Triball Shotgun?

[jmort]

I would go with 3" as I only have 3" guns and components. Love my 500's

[joecool911]

I am wondering what the recoil is like shooting the triball? My biggest gun is a 45-70 shooting 405 grain bullet @ 1,800 fps. Three .600 balls must weigh around 1,100 grains. With 3 times the projectile weight and 2/3 the velocity. Must put a punch on your shoulder. Is the 3.5" load significantly more punishing? Friend says it'll make a grown man cry.

[jmort]

Around 945 grains at 1100 FPS for 2580 ft lbs. the .45-70 you describe is 2914 ft lbs. the Tri Ball is way "more gun "

[joecool911]

The foot pounds you recited must be in error. You listed the triball load as less than my 45-70.

[jmort]

No I am pretty sure they are right- on.

[joecool911]

So is that per ball or for all three? Because you say the tribe all is a lot more gun but you are showing the foot-pounds of the 4570 to be more than the foot-pounds of the tribal.

[jmort]

Total for three balls. If you have time check out the results of the Tri Ball in the "Bone "Box" at the Linebaugh Seminars.

[RMc]

What is the optimum barrel length and choke for triball loads? I am interested in a predator shotgun for up to and including cougar. Id like it to be a light shotgun, but not expensive either. Are there any short barreled guns with choke tubes?[/QUOTE]

Let's look at the ammo / choke relationship first. With a .600" diameter ball and .035" wad petals (x2) the total diameter is .670". This establishes the tightest choke exit diameter that most likely will not pinch the wad petals during forcing cone and choke transit.

On the other hand, I have had excellent results with my 870s using a Briley extended full choke with a .695" exit diameter. Most of the patterns fired with this level of choke run approximately 4.5" at 40 yards, with many exhibiting tighter patterns. I prefer extended full choke tubes for greater versatility with different loads including conventional small buckshot. Like any gun/choke/load combination, serious pattern testing is the only way to verify. The patterns should be triangular and if one ball hits significantly away from the others, your choke is too tight.

I think choosing a sight system should be based on personal eyesight and preference. Using the 870 series shotguns as an example, there are now many factory options ranging from 20" barrel open sight slug barrels to "tactical" models with built in ghost ring sights and scope rails - both equiped with Remchoke tubes. However, as a shotgunner first, I have found the higher sight line of such sights to be slower for me than the simple ultra-low Bead on a Flat, ( o ), sight picture of the rugged Remington vent rib found on these field guns. Both my Express and Express SuperMag with 26" barrels center Tri-ball patterns approximately two inches "above the bead" for me at 40 yards. I am not the only one who has found Tri-Ball loads shoot close to same pattern center as other heavy shot loads.

Barrel length is a very personal decision as well. Certainly, if you are following the dogs after cougar or hogs, a 20" barrel would be very handy. Here again there are other considerations to take into account. I am very comfortable with the 26" barrels of the field guns that have been my first choice for many years. The weight forward balance of the heavier Remchoke barrels track smoothly to target and seem to mitigate some of the upward recoil motion I've noticed with heavy shotgun loads and short barrels. That said, many hunters have set up 21" vent rib barrels with fiber optic "turkey" sights for a high visability conventional sight system with an exceptionally low to the bore line of sight.

One thing to note, pattern testing with heavy loads from a bench - even with an upright posture - can affect point of impact due to the longer barrel time and recoil impulse of shotguns. I prefer to use a standing benchrest that lets you move with recoil just as you do in the field. I have never noticed recoil when firing at game.

Bottom line: Tri-Ball buckshot will do the job in wide spectrum of shotguns. That is not a fence sitting position. As a shotgunner first, I prefer a the 870 platform with a fixed vent rib/bead sight system and field length barrels. Whatever sight system and barrel length you use, I strongly suggest setting up the gun to give you a solid sight picture the moment the gun comes to shoulder.

[RMc]

The foot pounds you recited must be in error. You listed the triball load as less than my 45-70.

Run the figures through this calculator (triball 28 grains powder wt.) and you will see how the velocity squared FPE formula favors velocity above all.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

Also here is a comparison between 00B and TriBall

http://www.dixieslugs.com/images/Dixie_Triball_vs.pdf

Note the Tri-Ball choke constriction/pattern results were with a thinner wad used before the now recommended PR Orange wad.