Brown Bess on the Way

[shaman]

I pulled the trigger on a Pedersoli Brown Bess this week. I'm getting a good price as it is unfired new/old stock. My goal is to shoot it a bit and then set to work, get the bugs worked out and then set to work taking a deer and a turkey in the same year.

This is my first flinter, but I've been shooting a .54 percussion Hawken for almost 40 years.

I've ordered a .735 mold, but I see a lot of .69 ball being used with Brown Bess. WT?

What goes in a Brown Bess possibles bag?

How does one take a turkey with one?

 

[Grenadier1758]

For your planned purpose, the 0.735" ball is good. Wrapped in a nest of tow or in a thin patch, it should deliver plenty wallop to a deer. The 0.690 was used in the military loads for extreme ease of loading.

You will need plenty of 1" flints, leather flint wrap and black powder. Since tou have another rifle, you probably have most of the other tools that you need.

 

[shaman]

Cool. Many thanks!

 

[PathfinderNC]

A cartridge box would be appropriate as well.

 

[Artificer]

I pulled the trigger on a Pedersoli Brown Bess this week. I'm getting a good price as it is unfired new/old stock. My goal is to shoot it a bit and then set to work, get the bugs worked out and then set to work taking a deer and a turkey in the same year.

This is my first flinter, but I've been shooting a .54 percussion Hawken for almost 40 years.

I've ordered a .735 mold, but I see a lot of .69 ball being used with Brown Bess. WT?

What goes in a Brown Bess possibles bag?

How does one take a turkey with one?

Hi Shaman,

Welcome to shooting the Pedersoli Brown Bess!

FIRST thing you should do is get a precision bore diameter measurement, because it will give you clues on the thickness of patch your Bess will like. Mine measures .753", but yours may vary from that. Digital Calipers that read to .001" can be used to find the measurement.

My old accuracy load was 70 grains of FFFg powder, the .735 ball and a greased .018 pillow ticking patch. However, that is a tight load and WILL require a short starter. (Talk about a HUGE Short Starter! Grin.) You may find a .015" linen patch works better in your Bess and you won't know until you have tried it or other thicknesses of patch material.

Having said that, I sure wish I knew to try a slightly different type of loading with round ball when I was competing. Forum member George has a different method he found is very accurate in a smoothbore that involves over powder cards and a greased wad and then a patched ball. (You are going to need those supplies anyway, if you want to shoot shot out of your Bess.) I hope Spence chimes in on this because I can't remember if he used a standard thickness card or a double card over the powder.

The correct size cards and wads you need for your Bess are 11 (Eleven) Gauge/Gage. (These are kind of an unusual size, but they are out there. DON'T buy 10 or 12 Gauge/Gage as they don't work well.)

OK, I can't remember the size of drift pin punch that fits into the hole in the Top Jaw screw off the top of my head, but I can tell you some sort of a drift pin punch that fits that hole is much easier and much better to use than a screwdriver you have to file/grind to fit the screwdriver slot in the top jaw.

Speaking of screwdrivers, the size you need to unscrew/screw the side plate screws is metric and you have to make or buy a screwdriver or screwdriver tip that fits the slots well, or you will really bugger them up with one that doesn't fit the slot well. (I'm feeling a bit out of it because of a serious nasal infection, but when I'm feeling better, I'll get the sizes of the drift pin and screwdriver bit for you.)

If you are not into doing reenacting, a hard stiffness toothbrush, or even the OD green G.I. "all purpose" brush that looks like a toothbrush, is handy to have to brush carbon buildup out of the pan.

Also going to have to check the Metric Threads on the Rammer, since you should have a worm and a ball puller that fits the Rammer.

It's been decades since I fired shot in my Bess, so hopefully someone else can suggest a shot load for turkey.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

OH, a PS to my post above.

BEFORE you buy 18th century repro tools for your Bess, let us know what you are thinking of buying before you order them. We can help you there as well and our advice will save you money and frustration.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

One last thing I forgot. IF you know someone who can do a good trigger job on your Bess, believe me it will be money well spent on a Bess you intend to shoot a lot and hunt with.

Gus

 

[shaman]

Thanks all. I'm picking up the 'Bess today. Cabela's munged up everything. It was originally going to be at the store last Saturday. I spent well over an hour on hold over 9 calls talking to a dozen people to get the job done. Yikes! It was like the old lady with the recipe had died, and they couldn't figure out how to make the sale. I got an extra $50 off for my patience, so I'm not going to complain.

I've been running down all sorts of bunny holes. Patching, paper cartridges, homebrew BP (oops, I can't say that here can I?) I figure I'll at least have everything together by spring to put a ball down the bore.

