54 Smoothbore Again

[RJR]

First I want to thank everyone for the information you all gave me about loads for my first smoothie. Now the next thing I need information on is another smoothbore. I was given another smoothbore trade gun today from a guy at work who started it about 20 years ago and lost interest. He says it's a 54 but the barrel calipers at .560. Will I be able to use .530 ball with pillowtick? Will I have to go to heavier denim? Will I have to use a .540 or .550 ball? The barrel has no identifying marks on it so I don't know who made it. It's approximately 41 1/2 inches from the face of the breech plug. Octogon to round with no wedding bands. Stock is precarved with only the barrel and ramrod channel done. Don't know who makes the lock, no marks. It's almost identical to my L&R Queen Anne, almost fits inletting. Main spring fits but frizzen, pan and cock are slightly different, no fly on the tumbler. Missing butt plate, trigger guard, thimbles and screws. Any information you can give me is appreciated. In case you haven't figured it out yet, the one I just finished is my first smoothie. I need all the help I can get.

Thanks, Rick

 

[paulvallandigham]

A .560 barrel is close to a " 26 gauge( .263" Diameter) bore, and that is the size OS cards you will need to shoot shot. They can also be used as an OP wad, so that you don't have to guess on ball size, or patch thickness. Use what you have. If you seal the gas with a couple OS cards, you can shoot that .530 ball with thicker patching- if you have to use denim, so what? I suspect that your pillow ticking, if its close to .020" thick, will do just fine in holding the ball in that barrel. Put an OS card or two down on top of the PRB to be sure its held down against the Powder and OP wads.

Use 28 gauge loads in that barrel and you should do fine. I don't know a commercial source of .540 or. .550" diameter round balls. If you decide to go that route, you will have to order a custom mold. Only you can decide if you want to take that step, based on the kind of shooting you do. That may just be the reason those parts were " given " to you, no? :thumbsup:

 

[shootemup]

Track of the Wolf has .550 balls: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(t...atId=2&subId=25&styleId=58&PageSize=25&Page=3

I agree that you can use smaller balls with thicker patching, however.

In my .56, I use .550 roundballs and Wonder Wads for a .58. Works fine.

Good luck with it, tell us how it goes -
:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[Britsmoothy]

I would just try thicker patch first, cheaper that way!

Britsmoothy.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Thanks for the tip about Track having the .550 balls. I didn't know that. I am sure that is going to be a big help to shooters with this diameter bore.

 

[james travassos]

I SHOOT A 56 CAL. SMOOTH BORE TC RENEGADE, .550 BALLS .020 PATCH, EXTRA BORE BUTTER ON PATCH, 90 GRAINS 2F, 3 IN GROUPS AT FIFTY YARDS. IT IS MY FAVORITE GUN TO SHOOT.