.62cal Smoothbore Flintlock for Deer

[roundball]

Mailman just delivered the rest of the .62cal supplies...going after a deer with it this fall...planning to experiment with the following combinations and get it sighted in next weekend.

80 / 90 / 100grns Goex 2F
.62cal Oxyoke wonderwads
.010" and .015" Oxyoke prelubed cotton patches
.600/325grn Warren balls

The barrel is a 1" x 28" GM Flint drop-in octagon barrel on a TC Hawken I've carried turkey hunting a few times the past couple springs, but so far it's only been unloaded with compressed air after those turkey hunts ...figured it's past time to get it christened...:front:

Based on the posts I've read, looks like 80grns 2F and .017" pillow ticking is pretty popular...my thickest is only .015" plain cotton, but with a wonderwad there won't be any patch failures.

So I'm assuming a .015" patch (x 2=.030") with the .600 ball in a .620 bore should be plenty tight...we'll see

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I've used that load and patch combination in the past with good results. Now I use a .600 ball over 80 grains of ffg with a .010 patch as it loads a tad easier. Accuracy is about the same. As you know, the problem is that with front loaders, my load may not work in your gun but it might be worth a try.

 

[roundball]

I've used that load and patch combination in the past with good results. Now I use a .600 ball over 80 grains of ffg with a .010 patch as it loads a tad easier. Accuracy is about the same. As you know, the problem is that with front loaders, my load may not work in your gun but it might be worth a try.

That's why I got both .010" & .015" sized patches...with the cost of gas I want to have both to see which works best and get it sighted in during one range trip.

Only have two boxes of balls (20 each) so I won't waste any shots sighting it in from a bench...I'll sight it in like I hunt which is sitting leaning against a tree...get it as tight as possible at 25yds, then 50yds for final elevation zero, then check the drop (and accuracy) at 75yds...should be able to do that and still have a few balls left for deer hunting.
:thumbsup:

 

[The Baron]

I recently got a .62 Caywood Type "C" and did the same experimenting you are about to do. I found either 0.595" ball / 0.015" wonder lube patch or 0.600" ball / 0.010" wonder lube patch load easilly and shoot equally well with everything from 60 - 80gr FFg. I found with 80gr+ loads, the ox-yoke wads were necessary or I was burning patches, but they are not needed for 80gr and under with 0.015" patches or 70gr and under with 0.010" patches. The 0.600" ball / 0.015" patch loads fairly tight in my gun, but doesn't shoot any better than the easier loading stuff. I did minimal shooting with over 80gr. loads, as I have settled on the 80gr charge as my standard "big game" load for now, becasue my point of impact was moving further and further out to 2 o'clock with heavier loads. I will also include an ox-yoke wad when hunting, as it improves the accuracy slightly and (in my imagination, at least) will help keep patch goo out of the charge on those long treks before a shot is fired.

As an aside, I got some cast balls from a friend which were supposed to be 0.600". I tried loading them with a 0.015" patch and got the 3rd one quite stuck in the bore, only to find out the balls miced from 0.600" to as high as 0.612"! (I don't know what mold he has). Anyway, I shoot those balls with a 0.010" patch now with no trouble.

Have fun!

 

[lockjaw]

...I just finished casting 100 of .600 rb's using my lee mold. They mic from .600-.607...lately I've been loading these w/o patch, sandwiched between a split in half lubed fiber wad...better accuracy for my caywood wilson trade gun.

 

[roundball]

I recently got a .62 Caywood Type "C" and did the same experimenting you are about to do. I found either 0.595" ball / 0.015" wonder lube patch or 0.600" ball / 0.010" wonder lube patch load easilly and shoot equally well with everything from 60 - 80gr FFg. I found with 80gr+ loads, the ox-yoke wads were necessary or I was burning patches, but they are not needed for 80gr and under with 0.015" patches or 70gr and under with 0.010" patches. The 0.600" ball / 0.015" patch loads fairly tight in my gun, but doesn't shoot any better than the easier loading stuff. I did minimal shooting with over 80gr. loads, as I have settled on the 80gr charge as my standard "big game" load for now, becasue my point of impact was moving further and further out to 2 o'clock with heavier loads. I will also include an ox-yoke wad when hunting, as it improves the accuracy slightly and (in my imagination, at least) will help keep patch goo out of the charge on those long treks before a shot is fired.

As an aside, I got some cast balls from a friend which were supposed to be 0.600". I tried loading them with a 0.015" patch and got the 3rd one quite stuck in the bore, only to find out the balls miced from 0.600" to as high as 0.612"! (I don't know what mold he has). Anyway, I shoot those balls with a 0.010" patch now with no trouble.

Have fun!

That's all good to know...based on comments from both you and Russ, looks like the smart money is to just start right off with 80grns 2F + wad + .010" patch...see how they group...go from there
:thumbsup:

 

[flint62]

If you have a Wal-Mart anywhere near you you can get pillow ticking for your patching. I also use 80-85 gr. of 2 or 3 f
powder. I use the 3f for patched ball and 2f for the paper cartridges and shot.
.600 rb from a lyman mold, and .595 for paper carts.
When hunting I'll start with a patched ball and use the paper shell for a "quick" reload.

BTW I lube the patches with Ballistol and water, it's never let me down

for what it's worth

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

Roundball, where did you get the barrel? I can't find any smoothbore barrels on GM's website.
Thanks

 

[roundball]

Roundball, where did you get the barrel? I can't find any smoothbore barrels on GM's website.
Thanks

From GM in the spring of 2004...they normally carry it as a 1" percussion drop-in for the Hawken/Renegade...I had them make one for me simply using a flint breechplug instead of percussion.

I can understand why the flint version is not listed as it never was a normal item, but am surprised the percussion version is not...you may want to contact them to see if it's just a typo, and/or if they at least still have some in stock even if it's not listed on the website.

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

Thanks for the info. Will do.

 

[roundball]

Thanks for the info. Will do.

PS: If you buy it directly from them, you'll pay full MSRP...try Ed Cain of Cain's Outdoors in West Va...he's a big TC and GM supplier...probably has one in stock

http://www.cainsoutdoor.com/

 

[roundball]

Frustrating trip to the range this morning with the .62cal flinter and .600 diameter balls...the majority were too tight...tried both .015", then .010" cotton patches. (every shot was from a clean, lubed bore every time)

Occasionally one would load normally as if it might have been on the small side of the size tolerances, and they would hit the mark OK...but a good half of them were so large that I had to use a 3 foot piece of 4" x 4" post that was laying around the range to hammer my short starter in...then they'd spray all over the target.

Anybody know a place that makes a quality .585 or .590 ball for the .62cal?

Anybody ever try and have good results using .58cal balls?

 

[Rebel]

If the balls are that tight a fit, you might try using an over powder wad and fiber cushion wad,(i glue them together with a spot of Elmers glue before lubing the cushion wad), then the bare ball, followed by and overshot card wad. This is sometimes as accurate as a patched ball if the ball is close to bore size.

 

[lockjaw]

...totw has .595 rb...have used them, they are good.

 

[amccall]

Roundball, instead of using the Oxyoke wonderwads maybe try the overpowder cards. I was looking at it for a cost factor.
If you are not going to shoot very much then the point is mute. I target shoot with mine and my consistancy is good with the over powder cards and a patch. :m2c:

 

Use silk. thinner, stronger and good for an extra 20 yards(according to Hawkeye).

:hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

In mic'ing the .600's just now, I see a lot of variation from .590 to .610 which would probably be OK patched into a .620 bore.

However...

In mic'ing the muzzle of the .62cal I was surprised to find that it's not only smaller than .620...it's even smaller than .610...it only mic's around .605...explains why balls the same size or larger than the muzzle itself, particularly with a patch thrown in, have to be hammered in, eh??...probably reshaped them into conicals ::.

The occasional small size ball must have been what seemed to work better, but most of the balls are .600+...I guess my .58cal/.570's would probably work fine, but then what would be the point...I already have a great .58cal rifle.

So it looks like this .62cal will be fine as a Flintlock smoothbore with birdshot for turkey & squirrels which is why I got it in the first place...and it does throw an excellent long range pattern.

Not a total loss today...got some more hands on experience and made smoke too! :front:

 

[Grenadier1758]

Use silk. thinner, stronger and good for an extra 20 yards(according to Hawkeye).

:hatsoff:

I always thought that Natty just wanted her to lift her dress. Might have made his aim steadier. This old grenadier will stay with paper or cotton patching.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

As Rebel said in earlier post, bare balls often shoot very good indeed, for the most part I use Bob Spencer's method here in his smoothbore advice.

http://members.aye.net/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html

Bob's main page:

http://members.aye.net/~bspen/