10Ga Load Development

[10 Ga.]

Hi Everyone,

This Sunday I decided to work up a new load using 1.5F Old E and #4 birdshot. To do this I made several targets with a 30"circle with a 4" aim point in the center. I used 35" painters underlayment paper for the target. It is quite cheap if you use it frequently. All shot used was in packet form with the top of the packet ripped off. I used tracing paper for the shot packets. For cards I used nitro cards cut into 3 parts to make them about the size of an overshot card. I decided to try 5 different loads in the muzzle loader and one modern 12Ga load for a control comparison. The 12 Ga control load used an improved-modified choke while the 10 Ga is an original double that I believe is cylinder bore.

 

[10 Ga.]

After doing some shooting I was able to find a suitable load that closely resembles the commercially available 12Ga load. All shots were taken at 30 yards. The final load was 1-1/8oz 1.5 F Old E, card, crumbled lubed cushion wad, card, 1.5oz #4 shot, card. This load had 164 pellets in a 30" circle which is 78.8% of pellets. Any extra tips or tricks for patterning?
-10Ga

 

[10 Ga.]

 

[Historian]

Yes, get rid of the 1.5 Fg. It is made for cartridge black powder shooters. I have owned 3 10 gauges all Pedersoli's. I tried the 1.5 Fg too until I talked to Goex about that granulated size. Stick with shooting 2Fg in your 10 gauge and you will do just fine. 1 1/8 oz is a little light for a 10 but that is up to you. I shot 1 1/4 oz to 1 3/8 oz of bismuth 4's with 105 to 110 grains of OE 2Fg. 2 over powder wads, 3/8 inch lubed felt wad, shot and then another 3/8 lubed felt wad. Wish you the best of luck.

 

[Iceman]

Nice write up!

A few things stand out to me in your notes.

Since it is a double barrel was the same barrel used for all of the shots taken? I ask because pattern 1 and 2 appear to me to fall outside of and much better than the results you would expect to see with a cylinder bore. Loads 3-5 would be within what I would expect for a cylinder bore and pattern percentage wise are all reasonably consistent. The other thing I notice that makes me question the barrel used is loads 1 and 2 appear to hit low of the aiming point and 3-5 look centered if the writing can be used to orient the target to the position it was shot in. It could just be the larger spread in 3-5 making it look that way.

I would re fire loads 1 and 2 again to make sure they are not just a one off result, fire one of the other loads as the control using the same barrel for all. Would not hurt to fire the test over in the second barrel to see if it corresponds to the results from the first barrel potentially exposing one of the barrels being choked.

Your testing shows that less volume of powder than shot patterns better and I have always found that to be true.

 

[Dave Marsh]

Very interesting. I am getting ready to pattern my old Perkins double barrel 10 gauge as soon as it warms up which will be a while yet. Interested also if you shot out of the same barrel for all tests. Keep us posted if you do any more testing.

 

[10 Ga.]

All shots were made from the same barrel from the same firing position. That is except for the modern “control” target which was a modern 12ga. The writing is in the top corner of the target when it was hung up. I am still working on the lock for the left barrel which has been a long term project. I can’t think of a way to measure choke in these old barrels using my tools. I can measure the bore at the opening with calipers but that isn’t very helpful because I can’t get an interior measurement …

 

[Pukka Bundook]

OLl rule of thumb for a shotgun, is one dram for every half ounce of lead.

That is about 27 grains (for easier reckoning) to a half ounce.
So, for your 1 1/2 once load, you should try about 80 grains.
This works well for most shooting including geese when we could use lead shot.

To really test patterns, you need to draw an aiming mark on your paper, fire the charge, and Then draw the 30 inch circle around the centre of the pattern. This will tell you if the gun is shooting to point of aim.
It's best done at 40 yards, but 30 measured yards, and a few repeats as you did, will tell you a lot.
Many folks these days blow their patterns thinking you need big charges of powder. You are on the right track keeping powder down compared to shot.

Good luck,
Richard.

 

[Walkabout]

Interesting, ambitious project. Thanks

 

[BillinOregon]

The "southeast quadrant" in No. 1 and No. 3 looks like a death zone for any game bird from your right barrel. I tip my hat to your experiments. Patterning is a lot of work, and that's one reason why so few do it.

 

[ezekiel]

Historian is right on , I shoot the same loads .

 

[10 Ga.]

Hi Everyone,

I got out to test the two best loads from last week. They still performed well with one load having a good dispersion and another having an area of high density. I was going to test further but am running low on powder. All loads were again from the right barrel with #4 shot at 30 yds.

~10Ga

 

[SciAggie]

Are the cards listed in your load simply the thin overshot card wads?
*edit*
Never mind, I saw your description in the original post.

 

[Iceman]

That’s awesome that loads 1 and 2 verify your original results.

 

[10 Ga.]

I was surprised by the difference load order can make. I was originally using close to a sky chief load. These results for my specific shotgun are better than the sky chief. I’m surprised I’m getting close to modern 12ga accuracy with less choke and no shot cup etc. hopefully I can get my hands on some more real black and I can take this old girl out for Turkey season this year.

-10Ga

 

[10 Ga.]

The moral of the story is that even when you have a good load it can still be good to try new things and pattern them out. I got the painters masking paper for $14 at Home Depot ( https://www.homedepot.com/p/TRIMACO-Easy-Mask-2-9-ft-x-140-ft-Builder-s-Paper-35140/202040749 ). This will make 48 35”x35” patterning boards. Also as a side note these loads will easily penetrate both sides of an empty soup can at 30 yards.

-10Ga