12 gauge RB for deer hunting?

[Skychief]

Today, I found myself monkeying with my 12 gauge caplock.

I fired several .715 roundballs. They were a tight fit. The only patching material I had on hand that worked was some of MAYBE ten thousandths.

Lubed with mutton tallow, any charge over 50 grains of 2f, was apt to burn through the patching. 70 grains did so with each try.

Undaunted, I happily used the 50 grain charge to "kill" several gongs from 15-60 yards.

Once again, I find myself really wanting to take this gun to the deer woods. Talk about the hammer of Thor! :shocked2:

I mentioned shooting at 15 yards. I should mention that I've recently made a little hide for the upcoming deer season. From the hide to where I expect to catch a buck strolling through is no more than 15 yards. I've watched bucks use the bottom of this ridge the past couple of years in search of does. Old bucks, too.

To say that I'm excited at the prospect of hunting the hidey hole with a good wind is an understatement.

If I still have a buck tag after the archery season, I'm thinking seriously about using the twelve gauge.

So, do ya think a .715 roundball on top of 50 grains of 2f black powder will work? :hmm:

How fast is that ball traveling at the muzzle of my 28" barrel?

Who's killed deer with the bigger smoothbores?

Best regards, Skychief

 

[Britsmoothy]

Friend, it will work but if you can, put some os cards on top of the powder first, or leather ones.
All my smoothbore guns respond well to a fire wall.

B.

 

[Skychief]

But Brit' , those thin burnt patches while using the heavier charges, will allow me to use 50 grains and still keep my "man card"! :haha: Can't have burnt patches you see, so......I had to go with the smaller charge. :wink:

I'm thinking she'll give plenty of horsepower and then some.

That said, I will try some cards when I get some more .715's in my hands.

Thank you friend, Skychief

 

[mooman76]

You could also use a wadded up patch over the powder before the patched ball.

 

[Stringbean]

Your .715 ball should weigh in at around 550 grains if i'm correct. Heres your ballpark energy:

1,000 ft/s = 1,221 ft/lbs
800 ft/s = 782 ft/lbs

I would think that even 800 ft/s would suffice. And i'll bet your not too far from this muzzle velocity.
String

 

[Patocazador]

Try .690" round balls and a thicker patch. I use 70 gr. of 2F in my 12 ga. SxS with the .690 ball and .018" pillow ticking. It's only accurate in my gun out to 40 yards.

 

[nhmoose]

Try wads and no patch, You may be surprised.

 

[nwtradegun]

I USED THE SAME COMBO IN MY DIXIE 12 GA. TRADE MUSKET. BUT USED 85 GR. 3F. NO PROBLEM WITH PATCH OR RECOIL.

 

[kingsax26]

My first Deer with BP was with a .54. I was using 60gr of 3f and a .535 ball I shot my deer a bit forward....and that shoulder stoppped the ball dead in its tracks....I myself would be very hesitant to shoot with any less than 70gr. I know many people are successful, i just like the feeling of comfort.

 

[Zonie]

For what it's worth, the Lyman "BLACK POWDER HANDBOOK & LOADING MANUAL" shows that they got a muzzle velocity of 592 fps with a muzzle energy of 385 ft/lbs when they shot a 26", 12 guage barrel with a .690 diameter ball in a .020 thick patch over a 50 grain GOEX 2Fg powder load.

Your 28" barrel will give that velocity a few dozen more fps.

At a range of 15 yards, the ball velocity will lose maybe 20 fps.

That would probably do the job on a deer if you keep the shot in the vitals but personally, I would think jacking up the powder load to something like 70 grains (794 fps) would make the shot more lethal.

You might try a wad between the powder and the ball to see if the larger powder load will stop burning the patch.

By the way. IMO, with a smooth bore you won't lose much accuracy or velocity even if the patch does get a bit toasted.

Usually, it's the poor accuracy in a rifle that makes patch burning a big issue (unless your concerned with sitting the countryside on fire with your burned patch).

 

[Skychief]

Thanks for all the replies guys!

I should admit that when I asked "do you think the load would work" for close range whitetail hunting, I asked tongue-in-cheek.

