barrel length?

[chuck-ia]

I am thinking about putting together a smooth bore. or I should say another smooth bore. I have a trade gun from north star west I put together about 10 years ago. nice gun, except I cut the barrel down to 30'' when I put it together. doesn't throw the best pattern at 25 yards. What barrel length would you reccomend for decent patterns to 25 yards? I know cards, wads, shot cups, and such come into play here, but over all, doesn't a longer barrel equal better pattern? thanks, flinch

 

[Rebel]

You don't necessarily need a longer barrel to get decent 25 yd patterns. I have a Navy Arms double barrel .12 caplock that has 28" cylinder bore barrels. I have taken a lot of ducks, jackrabbits, and a number of Canada Geese with it out to over 35 yds. It just depends on the load you work up. That said, if i was going to get another single barrel smoothbore, besides the Pedersoli Bess carbine i have which has a 30 1/2" barrel, i would go either 36" or 42" and would lean towards 36" because that is the longest barrel i can get in my gun safe.

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Flinch, if you're going for historical accuracy most of the 18th century guns had longer barrels, in some cases over 50 inches long. In my limited research 42-48" seems to be the norm with exceptions going in both directions. I have two .62 cal. smoothbores right now one is a true fowler with no rear sight or cheek peice with a 42" barrel. I got a nice pattern at 25 yards using #6 shot. My load was 70 grains of 3f with about 1 1/2 times that amount of shot with some leaves stuffed in for wadding. Using more modern shot cups, wadding, ect., like Rebel said will definatly improve your pattern. Oh yeah where was I going with this, my other smoothie is a smoothrifle, has a rear sight and cheek peice, looks & handles like a rifle but with a 44" getz oct. to round smoothbore barrel. I haven't used shot in it but what I am attempting to get at is neither barrel is uncomfortable or hard to manuver with. At any rate let us know what you decide to build. Good luck :m2c:

 

[Grenadier1758]

A longer barrel might help. For the mean time, I would give some load development a try. Lighten the powder charge in your load and use ffg powder for a softer push down the bore. I don't favor the cushion wads. I recommend an over powder wad then the shot and an over shot card. Too often I hear that the cushion wad blows through the pattern. Less powder and more shot will often tighten up the pattern. Then I would try a paper shot cup.

 

[musketman]

More shot than powder will make the pattern denser...

Up your shot charge by 1/4 ounce and keep the powder the same and sample that...

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Old English adage, little powder, much shot, shoot far.

 

[Runner]

I don't know where the square load advice comes from, but I use more shot than powder and get great groups out of my shotgun. It does not do nearly as well with the recommended equal loads.

 

[Rebel]

Try the V.M. Starr method of using 2 or 3 thin overshot wads over the powder and then the shot followed by another thin overshot wad. If it helps you only have one type of wad to carry. Also as the others stated, try less powder or more shot.

 

[chuck-ia]

thanks for the suggestions everyone. I will give all this a try, including paper shot cups. flinch

 

[Mike Brooks]

You might consider getting your barrel jug choked.

 

[Rat]

Barrel length has no effect on the pattern, other than putting you that many inches closer to the target.

Rat

 

[Mike Brooks]

Barrel length has no effect on the pattern, other than putting you that many inches closer to the target.

Rat

I've had just the opposite experience , long barrels make a noteable difference in pattern density, especially in 16 bore and smaller.
I've shot many more rounds at the pattern board than I have at live birds! :results: