Bare Ball Shooting Smooth Bore
- Thread starter Archer 756
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I know cook offs happen but I’m coming up at sixty years and 99% of my shooting has been ml. Never saw one.
I don’t shoot a lot of cartridge but do shoot a lot of tow,hemp, and paper wads. I wonder if paper wadded on top of a charge represents a risk.
Cannon were a big risk in the old days because the powder laid in the bag at the breech and had to be pricked open before priming. And like them I often swab between shots.
I wonder if chances of a cook off would be hirer with a paper crumpled on top of a charge vs a paper other fiber wad vs a patched ball
I don’t shoot a lot of cartridge but do shoot a lot of tow,hemp, and paper wads. I wonder if paper wadded on top of a charge represents a risk.
Cannon were a big risk in the old days because the powder laid in the bag at the breech and had to be pricked open before priming. And like them I often swab between shots.
I wonder if chances of a cook off would be hirer with a paper crumpled on top of a charge vs a paper other fiber wad vs a patched ball
Archer 756
40 Cal.
Toot I have one that shoots great and another that shoots all over that is just how it goes. 
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The speed that NSSA shooters are firing at might be the reason for a cook off.
I think it is a competition between units of shooters and timing counts as well as accurate shooting.
The only cook offs that I have heard of occurred in that type of shooting.
LBL
I think it is a competition between units of shooters and timing counts as well as accurate shooting.
The only cook offs that I have heard of occurred in that type of shooting.
LBL
what I meant to say I get PATTERN'S, NOT GROUPS! now that makes more sense!
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Sorry, I don't know the answer. Mine came with choke tubes.
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How many shoot their smooth bore without any patch. Shoot my 28ga. today and was surprise of how accurate it shoot with out any patch. I found out the Civil War smooth bores are shoot with no patch. One just have to get right sized ball. My 28ga shoots .550 ball.
I go bare ball in my .69 calibre smoothbore. I will rough up the round ball (.678) by placing them between two farrier rasps to raise the surface of the ball, like reverse dimples on a golf ball. This expands the surface area. It helps to centre the ball in the barrel while the expanding gas is driving the ball out of the barrel.
RjSixgun
32 Cal.
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I find knurled or tumbled balls helps to get rid of the sprue and aids in holding lube on the un patched ball
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Since in sounds like you don't have choke tubes in your barrels, could you do me a favor and determine which direction loosens them when I'm look down the barrels from the front of the gun - clockwise or counter clockwise? I got an aftermarket 10 gauge choke wrench that fits, but they're tight and I want to minimize the risk of damaging the gun. Thanks.
If I can get the choke tubes out and find that they're not Pedersoli brand, I'll let you know.
I have been shooting .600 balls unpatched in a .62 barrel. The ball is loose enough to roll all the way down the bore to the powder charge.
I have been shooting 80 grains of 2Fg powder, then either:
ball of hemp -> .600 roundball -> ball of hemp
or
.600 roundball -> ball of hemp
I haven't been able to hit the target as of yet, but I am shooting at a 50 yard range and the gun is still new to me. Only a front post sight, no rear
I have been shooting 80 grains of 2Fg powder, then either:
ball of hemp -> .600 roundball -> ball of hemp
or
.600 roundball -> ball of hemp
I haven't been able to hit the target as of yet, but I am shooting at a 50 yard range and the gun is still new to me. Only a front post sight, no rear
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It will help if you start at 25yds and learn how much barrel to have in your sight picture when shooting. Use a powder charge around 60gr and experiment with different wads.
I use borax treated newspaper wads. powder wad dab of crisco ball wad. I have managed a few 3" three shot groups off hand but it has taken me a lot of shooting. I ram the wads grease and ball as a unit.
god shooting and enjoy. LBL
Part of the problem is my range doesnt have a 25 yard lane, just 50 and 100 yards.
I know that at 50, my rounds are impacting just beneath the target (based off dirt-splashes), so I just have to practice.more to.find that sweet spot of aiming point + powder charge size.
Im going to try 90 grains of 2fg powder on thursday, amd I have been lining up the "line" where the barrel changes from.octagon to.round with the base of the front sight-post, to try to keep a repeatable sight-picture.
According to a video by Mike Bellevue, 50 yards should.be an entirely-reasonable range for my smoothbore gun to shoot at. In said video, he got 5/5 balls as "kill.shots".using the same loading.method as me (or, really, Im using his loading method). Granted, he was using 110 grain charges and is *much* more experienced than me, but still
Your not far off by the sounds of it.
Dont be afraid to put more powder int' hole.
Often shooters have to go higher charges. I think Mike was getting best results with 110 grains 2f.
On theory, or hypothesis is the hot gas prevents the ball from bouncing, I’m not convinced of that one but understand the thinking
Another is just time in flight. Starting at 1300 FPS it has less time to deviate in fifty yards.
But
You get twenty shots more per pound shooting 80 over 110. Three f can help compensate for that, and a duplex load of black, 20grains with Pyrodex R 90 grains by volume will get you save you a bit of pounds.
Mia Culpa Mia Culpa
hanshi
Cannon
With 60 grains of 3F and up accuracy is almost a given in my 20 ga. Patched ball does much better for consistent accuracy but bare ball is still good for 50 yards. For hunting I always up the charge to 70-75 grains of 3F.
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I have a smooth rifle built by TVM with a .62 barrel I had jug choked by Danny Caywood. I spent many months developing my load but out to 75 yards it's as accurate as any rifle. 80 grns 3F, thick fiber was, bare .610 ball, two thin over shot cards. I tried balls anywhere between .590 to .615 with every possible patch combo. No patch ever worked for me.
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
Actually, the paper did not act as windage; it was used to take up, or reduce windage.
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
Years ago I was preparing to shoot my Caywood .62 English fowler with a local muzzleloading club at our monthly gathering. I poured in the powder, seated a card and greased fiber wad, and put the ball in the muzzle. Since the bore was clean, the ball dropped down on the powder charge of it’s own weight. Before I could retrieve a card wad out of my pouch to seat on top of the ball to hold it against the powder, someone from the small group of guys standing close around me asked me a question about something or other. The distraction caused me to forget the card wad.
After priming, I cocked the hammer, raised the gun to my shoulder, and took aim. It happened to be dead quiet for a few seconds, which proved to be fortunate. Just as I was squeezing the trigger, I heard an odd, barely audible noise coming from somewhere around my gun. I froze in the offhand shooting position listening to the continuing noise. Just as it dawned on me what I was hearing, the ball rolled out of the muzzle and hit the ground with a thump.
The 3 or 4 guys who saw what happened stood there looking back and forth at me and the ball for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
I have always wondered if the barrel would have split or bulged if I had fired while the ball was rolling along. Those Caywood guns and replacement parts don’t come cheap.
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