Shot? That's another can of worms. First I have to find some #6 shot at a reasonable price. I have Skychief's method handy for when I do find some.

Have any of you heard of candle loads? (embedding shot in wax?) Has anyone tried the Corn Muffin Mix Load?

My guess is I'll have my punkin balls rolling down the barrel by fall well enough to take the 'Bess out for deer season. Turkey may be a while yet. I'm patient. I had originally slated this as a project for after retirement, but I found a really good price on the 'Bess and didn't want it to slip away.

 

[Britsmoothy]

For your turkey hunt don't be shy to tip 2oz in it.
Get a leather punch just bigger than 3/4"

 

[Artificer]

Thanks all. I'm picking up the 'Bess today. Cabela's munged up everything. It was originally going to be at the store last Saturday. I spent well over an hour on hold over 9 calls talking to a dozen people to get the job done. Yikes! It was like the old lady with the recipe had died, and they couldn't figure out how to make the sale. I got an extra $50 off for my patience, so I'm not going to complain.

I've been running down all sorts of bunny holes. Patching, paper cartridges, homebrew BP (oops, I can't say that here can I?) I figure I'll at least have everything together by spring to put a ball down the bore.

Shot? That's another can of worms. First I have to find some #6 shot at a reasonable price. I have Skychief's method handy for when I do find some.

Have any of you heard of candle loads? (embedding shot in wax?) Has anyone tried the Corn Muffin Mix Load?

My guess is I'll have my punkin balls rolling down the barrel by fall well enough to take the 'Bess out for deer season. Turkey may be a while yet. I'm patient. I had originally slated this as a project for after retirement, but I found a really good price on the 'Bess and didn't want it to slip away.

OK, so here are some accessories you need and you can get them all from Track of the Wolf. (I am not connected in any way with them, BTW, just trying to help you find the good stuff you will need.)

Worm. MAKE SURE you sharpen the points on this tool so it can stab into a patch or other things when they get stuck in the bore. Correct threads to screw right onto the Steel Rammer in your Bess.
Ramrod Worm, metric female thread to fit Davide Pedersoli Second Model Brown Bess military ramrod, for cleaning muskets, removing patches, cards, wads, - Track of the Wolf

Adaptor for Bullet puller and other accessories. Screws right onto the threads of your Steel Rammer:
Adapter for musket rod, Pedersoli Brown Bess or Charleville, 5-.8mm female to 10-32 female - Track of the Wolf

Ball Puller with Brass Collar. Screws right into the adaptor above.
Ball puller, steel screw, .75 caliber brass collar, 10-32 thread - Track of the Wolf

Wads and cards. REMEMBER, the size you need is called 11ga. in this link:
Cards & wads for muzzle loading shotguns - Track of the Wolf

More info coming.

Gus

 

[ord sgt]

Patches and tow will start dry grass to burn. Those two items are verboten in shooting matches, for that reason. I rough up roundball between two farrier files, load a bare-naked ball and get fairly good accuracy at 50 yards.

 

[Artificer]

Patches and tow will start dry grass to burn. Those two items are verboten in shooting matches, for that reason. I rough up roundball between two farrier files, load a bare-naked ball and get fairly good accuracy at 50 yards.

Not sure I understand. I've never been anywhere where patches around round balls was forbidden in rifles or smoothbores?

Gus

 

[ord sgt]

Not sure I understand. I've never been anywhere where patches around round balls was forbidden in rifles or smoothbores?

Gus

N-SSA rule. No patches or other flammable material can be used. Reason: The firing line is over 1/4 mile long. 68 team positions, with 8 members on a team. Timed shooting events. Close to 700 shooters on the line at one time. Thousands of projectiles going down range from all shooting positions for a full 5-minute time period.

 

[Artificer]

N-SSA rule. No patches or other flammable material can be used. Reason: The firing line is over 1/4 mile long. 68 team positions, with 8 members on a team. Timed shooting events. Close to 700 shooters on the line at one time. Thousands of projectiles going down range from all shooting positions for a full 5-minute time period.

Ah, good point. Yep, I spent many years at the NSSA Nationals and should have thought about that.

However, so as not to confuse the OP, almost all other competitions and ranges do allow patched ball shooting.

Gus

 

[shaman]

OK, so here are some accessories you need and you can get them all from Track of the Wolf. (I am not connected in any way with them, BTW, just trying to help you find the good stuff you will need.)

