.56 SB at the range

[pab1]

I made it to the range today with my .56SB Renegade. It was a blast! This was my first time shooting a smoothbore, I can't believe I've been missing out on this.

I started out with some .550 rb, which grouped well at 25 and 50 yards with a .018 patch. I ran a couple over the chronograph which showed 1240fps with 90 grains and 1313fps with 100 grains. This is with Graf and Sons FF powder which I have read gives lower velocities than others, but it's pretty close to the data in the TC manual.

I tried some #7-1/2 shot next. This target was at 25 yards using 80 grains of FF and 7/8oz of shot. I tried a few loads using less powder and more shot, but never saw a real improvement in the shot pattern. Most loads put about 8-9 pellets in the vitals. I don't plan on using this barrel for turkey since I picked up a .62 barrel. I'm anxious to see what the .62 will do with some #6 shot.

 

[bingo1952]

Looks like a dead Tom to me at 25 yards. :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

Some possible considerations:

Goex 3F gives me better patterns than Goex 2F in both my .54 & .62cal smoothbores;

This link is an exceptional smoothbore artical featuring the .62cal smoothbore which I follow.
It's principles also apply very well to my .54cal smoothbore (ie: your .56cal)
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html[/url]

 

[Geraldo]

Thanks for posting the pics. Like you, I've got a .56 and a .62, I just haven't had time to get them out to the range yet.

 

[mazo kid]

Pab1, looks pretty darn good to me. Work up from there if you can.

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

Great picture, In my 56 I use a 535 rb. and 18th patch. I got this load from this forum and my gun is easier to load and shoots great. 550 rb and 15th is too tight. As far as my shooting #5 or #6 shot from my gun I cannot get it to pattern well enough for Turkeys. Going to try more loads when it warms ups in WV.

 

[roundball]

Great picture, In my 56 I use a 535 rb. and 18th patch. I got this load from this forum and my gun is easier to load and shoots great. 550 rb and 15th is too tight. As far as my shooting #5 or #6 shot from my gun I cannot get it to pattern well enough for Turkeys. Going to try more loads when it warms ups in WV.

My .54cal smoothbore throws an excellent turkey pattern in the 25-30 yard range with:

70grns Goex 3F
1/2 Circle Fly .28ga lubed cushion wad
100grns #6 magnum shot (copper plated even better)
Circel Fly OS card

(the cushion wads slice neatly with a single edge razor blade)

Same load should work in the .56cal.

NOTE:
While 7.5s make a pattern look great on paper because of the higher pellet count, I personally don't believe they have enough energy & penetration...and if modern shotgun shells are any reference they use 4s/5s/6s...never 7.5s...plus, the modern shot loads are traveling at a higher velocity than our BP loads.

Remember, you might score a few hits in the turkey head / neck area on paper but if the neck vertebrae or brain are not hit/broken, the turkey will just fly off with a couple flesh wounds in the jelly skin of it's neck wondering what the heck that was...that's why turkey targets go to such trouble to show the details of the brain and neck vertebrae...forget counting any holes except those in the brain and vertebrae as they don't mean anything.

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

Great, Thanks I will try it out. :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

I still think you are using too much powder. If you have not tried this load, I think you are making a big mistake.

"I once made a 28 ga. single barrel for a 10 year old girl and we loaded it with 2 drs. of FFg and 3/4 oz. of No. 7 1/2 shot and found that it would do a nice job of work up to 30 yards or more, it gave good clean breaks on clay birds and she managed to kill 5 pheasant roosters with it the first season so I reckon that 2 dr. and 3/4 oz. is about the right dope for that size."

This paragraph came from the V.M. Starr article on Bob Spenser's site. You may be able to increase pellet count by raising the shot amount to 1 oz., but this should be a very good 30 yard load as is.

Study the Velocity tables in the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Manual and see how much velocity is lost at 20 yards compare to your MVs. The faster you send shot into the air, the facter it will also separate, and open your pattern. The more open your pattern is, the less effective it will be on game. #7 1/2 Shot pretty much loses it power after 30 yards. Out to that distance it will kill pheasants because of the number of hits you get on the birds. But after that distance, the shot may not get through feathers, and a wounded bird is the more likely result. Been there, and done that.


In the Lyman book, you will also find tables that give you pellet energy. This can be very helpful when you go blind counting those pellet holes on a turkey. Take the number that actually hit bone, and multiply that by the pellet energy for that size shot at that range.

I notice you shooting targets at 25 yards. There is a significant difference between the patterns you get a 25 yds, and 30 yrds, and then 35 yds. The shot pellets are accelerating away from each other almost as fast as they are going forward, creating a trombone bell effect in the air.

The last thing you just can't ignore, even if you would like to, is that damn Transonic zone. The Sound barrier and the transition of any speeding object through it causes all kinds of bad things to happen to the line of flight. Simply put, the vacuum behind a ball or pellet, is being broken down as the pellet is slowed by air resistance( forward movement) and Drag( rear pulling) which causes the pellet to move imperfectly, and unpredictably. Whatever happens, it is NOT GOOD for patterns.

By starting a shot charge at a velocity below the speed of sound( 1100fps), you avoid that problem, and get much nicer patterns at the short ranges you need for the patterns to kill birds, or small game. You can increase impact energy at the outside range of your gun( 30 yds) by using the next larger sized pellet.

That 1400+fps load is losing all that velocity within 20 yards, and you are down into the transonic range, where the pattern is being broken up. It just looks good at 25 yards. At 30 and 35 yards it begins to look more ragged, forgiving the lower pellet count in a given area.

Reduce that load below 1100fps and you will find even patterns even at these longer ranges. Its the number of pellets you can deliver at the target that matter, not how fast you can send shot out the barrel.

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

Thanks again, I have printed the suggestions and will try all the above. Heck this just give me an excuse to run out to the range again. :hatsoff:

 

[taylorh]

Hey,
Great gun, ain't it! I found that mine patterns best using 70g powder and 1 ounce of shot. Not only does it give a higher pellet count as you would expect, but it seems to shrink the group also.
Enjoy,
Taylor in Texas