)

[rodwha]

Funny as that's what I figured I'd do were I to get a GPH. Not sure about that curved butt plate.

[rfd]

fill in the butt plate with a "half moon" piece of wood, buy or make a butt pad. ;)

[rodwha]

I'm a rather small guy (5'8") and figured whacking the curve flush and adding some sort of pad would likely do me fine. Of course I'd try it as is first. May just find I like a crescent butt. And if not I'd certainly figure out what needs to be done to fit me well.

[rfd]

crescent butts are ok for me until the load starts punching instead of pushing. that usually happens too quick as the load escalates. this is why most bpcr rifles have shotgun butt stocks. a .45-70 ppb cartridge with 80.5 grains of 1-1/2f under a 528 grain patched slick can do more than punch, and hurt more than "ouch!". so, lots depends on the gun and the load. my trad ml 50's and 54's don't get more than 60 grains of 3f, so their crescent butts are of no concern. 70 grains and up are another story - then, they'd get booted. the 20ga/.62 smoothie is about 2lbs lighter than the half stock rifles, and near 100 grains more of patched ball, so the recoil is more, lots more. hence the akton leather boot i made for it. ya do what ya gotta do. getting beat up, as i see happen to more than a few folks, is like - why???

[Good Cheer]

Got a Pedersoli 1816 to get straight with. Have to figure out how properly to do a rear sight.

[hc18flyer]

Need to get my 20 trade fused out again. When I was shooting it weekly, 60 yards was my self imposed deer limit. I did take a 70 yards shot on a nice 4x4 (plus brow tines) buck, but I had a good light, steady rest situation. So far that is my best ml Deer! My eyes are 14 years older, so my range would be much closer. Many very fond memories of shooting the fusil! Oh HELL, NEED TO HUNT WITH IT AGAIN THIS YEAR! hc18flyer

[Maven]

hc18flyer, If a bit of competition interests you, "Ohio Joe" will be sponsoring a SB postal match in October. Here's a link to the site & post: http://tradmla.org/tmaf/index.php?topic=22308.0

[RBak]

Quite curious about hunting with a patched ball from a smoothbore (28 ga/.550").

Seems the average range is about 50 yds + with a few who excel with theirs and can go a bit further (6" groups).

So what say you?

Rodwha, just because it's a "smooth bore" don't let that hold you back on distance.
My experience tells me that distance is established as much by the shooter as the type of gun being used, and only the shooter himself, shooting the gun in question, can establish that distance......don't be afraid to push a PRB in a smooth bore, quite often faster is better, much better.

Russ...

[Lonegun1894]

I get 5-6"@75yds, but my groups fall apart before I get to 100yds w my .54 smoothbore. I have had a few 6" groups at 100yds, but just enough to frustrate me by letting me know the gun is capable if I would just figure out what it's trying to tell me it likes. I limit myself to 75 until then.

[OverMax]

Quite curious about hunting with a patched ball from a smoothbore (28 ga/.550").

Seems the average range is about 50 yds + with a few who excel with theirs and can go a bit further (6" groups).

So what say you? Shooting a antiquated designed smooth bore for fun and giggles certainly could be a fun experience. For hunting? Not knowing what distance _ hunting circumstance or terrain I might find myself. Having to shoot too or thru?_ It would be difficult choice for me to grab a smooth bore Fouler over my Hawken equipped with its factory Round Ball Only barrel.

It really pleases me to see 3" accuracy at 100 yards with what I shoot now. I don't know if I would accept a Foulers 6" or more grouping accuracy at 50 yards.

Rabbits & squirrel? I already have a smooth bore preference for their harvesting. Its name: Handmedown 28 ga. Iver Johnson Champion.

[rodwha]

Some people here are getting closer to 6" at 75 yds which would make 50 yds a piece of cake, right?

I have rifled .50 cal. I've yet to work on an accurate load with a PRB and finally got glasses which should help reduce my groups, but these guys are getting group sizes with a smoothbore that I'm getting with a PRB at 50 yds so far. Now the 320 grn REAL is another story as these seem to be favored by my barrel giving men ear touching holes at that distance.

If a smoothbore is capable why not use it? Doesn't that add to the experience using what many people think of as a worthless antiquated means to bring home the game while adding to the challenge that, unlike a rifled barrel, I must get close enough?

Ultimately I want this smoothbore for turkey and small game hunting with shot. But why not try PRB? And if it ends up just being a range toy I'm sure, if it groups well, I'd be asked lots of questions as I typically am with the guns I have. People are amazed that my cap n ball pistols give me better groups at 15 yds over what many are getting at 7 with their bottom feeders. Of course the thunder and smoke is often what brings them over with questions to begin with...

[rodwha]

Oh, and I'm pretty fair at judging distances within 100 yds with my old boss and I playing a game of "how far do you think that is?" and then stepping it off to see who's closer. Being off by 10 yds won't necessarily mean a bad hit within 50 yds if it's giving <4" groups at that distance.

[Lonegun1894]

You'll do just fine, and if you have a rear sight, you'll see little difference in your group size between a rifle and this smoothbore at 50yds. At least if you consider what you need as far as size of kill zone. Now without rifling, you won't be able to stabilize the REAL you mentioned, but you know that. And just between us, after having read a lot of your posts over the years, I'll honestly be shocked if your effective range after liar work up isn't at least 75 yds, and I'm curious how you do at 100+.

[rodwha]

I've actually been figuring I'd swap the fiber optic sights from my Deerstalker for the ones that will come on the Trade Rifle unless I deal with an Oregon barrel. Lyman no longer shows spare barrels on the order form and I've yet to contact them.

[Hanshi]

Mine has a rear sight and shoots ball, both patched and unpatched, quite well. Shoots shot pretty darn good, too.

2040https://s20.postimg.org/ty24sd7dp/PICT0586-2.jpg52

[Pavia]

I find I get better accuracy without a patch. Heavy load and a lubed wad seems to work for me.

[KCSO]

I cheat as I am not so concerned with NMLRA rules as getting game. I have a rear sight on my trade gun and it's good to 70 yards on either deer or buffalo. 62 rb 82 grains of FFg the ball lightly patched over a hard card wad on the powder. No as to actual hunting the farthest I have shot a deer so far is 24 yards. But I am ready for a long shot as I practice out past 50. I also use it for our Mountain Man course with swinging and moving targets out to 40 yards.

[Lonegun1894]

At least I'm not the only one who concentrates on hunting performance instead of playing by the rules of some competition. Thank you, KCSO.

[taco650]

Mine has a rear sight and shoots ball, both patched and unpatched, quite well. Shoots shot pretty darn good, too.

2040https://s20.postimg.org/ty24sd7dp/PICT0586-2.jpg52

Hanshi,

give the details of that rifle again it you would. I can't remember what it was but I sure like it!

[pietro]

.

My T/C 56SB Renegade smoothbore would reliably shoot 3-1/2" groups (if I did my part) @ 100yds - the zero distance I used because there are no longer shots available where I hunt deer.

Of course, an accurate load & loading method should be developed for a particular rifle.

BTW, my .56 smoothie gave respectable results on small game with 28ga shotcups, an overshot wad & #6 birdshot (in my gun - YMMV).


.