Bess Carbine Ball loads

[Shine]

What are you shooting out of your short bess . Diameter ball ,powder charge , patch or wads. I picked one up last week on a trade . Decided to at least shoot it before i sell it.

 

[Rifleman1776]

My Bess was a full length. I'm a believer in moderate loads for smoothies. I used 50-70 gr real bp with a patched .715" round ball. Only reason I can think of using heavier charges would be for use on griz or buff. Then in 90 gr. range might be more better.

 

[BillinOregon]

The ones I shot out of my shortened Miroku Bess I made using guidance from Sketchbook 76 -- cartridges made from grocery bag paper with the ball tied off front and rear and the ball end dipped in melted beeswax. The balls were .725 if I recall correctly and shot well. I miss that old girl.

 

[tenngun]

Several questions.
Some short besses were smaller caliber. Most what we see are .75, but it depends on the maker
How short? I had a 30” bess
A hot charge 120-150 grains gives some boys real good results with bare ball. A 60-70 grain charge will turn Bambi French in range.
My start point would be a .735 patched ball, and 70 grains 2f. But…..
any big bore musket is a blank canvas. Load military cartridges with .690 ball, loose powder wad below and on top, loose powder wad just on top,715 or 735 shot, buck and ball, tow wads, proper wads, dog hair ( works good-stinks) endless playground.

 

[Des52]

I shoot both .715s and .735s in my Bess ships carbine with 60 to 90 grs of 1.5 or 2F. The .715s take a .020 patch and the .735s take a .015 patch.

 

[wganz]

Thanks for the postings. Got a Loyalist Arms replica of an 1839 Tower musket which is a percussion variant of the Brown Bess. Will use these loads in it.