A word to the wise, listen to the old farts once in awhile..

[NorthFork]

I acquired a 20/62 cal back a few years ago. I have shot it quite a bit with birdshot the last few years but not a single ball. I went to the club on yesterday intending on working up a bare ball load for it just like my other smoothbore. Yeah.....that did not work out at all. Could barely keep 3 shots on paper at 25 yards. One of the 'old farts' said to try a PRB with a thick patch and a smaller ball. He offered the balls and patch material. He also suggested a charge lighter than I would normally shoot. Excellent groups at 25 but it fell apart at 50. He then suggested trying a higher charge of fffg (I had been using ffg) with the same patch and ball. I would not normally use fffg in a smoothbore ball load. I said I would try it on Monday (today). Low and behold, excellent groups at 25 and good groups at 50. I need to work on my hold and sight picture at 50. Any misses were the fault of me, not the load or the gun. And the misses all stayed on the target paper, unlike yesterday. I ended up putting 6 shots in a group the size of my fist at 50 yards. So when an old fart speaks, shut up and listen. You might learn something.

 

[Dutch7]

Who are you callin old?
But truer words have not been said recently. My wife recently asked how I knew to do something obscure to solve a problem, I said everything I know I learned from watching smarter people do it or by trial and error

 

[Rob M.]

I acquired a 20/62 cal back a few years ago. I have shot it quite a bit with birdshot the last few years but not a single ball. I went to the club on yesterday intending on working up a bare ball load for it just like my other smoothbore. Yeah.....that did not work out at all. Could barely keep 3 shots on paper at 25 yards. One of the 'old farts' said to try a PRB with a thick patch and a smaller ball. He offered the balls and patch material. He also suggested a charge lighter than I would normally shoot. Excellent groups at 25 but it fell apart at 50. He then suggested trying a higher charge of fffg (I had been using ffg) with the same patch and ball. I would not normally use fffg in a smoothbore ball load. I said I would try it on Monday (today). Low and behold, excellent groups at 25 and good groups at 50. I need to work on my hold and sight picture at 50. Any misses were the fault of me, not the load or the gun. And the misses all stayed on the target paper, unlike yesterday. I ended up putting 6 shots in a group the size of my fist at 50 yards. So when an old fart speaks, shut up and listen. You might learn something.

LOL ! Great post in a few ways ...thx.

 

[TDM]

I acquired a 20/62 cal back a few years ago. I have shot it quite a bit with birdshot the last few years but not a single ball. I went to the club on yesterday intending on working up a bare ball load for it just like my other smoothbore. Yeah.....that did not work out at all. Could barely keep 3 shots on paper at 25 yards. One of the 'old farts' said to try a PRB with a thick patch and a smaller ball. He offered the balls and patch material. He also suggested a charge lighter than I would normally shoot. Excellent groups at 25 but it fell apart at 50. He then suggested trying a higher charge of fffg (I had been using ffg) with the same patch and ball. I would not normally use fffg in a smoothbore ball load. I said I would try it on Monday (today). Low and behold, excellent groups at 25 and good groups at 50. I need to work on my hold and sight picture at 50. Any misses were the fault of me, not the load or the gun. And the misses all stayed on the target paper, unlike yesterday. I ended up putting 6 shots in a group the size of my fist at 50 yards. So when an old fart speaks, shut up and listen. You might learn something.

Great advice. I'll add all that to my experiment list!

 

[Britsmoothy]

Lol, wait until you try 4f!

 

[Britsmoothy]

That killed that thread then

 

[akroguy]

That killed that thread then

You just HAD to go there, smarty pants!

Straight to bed tonight without dessert for you, mister.

 

[TDM]

Lol, wait until you try 4f!

I'm going to hold off on that one. Maybe keep it as a last ditch, after nothing else would work experiment!

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

So true the old guys know a lot just don't walk on their lawn!

l also improved my .62 smoothbore groups using that load, smaller ball, thick patch, 3f.

 

[rchas]

It never ceases to amaze me how each gun has it's own personality. One .62 smoothbore I have hates patched balls--looks like I have been shooting extra large buckshot at the target. But put a .61 ball right on top of the powder and it will give 3-4 inch groups at 50 yards.

But it's the fiddling around experimenting with loads that makes it fun...

 

[Grenadier1758]

We should listen to the old farts for sure. But speaking as an old fart, I find that I am also learning new approaches and having to apply critical thinking to the answering of the question. I also have learned that I am not always right or that my preferred method is one of many valid solutions to a problem.

One of the many lessons I have learned is that when one of the old school approaches is not working, then we have to determine what other approach can be tried. One person's changes cannot always be applicable to another's situation. Guns are different. To be sure though, when making changes, we only make one change at a time, and it takes repeatable success to be certain that the success observed is permanent. Then it is practice, practice, practice to instill success in the future.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

I have always searched out the old guys to pick their brains from the very beginning. Now that I am an old fart I am always happy to pass on what I have learned over the years. It's not that us old farts are smarter than you youngsters it's just that we have done more stupid things than you have and we can help you avoid the results of those stupid things.

 

[JeffG]

One of the few things I listened to when I was a young man was, "You won't live long enough to make all of the mistakes yourself." There is a wealth of knowledge out there, that might be taken to the grave, because nobody seeks it out.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

At 32, I feel pretty old compared to the new pups coming up here. I’ve learned a lot over the years from this board, a ton!

 

[azmntman]

Yep, old farts know a thing or two. What I learn from the younger crowd is sometimes mindblowing. My son has an elmoyee whos hubby was helping me with an auto repair and I lost hs #. Called her. N response, called three more times??? Asked my son what the heck was up with so and so, He said what? I explained I called numerous times. He informed me that makes me a creeper and she was avoiding the calls. He suggested I send a text. 5 Min later I had the number?

Old farts should not call whipper snappers, only text.

 

[Dutch7]

Yep, old farts know a thing or two. What I learn from the younger crowd is sometimes mindblowing. My son has an elmoyee whos hubby was helping me with an auto repair and I lost hs #. Called her. N response, called three more times??? Asked my son what the heck was up with so and so, He said what? I explained I called numerous times. He informed me that makes me a creeper and she was avoiding the calls. He suggested I send a text. 5 Min later I had the number?

Old farts should not call whipper snappers, only text.

Don’t you know better?! a smart phone is not for talking on… how rude!

 

[azmntman]

I do now LOL

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

What's a smart phone?? And who you calling old??
Taking advice from an old dude is fine, if he's NOT from DC!!
AND, keep him away from your little girls. Sorry for the drift. The devil made me do it.