Flintlock fowler

[willowbilly]

I recently acquired a 11ga club butt flintlock fowler.

I have experience with other smoothbores.

I know nothing about loads for this firelock.

It will be used for demonstrations at Project Appleseed Marksmanship and History Clinics. We will have folks, mostly kids, (with assistance) shooting the fowler. Also for general range shooting.

What would be some good loads?

What would the Colonist have shot in the fowler for hunting and what loads would they have used in combat?

Please educate me. Any suggestions are welcome. Well maybe not; "Go jump in a lake..."

Thanks!

 

[nhmoose]

I use shot and ball in my club butt. Shot for hunting and ball for big game. Colonist did the same. Ball & Buckshot would have been used in war.

 

[spudnut]

My brown bess was about an 11 gauge, I shot 90 gr 2f with either a paper cartridge, patching with the paper that was wrapped around the .735 ball, or wadded with tow. I shot 90gr. 2f tow wad about half as long as my thumb,a measure and a half of birdshot whatever size i had and a wad of tow over the shot

 

[Ranger Boyd]

I have a .69 King William doglock club butt and shoot 90 grains of FF, .678 ball either from paper cartridges or naked ball. Your load will largely depend on caliber, though. I agree with spudnut on the shot rule of thumb: 1.5 powder measures of shot seems to be a sweet spot for me.

 

[Griz44Mag]

My Brown Bess is an 11 bore, or .751 caliber
So far I have shot .735 PRB with 80 gr 2f OE. with very good results.
I am waiting on shot cards and wads from TOTW to try it with birdshot.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I favor lighter charges in my smoothies. In both my 11 ga. Brown Bess and 20 ga. flint fowler I like charges in the 50 to 70 gr. range. I'll be using Elephant 2Fg at the Arkansas State championships in my fowler. Mainly to use it up and save my precious Swiss and Goex.

 

[willowbilly]

Thank you all for the info and suggestions!

When the fowlers were loaded with ball and buck how was it done?
Was a wading used over the powder and the ball and buck? Were paper cartridges used and if they were how was the ball and buck loaded? Buck over ball or the other way around?

Thanks.

 

[tenngun]

I have heard that buck can clog up as it’s shot so you should load ball on top. When I’ve tried this ( in a 20 gage) I rolled a cartridge with powder, three #4, and .562 ball. When held over the powder and buck dropped in loose, the paper was still around the ball and wadded as rammed down.
As to if it would really clog I can’t say, only what I’ve heard.