12 gauge round ball size

[Ryan]

I recently ordered a Caywood English game gun in 12 gauge. I plan to Turkey and deer hunt with this one. I’m gonna start getting supplies together and I’m trying to decide what size balls to get. Danny told me the barrels are .726 knowing this should I order .690 balls and .015 patches or go with .715 balls? Any suggestions from other owners of 12 gauge smoothbores would be appreciated. Thankyou

 

[F.G. Ford]

I recently ordered a Caywood English game gun in 12 gauge. I plan to Turkey and deer hunt with this one. I’m gonna start getting supplies together and I’m trying to decide what size balls to get. Danny told me the barrels are .726 knowing this should I order .690 balls and .015 patches or go with .715 balls? Any suggestions from other owners of 12 gauge smoothbores would be appreciated. Thankyou

Hi,
In my 12 gauge I shoot 80-90 grains of 2F black powder with a 3/4" dry felt wad, followed with a 3/4" felt wad soaked with 60/40 bees wax/olive oil, followed with a heavy brown paper wrapped .690 ball. It is important the the paper wrap encloses the front of the ball, to prevent the ball from rolling forward in the barrel. You can put a felt wad on top.
With the paper wrap, I have had no issues of the ball rolling forward.
It is impressive on anything.
With practice you can hit a pop can at forty yards. Even at fifty!
I have shot this load in my Pedersoli double 12, my old CVA double 12, and even my ancient 1840's Bond double 12.
The .690 round ball works much better than a .620, or .600 round ball.
I have tried .715 balls, but they were way too tight.
If you don't use lube soaked wads it will be hard to get successive shots out, and accuracy goes for a dump.

 

[Ryan]

Thankyou. Is the brown paper wrapping similar to a brown paper lunch sac? Or a brown paper grocery sac? Do you completely cover the ball in the paper and seat it home? That accuracy sounds great I would be more than happy with that for my deer hunting.

 

[rich pierce]

Generally a round ball 20-30 thousandths undersize is needed in a smoothbore. I shoot a .662 in my .69.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I shoot a .690 ball with .020 patch in my 12 gauge

 

[MountainSmoke]

I have been shooting a . 690 bare ball in my 12 gauge with tow wadding over powder and ball. The ball pretty much just falls down the bore when it is clean and only needs a slight push when fowled. It shoot good enough for me out to 50 yards or so. Honestly in my gun I saw no improvement in patching the ball, some folks do though so I'm not saying not to patch it if you want to. The bare ball method may be more historically correct if that is important to you. I have heard that the tow pushing against the ball upon firing centers the undersized ball in the bore as it is shot out rather than the ball bouncing around like you would think. Heavier powder charges (90 to 110 grains) of 2f have proven to be the most accurate in my 12 gauge with bare ball loads. 3f does comparably well with less powder, for mine 75 to 85 grains of 3f seams to work best.

 

[Bighorserider]

My CVA 12 SxS shoots 69 caliber balls with regular cloth patches just fine.

 

[Ryan]

Thankyou for all the replies so far. I’m working on ordering my supplies before my game gun is finished. sounds like .690 round balls are the way to go.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I shoot .690 balls and a .020 patch in my 12 ga, the bore is .726. I tried .70 balls and couldn't get them down the bore after a few shots. I tried bare balls combos and got horrible accuracy. My barrel is jug choked which doesn't affect patched ball accuracy in my experience.

 

[Ryan]

Thankyou that helps a lot. I will start with the .690 ball and .020 patch.

 

[boker]

What kinda accurate are these and what kinda range can you stretch it out too?
I am thinking a smooth bore may be my next build , like the thought of a do it all gun.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I recently ordered a Caywood English game gun in 12 gauge. I plan to Turkey and deer hunt with this one. I’m gonna start getting supplies together and I’m trying to decide what size balls to get. Danny told me the barrels are .726 knowing this should I order .690 balls and .015 patches or go with .715 balls? Any suggestions from other owners of 12 gauge smoothbores would be appreciated. Thankyou

Danny puts out a good gun and he is highly skilled at shooting smoothies. He is the one to ask what works best in his guns.

 

[Big Bear Joe]

My CVA 12 SxS shoots 69 caliber balls with regular cloth patches just fine.

What powder charge works good for patched 69 cal balls in your SxS?

 

[Timber Wolf]

Another .690 (Lee mold) and .020 patch shooter here, in my old CVA Double. As I recall I used 80 grains of 2f. I am using these same balls paper patched with 100 grains of 1.5f in my Bess.

 

[Big Bear Joe]

Do you think a starting load of about 50g Fg or FFg genuine blackpowder with a patched 690 ball would be too low for a Pietta 12 gauge SxS?
For this gun 85 grains makes a nice pattern with 1-1/4 oz No. 8 shot. So I was thinking to reduce the starting charge with the round ball load

 

[Flintandsteel]

You don’t need to reduce your load for a round ball. It weighs way less than your shot load.

 

[Big Bear Joe]

OK, thanks

 

[Big Bear Joe]

I got a very nice suprise in the mail this afternoon. The Lee .690" round ball mold o was expecing to see with the old style aluminum bar and V-groove came with the new style and far superior pair of carbide pins and insets. Wooohoooo!

 

[Jr45]

I used .690 patched ball (pillow ticking) and paper cartridges in all my 12ga with success. I also used 1oz Lee key drive slug in plastic shot cup with some success. With the key drive slug, I use a thin nitro card over the powder then the lee slug in waa12 wad. I sometimes also use a 1/16” 20ga nitro card under the slug at the slug base. No need for overshot card as the slug does not roll out.

 

[Big Bear Joe]

that sounds like a good plan. I'll have to try the flax tow wadding to see if it is faster loading than powder and moist patched ball

I have been shooting a . 690 bare ball in my 12 gauge with tow wadding over powder and ball. The ball pretty much just falls down the bore when it is clean and only needs a slight push when fowled. It shoot good enough for me out to 50 yards or so. Honestly in my gun I saw no improvement in patching the ball, some folks do though so I'm not saying not to patch it if you want to. The bare ball method may be more historically correct if that is important to you. I have heard that the tow pushing against the ball upon firing centers the undersized ball in the bore as it is shot out rather than the ball bouncing around like you would think. Heavier powder charges (90 to 110 grains) of 2f have proven to be the most accurate in my 12 gauge with bare ball loads. 3f does comparably well with less powder, for mine 75 to 85 grains of 3f seams to work best.