20 smoothy success

[bigted]

Well stress and no time off for awhile drove me to the closet to ruminate on which gun to take to the range and take a 3 or 4 hour timeout.

The 20 was just the balm needed to put things a-rite again. Nothing but balls, powder and caps.

Grabbed the smoothie and its grub bag and off we went.

Not thinking, I began with .595 home cast balls and .010 thick patch's. 60 grains of 1.5 OE powder and CCI caps. This is wonderful and the corresponding 3 to 4 inch patterns at an easy 35 yards were a no grin propagation.

After trying several loads and ball size with no patching, I dug into the bottom of the shooting bag. Thinking I remembered a better grouping with it on the last outting, I found tucked in a corner a small plastic baggie with balls, patch's and a note written to myself the last time out.

Note said ; 60 grain OE 2Fg. .015 patch lubed with bee wax/Vasoline in a 50/50 mix, .595 cast balls, CCI Mag #11 caps.

Loading this load after a good cleaning, I yanked the trigger on the first 2Fg load. 2.5 inch high at 35 yds, directly above the small bull. 2nd load of the same, ball went thru same hole making it just larger. 3rd shot thru the same hole just about half a ball low (me), 4rth shot went 2 inch right after failing to cap it and getting a snap/nothing ... capping and got the 2 inch right shot (again me still shook from the snap/no fire). 5th and 6th shots back into the large hole the first shot went into.

Man I began grinning and remembered my last outting when I discovered this load. She shoots very clean and those groups had me riveted once again. This old girl is a treat upon my eyes with its curly maple stock, 36 inch half octagon half round barrel and converted flinter to capper ignition. She will be going on woods walks with me after I develop a good shot load for small game. Deer will be on the
menu next year ... hoping to get a tag in the high cascades.

Anyhow ... it worked ... stress bled away, never thought about anything but the 20 smoothy for 5 or 6 hours from loading the shootin stuff in the pickup to a thorough cleaning and loving on her back at home.

Man I love this smooth bore more now then ever. Have plethera of modern shootin irons ... but when it counts for stress relief ... nothing beats the cool ol smoothy and a few hours blowing smoke.

[markX]

That’s great!
I have a 20 smooth in the works. Hope it has the same effect for me ( I need it! Lol)

[RU shooter]

Been craving a20 ga smooth bore for a few years now just never got around to gathering up the parts to build one . Maybe this winter project .. yes the smell of black powder and simplicity of it all is relaxing ina way a cartridge gun can never be .

[bigted]

I thought Mike Belleview was a bit off when he said " the smooth bore has been the toughest to find the load it likes", but now I too must say the same. It took trying different loads off n on (mostly off ), for the last year to find the one it likes. And this only at 35 or 40 yards. Fraid I converted it to cap lock too soon. Now thinkin I should convert back to flint lock and see if the flint lock was as inaccurate as I blamed it to be. Or not ... I sure like the cap lock setup.

[rodwha]

Nice stress relief!

Have you tried patterning it with shot? Might just prove to provide further grinning.

[taco650]

I thought Mike Belleview was a bit off when he said " the smooth bore has been the toughest to find the load it likes", but now I too must say the same. It took trying different loads off n on (mostly off ), for the last year to find the one it likes. And this only at 35 or 40 yards. Fraid I converted it to cap lock too soon. Now thinkin I should convert back to flint lock and see if the flint lock was as inaccurate as I blamed it to be. Or not ... I sure like the cap lock setup.

I've watched Mikes videos on load development for his 20's and his most accurate loads end up using much heavier powder charges than you did. He also shot further.

Glad you got some stress relief, I'm way over due myself and the range is only 6 miles from my house...

[bigted]

Yes I like Mikes video's myself. He has shown an awful lot of good valuable information that has "tought" me some valuable lessons.

Mike is a bit more concerned with period correctness then I choose to be ( at the current time). I think Mike spent too little time with patched ball loads to find sweet spots and corresponding accuracy in his smooth bores. In his PC correct shooting, I have followed his path and realized the PC correct style of loading and shooting the smooth bore musket. 3 to 4 inch groups at 50 to 75 yards certainly will gather animals larger then a coyote.

I figure the heavy ball, wrapped in a greased patch, will be effective at way slower velocity's and corresponding powder usage. I think that 70 to 90 grains powder would however be proper for hunting deer, elk or bear at under 100 yards.

No have not tried shot yet. Thinking that differing loads and shot size should be a fun endeavor and obtaining the "possibles" for such is going to be my next move.

Hate to chew into lead shot tho in small game. Hurts my teeth that I have left. Other then this problem tho ... I can not imagine a more effective gun for "surviving" the wild's successfully , then a smooth bored musket shooting ball or shot.

My imagination allows that a feller tramping afield, holding a 20 loaded with a charge of shot, being in position to immediately take small game ... and if stumbling onto deer, elk or bear ... squatting down and pulling the over shot wad, and pouring the shot into a pocket ... shoving a ready patched ball down bore from a loading block ... and persuing the large game previously sighted.

Seems like a recipe for success to me. Best of both worlds and a single possibles bag to cover any needs.

[rodwha]

I like your thinking!

[taco650]

Or, having side by side with one loaded with shot, the other RB...

[bigted]

Or, having side by side with one loaded with shot, the other RB...

Yepper ... have a navy arms 12 Gauge double that I have put half assed sights front n rear on for a great shooting double gun. Those 12 balls are serious fun and I would think Bambi would drop immediately when struck with one!

[pietro]

.

Nice !

For birds & small game, I like to use 28ga shotcups with an overwad in my T/C Renegade 56SB.

The SB with a PRB works great on whitetails, but for serious big game, I was able to buy (online) a T/C .54 Hawken barrel, that's a drop-in for chump change ( $50).

[rfd]

If I was forced to have only one muzzleloader, it'd be a flintlock 20ga full stock OTR ... like the one I already have.

[Maven]

+1 to what rfd said!

[Hanshi]

IMHO the .62 (20 ga) is the best all around smoothbore when everything is considered. I love my flintlock smoothbore but the only thing I care to use shot on is turkey. I don't wingshoot or hunt small game with shot, being primarily a rifleman. Up to at least 50 yards (the farthest I've fired it) I get consistent 3" groups with 60 to 75 grains of 3F, a .600" patched ball and mink oil lube. These are all 3-shot groups and my gun has a rear sight. Bare ball loads have also given similar accuracy but not at all consistently. This deer was taken (running shot, too) with the same 75 grn patched load at 20 yards. Your load is definitely "deer ready" so go for it.

[taco650]

IMHO the .62 (20 ga) is the best all around smoothbore when everything is considered. I love my flintlock smoothbore but the only thing I care to use shot on is turkey. I don't wingshoot or hunt small game with shot, being primarily a rifleman. Up to at least 50 yards (the farthest I've fired it) I get consistent 3" groups with 60 to 75 grains of 3F, a .600" patched ball and mink oil lube. These are all 3-shot groups and my gun has a rear sight. Bare ball loads have also given similar accuracy but not at all consistently. This deer was taken (running shot, too) with the same 75 grn patched load at 20 yards. Your load is definitely "deer ready" so go for it.

What type of rifle is that Hanshi?

[taco650]

Correction Hanshi... what kind of smoothie is that ��

[RU shooter]

Yeah tell us the details on that gun . I like the looks of it a lot , the buttstock looks more rifle like than the typical fowler .

[Markopolo]

hey Big Ted.... lets see this purty smoothie... pic's rule