Worm. MAKE SURE you sharpen the points on this tool so it can stab into a patch or other things when they get stuck in the bore. Correct threads to screw right onto the Steel Rammer in your Bess.
Ramrod Worm, metric female thread to fit Davide Pedersoli Second Model Brown Bess military ramrod, for cleaning muskets, removing patches, cards, wads, - Track of the Wolf

Adaptor for Bullet puller and other accessories. Screws right onto the threads of your Steel Rammer:
Adapter for musket rod, Pedersoli Brown Bess or Charleville, 5-.8mm female to 10-32 female - Track of the Wolf

Ball Puller with Brass Collar. Screws right into the adaptor above.
Ball puller, steel screw, .75 caliber brass collar, 10-32 thread - Track of the Wolf

Wads and cards. REMEMBER, the size you need is called 11ga. in this link:
Cards & wads for muzzle loading shotguns - Track of the Wolf

More info coming.

Gus

Drat! Just guessing, I had already placed an order at ToftW, and the only thing that I left out was the Adapter.

"Missed it by that much!" --Agent 86.

Many thanks. There is bound to be another order from them before the first ball goes downrange.

 

[DuncNZ]

Worm. MAKE SURE you sharpen the points on this tool so it can stab into a patch or other things when they get stuck in the bore. Correct threads to screw right onto the Steel Rammer in your Bess.
Ramrod Worm, metric female thread to fit Davide Pedersoli Second Model Brown Bess military ramrod, for cleaning muskets, removing patches, cards, wads, - Track of the Wolf

I just clicked on the above and found this statement :
Originally used as a cleaning tip, a wad of "tow" was used instead of a costly woven cotton patch. Tow is the cotton and or linen fiber waste, accumulated when spinning thread from cotton or linen fiber. Spinning wheels were common in early America, as every woman and many men found it to be unpatriotic to buy imported thread, yarn, or fabric. We made our own, as a cottage industry in nearly every home.
Today, cotton balls closely resemble the "tow" fiber of the old days.

The tow I know is oakum or hemp fiber used by plumbers as a pipe joining gasket or somesuch . I buy mine from the plumbing department in the local hardware store . It has tough hard fibers which scrape the bore ,and can be washed and re used . In the old days it was used for calking the seems in wooden boats , stuffing saddles etc No resemblance to cotton balls .

 

[Artificer]

Drat! Just guessing, I had already placed an order at ToftW, and the only thing that I left out was the Adapter.

"Missed it by that much!" --Agent 86.

Many thanks. There is bound to be another order from them before the first ball goes downrange.

You might try calling them in case they haven't made up the order, yet. That and/or did you get cards and wads in 11ga. for it? If not, there's more stuff you need anyway.

Gus

 

[Grenadier1758]

I just clicked on the above and found this statement :
Originally used as a cleaning tip, a wad of "tow" was used instead of a costly woven cotton patch. Tow is the cotton and or linen fiber waste, accumulated when spinning thread from cotton or linen fiber. Spinning wheels were common in early America, as every woman and many men found it to be unpatriotic to buy imported thread, yarn, or fabric. We made our own, as a cottage industry in nearly every home.
Today, cotton balls closely resemble the "tow" fiber of the old days.

The tow I know is oakum or hemp fiber used by plumbers as a pipe joining gasket or somesuch . I buy mine from the plumbing department in the local hardware store . It has tough hard fibers which scrape the bore ,and can be washed and re used . In the old days it was used for calking the seems in wooden boats , stuffing saddles etc No resemblance to cotton balls .

Track of the Wolf is misleading. A ball of soft cotton does not resemble the ball of coarse fibers of tow from the processing of flax into linen fiber. Hemp, manila or sisal twine can be frayed into fiber strands that resemble tow from flax and can be substituted for tow from flax. Even the cotton ball will work, but not as well.

 

[Artificer]

I just clicked on the above and found this statement :
Originally used as a cleaning tip, a wad of "tow" was used instead of a costly woven cotton patch. Tow is the cotton and or linen fiber waste, accumulated when spinning thread from cotton or linen fiber. Spinning wheels were common in early America, as every woman and many men found it to be unpatriotic to buy imported thread, yarn, or fabric. We made our own, as a cottage industry in nearly every home.
Today, cotton balls closely resemble the "tow" fiber of the old days.

The tow I know is oakum or hemp fiber used by plumbers as a pipe joining gasket or somesuch . I buy mine from the plumbing department in the local hardware store . It has tough hard fibers which scrape the bore ,and can be washed and re used . In the old days it was used for calking the seems in wooden boats , stuffing saddles etc No resemblance to cotton balls .

Personally, I never have nor never will use cotton balls in a Bess, unless maybe I got RAW cotton and formed it into balls. Then it might be substantial enough to work.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

Oh, when my eyeballs get better opened, I will be adding what Screwdriver Bit to use for the side plate screws.

Gus