Anybody ever check FPS on a smooth bore fowler muzzleloader compared to a center fire shot gun like a 12 gauge?
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
??? FPS??
- Thread starter Nor Cal Mikie
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
I don’t know what a cf shot gun does. I know a 20 bore will go from 11-1600 fps depending on your load.
I expect less but Bambi won’t know the difference
I expect less but Bambi won’t know the difference
hanshi
Cannon
I've never chronographed a modern shotgun but have clocked a few loads in my flint smoothbore.
My reloads for the unmentionable shotgun are supposed to be 1200 fps. This was my first season carrying a ML for bird hunting. Now idea what the fps is with the ML, but it killed birds as dead as the unmentionable, so I'm not gonna worry about how fast the shot is exiting the barrels.
There pretty comparable to each other.
And a whole lot depends on your wad stack and how well it seals the bore. Since modern shotgun shells are rated in drams equivalent it's pretty easy to match the velocities.
Black powder TV did some Wad studies. Tow vs paper vs fiber. I was expecting 50 fps, but he got closer to 200.
Do a type search and you will get your answers sir.
megasupermagnum
45 Cal.
Yes. I've done a fair amount, and posted some of them on this forum.
If you disregard the longer shells and magnum loadings a suppository shotgun with smokeless offers no advantage over a black powder shotgun.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2020
- Messages
- 881
- Reaction score
- 1,098
I like that some modern shells still have the dram equivilent on the box.
If the package arrives and the recipient is no longer there, you need more lead time.
Tao Robby
Tao Robby
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2008
- Messages
- 427
- Reaction score
- 389
I assume these high speeds are for RB loads. I think the speed difference between single projectile BP and non-BP loads may be greater on average than when using shot.
I have an unmentionable 3.5" 12 ga. handload that drives .690 RBs out a 30" cylinder bore at just under 2000 fps.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2020
- Messages
- 7,470
- Reaction score
- 20,919
- Location
- On the Border in Idaho looking at BC
megasupermagnum
45 Cal.
1150 fps is pretty common for a 12 gauge muzzleloader. It all varies based on your powder, load, wadding, etc. Generally a muzzleloading shotgun operates in the 900-1250 fps area. A modern shotgun generally in the 1100-1350 fps area. I'm certain you can make a muzzleloader shoot faster, and you can make a modern shotgun shoot slower, but they are fairly comparable. A round ball is basically the standard playload weight. A 12 gauge ball is about 1 3/8 oz, a 20 gauge about 7/8 oz, etc. so the velocities are not that much different for them or shot.
Yeah, a lot. All that was done nearly a century ago. Center fire shotgun is faster.(period)
It's a common global history. Those facts are easily found on line,,
I mean, what is your goal here?
Honest truth is, your ML smoothy,, will never compare to modern magnum shot shell in fps.
It's easy,, the lead time learning curve is different.
Modern CF shot shell isn't superior in harvest to ML,,
Goal? I just asked a question out of curiosity. Figured somebody may have tested for them selves.
Africa58double
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2021
- Messages
- 1,039
- Reaction score
- 923
I can tell you Some info that may assist. Yet not from a smoothbore. And slug related for a different point of view.
A One ounce lead 12g projectile is approximately… 437 grains. My .58 Muzzleloader has better sectional density do to being a slightly smaller diameter than a 12 gauge bore…. And I shoot a cast 445gr 8-9 Bhn REAL Bullet accurately out to about 100 yards. That can be Cranked up to about 1450-1550 + fps with a full chamber charge that is safe in gun.
From what I’ve read, that Fps is about equivalent to that of a 2 3/4” 12 gauge non mag Shotgun slug. Remington sluggers are about 1500fps. Tho the .58 Lee REAL Bullet has better SD for increased Penetration. Yet, I don’t think a animal would notice the difference.
So that’s essentially what I consider my Double barrel .58 MZ, It’s a Slug shooting double barrel shotgun equivalent. Not many things can take 2 shotgun slugs and Smile at you.
A One ounce lead 12g projectile is approximately… 437 grains. My .58 Muzzleloader has better sectional density do to being a slightly smaller diameter than a 12 gauge bore…. And I shoot a cast 445gr 8-9 Bhn REAL Bullet accurately out to about 100 yards. That can be Cranked up to about 1450-1550 + fps with a full chamber charge that is safe in gun.
From what I’ve read, that Fps is about equivalent to that of a 2 3/4” 12 gauge non mag Shotgun slug. Remington sluggers are about 1500fps. Tho the .58 Lee REAL Bullet has better SD for increased Penetration. Yet, I don’t think a animal would notice the difference.
So that’s essentially what I consider my Double barrel .58 MZ, It’s a Slug shooting double barrel shotgun equivalent. Not many things can take 2 shotgun slugs and Smile at you.
Last edited:
Wildrangeringreen
40 Cal
Dram equivalence... and the fact that smokeless doesn't automatically equal higher velocities (especially not with fast burning smokeless, head over to modern muzzleloading if you're curious about that lol)
I'm just going to leave on that note, I've done enough smoothbore arguing for this month lol.
BP guns, for most practical applications, aren't really all that inferior to smokeless, non-magnum arms (the idea that they are grossly less capable is something professed by uber-traditionalists and uber-modernists alike, unfortunately).
