20 gauge NSW trade gun?

I have a 20 gauge North Star West trade gun that waksupi built. I have only loaded it with shot to use as a shotgun. My grandson was here this week and wanted to shoot a musket with the ball load. Since I don’t have any of the military muskets I told him we would try the trade gun with a ball load. The only balls I had were .600 diameter and with the thinnest patches I had we couldn’t start the ball so we loaded the bare ball with a wad on top to keep it in place. My question to those that have a 20 gauge NSW gun what diameter balls do you use and what patch thickness.
Thanks

Mine run .582 ish

I like to use .600 and wad. I will often roll the balls around on a rasp to dimple them up like a golf ball as well.

I put in powder then a good wad of hornets nest then a bare ball on top then a wad of hornets nest and good to go. been doing it for years, killed a lot of ROEBUCK that way. also great for shooting paper also.

After a lot of trials, I found a wadded load works best in my Brown Bess and 28 ga trade gun. Load as if for a shotgun drop in a ball and use an over shot wad to hold the ball in. Apperently the old dead guys knew what they were doing, and a friend will use green grass, shoots good, he has beaten me regulary and every one else plus it keeps the fouling down

With a patch 590 and with a wad 600 I use a card wad under and over on the bare ball. Accuracy is a little better with the patched ball but I was given a load of 600 so I use them up when I can. 80 grains of FFG and a 600 ball will do for a buff a OK.

Pretty sure my mold is .600 with a .015 patch? I've never had trouble loading it. I Ned to start shooting it again. hc18flyer

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Originally Posted by LIMPINGJ

I have a 20 gauge North Star West trade gun that waksupi built. I have only loaded it with shot to use as a shotgun. My grandson was here this week and wanted to shoot a musket with the ball load. Since I don’t have any of the military muskets I told him we would try the trade gun with a ball load. The only balls I had were .600 diameter and with the thinnest patches I had we couldn’t start the ball so we loaded the bare ball with a wad on top to keep it in place. My question to those that have a 20 gauge NSW gun what diameter balls do you use and what patch thickness.
Thanks

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Did you check your ball diameter? Something is wrong here. You should be able to load a .600 with a thin patch, .595 with pillow ticking.

Is it mandatory to accuracy to use a patch. my bore is .6105 my balls i have right now are .6025. wouldn't those be fine for deer hunting without a patch as long as accuracy is there?

Andy

Like everything with muzzle loading it will take range time to tell. I have had no problem with a bare ball out to 50 yards but I did a lot of range time to get it all down.

About the only thing mandatory for accuracy is to have the ball headed in the right direction when it leaves the barrel.
Burning lots of powder to with beaucoup combinations of bare ball, patched RB, wads, lube, etc. will get you the trigger time and confidence to make that good shot when the time comes.
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My fusel-de-chasse - not a NSW - is a 20 gauge and my bore is .620. I have two molds that I use - a .600 with a thicker patch and a .610 with a thinner patch. What make barrel did he use on this gun? Just curious as I didn't realize they were what you are stating. I remember Curly and his guns but never knew what barrel he used. The 20 gauge on my fusillade is a Colrain.

BBB, I have a Trade Gun and Trade pistol that I built from Curley's kits. I had heard that he used commercial 20 gauge barrels, but don't quote me on that. Sadly, he has been gone for many years now, he was a character! The only way I can use a .600 ball after the first shot (very thin patch) is to load them naked over the powder.