.600 balls

[Rocky Johnson]

Shot a few balls in my fowler today. 2&1/2drams of 3f over power wad, bare ball & over shot card.Hit a 9" paper plate three out of three.Could not get a Tshirt patch started with my thumb so shot without a patch. Its a 20 ga.and I was shooting off hand at 30 yrs. I may learn to shoot that thing yet. Rocky /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

What does your bore measure?? Is it choked? The .600 is .020" Under the normal 20 bore single barrels available, easily. Seems to me, the old correct bore measurments for 20 guage is .615", not .620 or .625. I just measured a chunk of modern 20 guage shotgun barrel and it's .618", 1/2 way from .615 and .620. The .600 pure lead ball WILL allow at least a .010" patch in a .620 bore, and probably a .013 to .014 patch without too much problem.
; Sounds as if you have a .61 barrel or perhaps .600".
Daryl

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Daryl- I have no way to measure it.It's a colerain i think,42". The balls i was shooting are not pure lead.I have not shot this gun a lot, just got it last fall and we have Michigan weather here better suited for ice fishing.I caugh over 600 bluegills. Rocky /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Deadeye]

Rocky, Use a short starter and a tight patch and an over powder card wad helps . You'll be surprised how well that smoothie shoots. I use a .600 with .015 patch.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Deadeye I did not have a short starter with me I had just came back from rabbit hunting and happened to have some balls in my bag so I tryed them on the back stop I have in the back yard. Thanks for the help, you too Daryl. Rocky /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

Always glad to help. That's what this forum is for.
:If this happens again, try laying the end of the ramrod across the ball, sitting on top of the muzzle, and smack it with the heal of your hand to push the ball flush with the end of the barrel. Be carfeull you don't break the rod. That's how I loaded some tight ctgs. in my 14bore rifle. You can also choke right up on the rod, only an inch or so sticking below your hand, and push straight done. It will resist, then of a sudden, the ball will move as the pressure increases. This is how I had to load the tight fitting combo for the deep grouve .45 I had when I lost the starter.
: Colerain also makes a 20 bore that's choked - for shot only. It has a .580 bore at the muzzle, for .040" choke. As you can load the .600's your's isn't one of those. As he makes .62 rifles, with a .620 bore, your's will also be a .620" bore. A pure lead ball should allow up to .015" patch or so. A WW ball, will need a .009 to .011 patch.
Your accuracy with naked ball seems quite good! The problem is fouling with naked balls. you could roll them in lube, like #1000 stuff & that will help and is how we lubed the .650 RB's for the Ferguson, breechloading flint rifle.
Daryl

 

[Rob M.]

Try some .595 ball . I really like them when shooting patch ball in a true 20 ga.

 

[SDSmlf]

Try some .595 ball . I really like them when shooting patch ball in a true 20 ga.

You would think that in 19 years since the OP commented things have been figured out, or the OP went home. Oh, the OP hasn’t been on line for just about 10 years….. seems to have lost interest.

 

[Rob M.]

Oops !! LOL ....didn't look at the date

 

[smo]

 

[Timber Wolf]

You would think that in 19 years since the OP commented things have been figured out, or the OP went home. Oh, the OP hasn’t been on line for just about 10 years….. seems to have lost interest.

But what is nineteen years when we are shooting reproductions of 200+ year old guns? And many of us (like me) easily forget stuff from just yesterday anyway? ; )

 

[Eterry]

I think this thread should be renamed "Lazarus"

 

[TDM]

You never know. OP may have been patiently waiting.

 

[Eterry]

You never know. OP may have been patiently waiting.

Could be... but he hasn't been on here in almost 10 years. I just hope he's well.