I have absolutely no doubt that if I do my part and put the ball in the boiler room, I'll get two holes and a tremendous blood trail. Probably a short one to boot.

I'm surprised to hear those Lyman numbers Zonie. I figured closer to 800-900 fps. Strictly a guess on my part. Thank you for reporting those numbers here. :hatsoff:

I remember hunting deer with unmentionable revolvers year's ago. Their bullets traveled at about 900 fps, weighing in at 240 grains. The few deer I took with those were all what some call "bang-flops".

I sure appreciate the replies all.

I'd fail to explain the reasons for my fervor to harvest a whitetail with one of these big spheres, but, thinking forward to it, makes me grin like a kid. :idunno: Always looking for something new or different, I suppose.

Have any of you actually taken game with 12 gauge roundballs? Would love to hear about your experiences.

Best regards, Skychief

 

[pab1]

I agree Skychief, that load will be a hammer! Too many people try to use FPE as a gauge for how effective a load will be. Unfortunately FPE does not reflect how effective large diameter, heavy projectiles moving at relatively low velocities really are on game. Taylor Knockout Value isn't a perfect formula either but it reflects the power of rounds like this much better than FPE.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Respectfully zonie, any jets of gas passing a patch in total random order will screw up grouping capability of any gun.

Pretty much in the same way space vehicle is steered in space so do those leaking jets last a patch at the muzzle.

Regards shooting game I once shot a rabbit with a .690" ball at a paced 47 pace's. It was a patched ball on top of a fibre wad and about 70grns (can't check here).
Oh, I got a complete pass through :v

B.

B.

 

[wattlebuster]

I have taken 2 deer with my flint 12 ga. both shots were about 30 yds or so an both were high shoulder. Both were dead right there. My load combo is a .690 self cast ball wrapped in a 020 beargreased pillow tick patch sitting on 100 gns of Fg. I confident in the gun an load out to 60 yrds

 

[smo]

That load should be more than enough Skychief. The only problem I see with it is ...it will probably limit the expierience you will get in the art of tracking game . This will be due to the massive amount of blood loss as well as deflation of air capacity in the lungs. :thumbsup: :haha:

 

[smo]

I can almost feel the 100 grn punch as I was reading your post Allen. :grin: I plan on grabbing a couple pounds of 1fg next weekend to expierment with .

 

[No Deer]

Have any of you actually taken game with 12 gauge roundballs? Would love to hear about your experiences.

Best regards, Skychief

I shot a button buck with a Pedersoli 12 ga. mortimer flintlock at about 20 yards. Literally lifted him off his feet and knocked him down, he did not get up. Load was a .69 round ball, pillow tick patch, and iirc 75 gr. 3f (that's all I had at the time).

 

[wattlebuster]

I can almost feel the 100 grn punch as I was reading your post Allen. :grin: I plan on grabbing a couple pounds of 1fg next weekend to expierment with .

With the Fg the recoil is not bad at all. Got more a a push than a kick IF that makes any sense. You will like the Fg John or at least your gun will

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Try wads and no patch, You may be surprised.

:thumbsup:

Zonie Wrote:
That would probably do the job on a deer if you keep the shot in the vitals but personally, I would think jacking up the powder load to something like 70 grains (794 fps) would make the shot more lethal.

I agree. 70 grains is pretty much a 2½ dram powder load, and a favored load in modern shotguns firing basic slugs and even "pumpkin balls" (modern shells loaded with a single round ball) since they started making shells....shells which at first were made to duplicate muzzle loaders btw.

LD

 

[George]

What Moorman76 said. If you decide you want to shoot more than 50 grains, you can, while still using the thin patch. Many years ago while developing a strong, long distance load for a western hunt, I had problems with my regular patch burning in my .54. I tried simply wadding up another patch and loading it on the powder before my regular patched round ball, and the problem disappeared.

I believe it's not good to have gasses blowing by the patched ball, which is the problem if patches burn. Doing what I call double patching would simply protect your thin patch from burnout and make sure it does its job, even with more powder.

It would be my inclination to load a bit heavier than 50 grains in a 12 gauge, just in case the shot doesn't come off as planned. Whitetails are totally unreliable, he may walk by at 16 yards instead of 15 as planned, and then whatcha gonna do? :haha:

Spence