.625"

[Britsmoothy]

A kind gent from the outer Hebrides,the Isle of Harris kindly sent me a number of .625" ball to try in my .630" faux trade gun.

Here is the target, a disused sign again that represents a deers chest. Shot at thirty yards.

Ok doesn't look interesting but bare with me.
The aim point was the letter P.
The two closest were the last two shots. The one above them two was the first of that load chain and the following two responded to an aiming adjustment by me so by rights they should all be together.
That load was 55gn of fine powder.
Thin card+wet leather+.625"ball+thin card.

The first three shots were to spread and difficult to load consisting of a fibre wad top and bottom of the ball. They spoil the target!
With this load and a little more testing this gun should be deer ready to 50yds!

These smooth bores are a hoot. On the return journey I switched to shot and got some squirrel in the bag.



B.

 

[Skychief]

Looking good Nate :thumbsup: . Do you deer hunt there??? I can't recall any deer hunting accounts from you, but, that doesn't mean that you've not constructed any.

You have to love these smoothbores. Took mine for a walk this morning. It too ran into some squirrel. :thumbsup:

Thanks for sharing and enjoy friend!

Best regards, Skychief :hatsoff:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thanks friend.
Britain is rammed with deer.
About six species.

Just not where I live :haha:

I use to travel for deer hunting but got tired of the traveling.
I'll just wait for some to come to me, they are getting closer. By the time I am 90 there should be plenty :rotf:

B :thumbsup:

 

[Skychief]

:shocked2:
:wink:

 

[NorthFork]

What is this wet leather you speak of? Also could you describe your sight picture? I'm struggling to find a consistently accurate ball load at 50 yards or beyond.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well to be honest I have yet to test at 50!
The wet leather it work glove leather wetted with olive oil.

The sight picture is for this gun the complete opposite to Bessy!
For ball with this one I look down the left side of the tang screw and just see very little round section of barrel by the muzzle.
In other words get my head down on the stock.
Head up for shot loads though.

Bessy is the other way around :idunno:

B.

 

[Redstick Lee]

beautiful fat squirrels !!

good shooting !

 

[NorthFork]

Does the leather serve as a patch or a wad?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Does the leather serve as a patch or a wad?

A wad friend. The bore is .629.
The ball measure .625".

Thanks all.

B.

 

[hanshi]

I like smoothbores more and more as time goes on. Mine is about .615" or thereabout. Kinda tight but shoots great with a thin patched .600" ball. It's already taken deer but I prefer my .32 or .36 flinters for bushytails. You sure got a mess of them with your trade gun. :thumbsup:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thanks :hatsoff:

B.

 

[Historian]

Sir, is that the Pedersoli Trade Gun you are shooting? I thought about buying one but have not pulled the trigger yet. Let me know what you honestly think about yours. :wink:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Sir, is that the Pedersoli Trade Gun you are shooting? I thought about buying one but have not pulled the trigger yet. Let me know what you honestly think about yours. :wink:

I love it.
My lock was slow and a poor sparker so I set too rehardening the frizzen and lightening the frizzen spring. I opened the vent a little too.
Now it is fast.
I love hunting with it.

B.

 

[Historian]

Any details/process would help. I had heard that too. :wink:

 

[NorthFork]

I recently bought one. I opened up the vent liner to 1/16". Fixed the slow ignition. It is absolutely perfect with shot. Wonderful patterns and density. I am having difficulties with round balls. Can't seem to find a consistently accurate RB load. I think I will get it figured out though. Overall I think it's fantastic and don't regret buying it one bit.

Edit- This matters to some.....it is not completely HC. It is very close though. It is a composite of features found on several original NW Indian Trade Muskets. The side plate is the only glaring issue in regards to HC. Easy enough to correct if this all mattes to you.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Any details/process would help. I had heard that too. :wink:

My lock was the exception.
The big advance was firing the frizzen in a carbon rich soup a couple of times until it took the carbon. Now it gives bright sparks.
I made a softer frizzen spring so instead of smashing flints I now get fair flint life.
You can see the new frizzen spring here.


B.

 

[Historian]

Thanks to all for the reply's!!!

 

[spudnut]

Mines not a pedersoli,but it's a twenty gauge, I load her with 70 gr,2f with a wad of tow over the powder for a good deal,then a .600 ball in a thin bedsheet spit patched that holds it in but is also easy to pull.Works good for me,the wad gives it good pressure

 

[Britsmoothy]

:thumbsup:

B.