First Range Report - Shot Loads .54cal Virginia

[roundball]

05/30/11 ”“ 25yd Shot Load tests for hunting. .54cal x 42" barrel smooth rifle / Early Virginia
NOTE #1:
Both 60 and 70grns of Goex 2F did very poor. Switched to 3F and started getting decent patterns.
NOTE #2:
Patterns were large with my normal pair of 1/8” Oxyoke wool wads.
Switched to Circle Fly 1/2” cushion wads, and to my surprise, patterns tightened right up.

50grns Goex gave good tight patterns with 5s & 6s, however, the charge was borderline on penetration energy, and definitely too weak for the lighter 7.5s as the majority of them only dented the can, rather than punching through.
Stepped up to 60grns 3F and identified the following possibilities from this first range trip:

60grns Goex 3F
1/2” Circle Fly cushion wad
90grn chilled lead #5s for general purpose small game
(100grns chilled lead #5s for small stationary game targets like squirrels / turkey heads)

60grns Goex 3F
1/2” Circle Fly cushion wad
90grns hard lead #6s for general purpose small game
(100grns chilled lead #5s for small stationary game targets like squirrels / turkey heads)

60grns Goex 3F
1/2” Circle Fly cushion wad
90grns hard lead #7.5s turkey head / neck shots

Five hours of testing, then fired 5 PRBs for a couple of reasons:

1) To see what the POI would be at 25yds with only 60grns 3F in case I wanted to dump a shot charge and simply seat a PRB for a deer up close before dark; Turned out POA and POI are essentially the same at 25yds.
2) To drag out any lead film that may have built up through all the shot shooting”¦and they cleaned up the bore like a mirror.

In summary....this Rice 42" .54cal smooth barrel is terrific, both with PRB accuracy, and now shot load patterns...really a versatile Flintlock for the hunting I do in thick NC woods here.

PHOTO: 3.5” Tuna Can targets at 25yds

 

[BrownBear]

NOTE #2:
Patterns were large with my normal pair of 1/8” Oxyoke wool wads.
Switched to Circle Fly 1/2” cushion wads, and to my surprise, patterns tightened right up.

There you go again, breaking all the rules.

Do you ever read ANYTHING? :rotf:

 

[roundball]

NOTE #2:
Patterns were large with my normal pair of 1/8” Oxyoke wool wads.
Switched to Circle Fly 1/2” cushion wads, and to my surprise, patterns tightened right up.

There you go again, breaking all the rules.

Do you ever read ANYTHING? :rotf:

Completely bass ackwards isn't it...when I first started testing I started right out with only the couple of small Oxyoke wads because "I KNEW" the smaller wad configurations gave tighter patterns...and when I saw the way the patterns were trending, I thought darn, this is sorry.

Just for the sake of trying them, I popped in a full size cushion wad and couldn't believe my eyes...a dense pattern...and again, and again...not a fluke...constant. Only thing I can figure is in the past I was using 32" barrels...this one is 42"...everything else is the same.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Nice RB :hatsoff:

Brits.

 

[George]

I've never had a .54 smoothbore, but I do shoot an old .55-.56 smooth rifle with a 49" barrel. I have also had good results with a cushion wad, but not as the only wad. I usually load a 1/8" card wad and then a 3/8" Circle Fly cushion wad treated with lard-beeswax. I've also had good results with squirrels using two of the 1/8" cards and no cushion.

Of course, I'm now trying hard to see if I can throw all those away and use only tow. I'm really hoping that will work, for several reasons.

I look forward to your field reports, Roundball. You do good work testing loads.

Spence

 

[roundball]

And since this has taught me that possibly / probably the 42" barrel caused some sort of difference compared to past 32" barrels...I'm going to schedule a trip with the .62cal smoothie and see how it performs with a full cushion wad.

It has a jug choke and its performance may have overshadowed the fact that I was using a pair of Oxyoke wads like I had with my previous GM barrel...giving me no reason to think about trying a cushion wad...so who knows, it might even throw a tighter pattern / further.

Another good reason to make smoke and get some more actual hands-on experience...

 

[MSW]

glad the smoothy is working out for you!

Make good smoke!

 

[wattlebuster]

Just goes to show that you will never know till you try. Looks like shes a shooter :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

At least I now know what it's capable of...need another trip to fine tune the #6 and #7.5 loads...drop them back to something like 60/80 or 60/90 ratios. Range is now closed for most of June, so I'll be on hold for a few weeks...

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Continued success with the testing!

Coincidentally, I too tried using just a wonder-wad on top of a .125 OP card and wasn't too pleased with my results. So I used the three of them together (.125 card, wonder-wad, then cushioned wad) underneath the shot charge (2 oz. in the big 10 ga.) and my pattern hit the coffee can very well! Maybe thats why the pheasants fell out of the sky with that combo?

Again, good luck & keep us informed!

Dave