Bore size??'s

[750k2]

I was going to open my bore with some grooves in it but after
much reading I am leaning towards a smoothie.
I have tons of wads from clay bird days and was wondering
what type of wad to bore fit is usable with plastic wads?
My 12ga wads measure out at .71ish
I am also going to run RB's and what type of velocity can I
expect from big say .62 to maybe .70ish bowling balls out of
a 32" bbl? Never front stuffed a smoothie before.
:idunno:

 

[BrownBear]

My only experience with plastic wads and RB in a 12 gauge was with .690 balls. They were a decent fit, but I bet .62 would be way too small.

I got "decent" accuracy, but ultimately eliminated the plastic wad entirely. The .690's were a little loose with ticking patches, but shot just fine with a lubed fiber wad under the ticking patches. The patched ball was just "loose" enough that I worried about it and also used an overshot card.

Overall, if I was to get serious about it I'd try a little larger ball- perhaps .710 or even .715 depending my bore- while eliminating the other wads and cards. My inclination is always to cast my own, but I'd order a sampling of balls in different sizes from TOW before opting for a mold. I just checked and they offer .690 and .715 plus some smaller sizes, yet larger than the .62 you contemplate.

 

[750k2]

Still in search mode - but 62 seems about as big as I can go maybe??
This is just the research stage - have a so-called xtra gun
laying around and am going to do something to it - just
don't know what.
I'll figure this out - maybe.
The real trick will be if I have to take the plug and bolster out.
But I've wrecked better stuff than this and will again I'm sure :youcrazy:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I played around with 12 bore plastic wads years and years ago (pre Internet) and the oly way I came up with a satisfactory fit was to slice just the shot cup and put it ahead of a tight fiber wad. I just received a Ballistic Products catalog in the mail and there are many pages of shot wads. There's bound to be better and worse choices.

Now I just do without.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

There is no way I'd use a plastic wad alone in a muzzleloader, now. I tried it with both ML's and black powder shotshells, and the BP melts the plastic into the bore. It is a huge pain in the arse to get it out, and if you don't, you run into other bore problems, perhaps even a partially obstructed bore.

FYI Hoppe's #9 was first formulated when the first plastic wads came out, and the propellants were cordite, and a couple of others, plus black powder was still on the market. They are all pretty hot. The original Hoppe's used Benzine, and Benzine will melt the plastic away with one swipe of a tight fitting, rather saturated rag..., so it was a "miracle" cleaner. Of course we know now that Benzine is a nasty carcinogen, so they had to stop using it. They use better plastics and "cooler" burning powders today, but..., black powder and pyrodex are still hot enough when used with AA brand or Remington brand shotshell wads to manure up a bore.

Luckily, years ago an industrial chemist gave me a gift of "vintage" Hoppe's, which he cautioned me to always use only outdoors, and only when I had a serious plastic to bore problem. I was able to get my shotguns clean, and switched to a different wad for BP.

You should use a fiber or felt wad, not plastic, OR, a good thick felt wad and then use the plastic shot cup on top of the felt, if you feel you need to use the shot cup.

LD

 

[BrownBear]

OR, a good thick felt wad and then use the plastic shot cup on top of the felt, if you feel you need to use the shot cup.

That reflects my experience too. Over and above the plastic fouling issue, it also delivers better patterns for me. The plastic wads are a little undersize for the 12 gauge bores I've tried them in, which I suspect contributes to the plastic fouling problem while also affecting patterns. All is happy with a tight lubed wad between powder and plastic, though. I prefer fiber to felt in that app.

 

[Lorne Johnson]

I use plastic wads all the time (mostly because I can load them quicker when shooting with cartridge shooters), and I have very little trouble cleaning the plastic out of the bores. Remove nipples, flush with warm water from the tap, One or two passes with a nylon brush (same brush for 12,and twenty bore), then blow through the nipple holes and the plastic comes right out.

Mostly I shoot very light loads, 3/4 ounce 8.5 shot over 2 1/2 drams ffg, so it may not get as hot in there, but I've also gone as heavy as 1 1/4 ounce hunting loads. The wads that I've recovered (quite a few), are not burned; actually they are very reusable.

I know that my results are not possible, but I have not yet been able to recreate others experience.

 

[750k2]

Well I have it in the works to go with a .62 smooth bore.
Should give me a taste and get the gun out of the rack more.

 

[tg]

I would go withg a op card or some type of wadding on the powder then the ball (some like a 1/2" thick lubed fiber wad twixt op card and ball anywhere from .580-.600 then an op card or more wadding to hold he ball inplace, many just use a patch and load prb over the powder just like a rifle, I like the wadding methods as they are more in line with what we know about how it was done in the past which is just my primary goal when doing anything associated with ML's I guess I am a PC/HC Nazi, stich counter, spawn of the Devil or something of the like, it is a term that sticks if one ever mentions ML's and history in the same sentence more than once :wink:, good luck with your project and enjoy the journey, the methods I mentoned have given many folks 3"-4" or less groups at 50 yds, if you practice with a variety of methods,ball sizes (which will be surprizing how small of balls will work well), till you find what suits you/your gun...particularly the latter