Help on loading shot.

[Cpt Flint]

I need some advice on how much powder and shot to load in a .54 Smooth Rifle. Wads, etc. I’m an old ML rilfle gun shooter who just traded for a splendid smooth rifle and am captivated by it. Thanks

 

[Brokennock]

I need some advice on how much powder and shot to load in a .54 Smooth Rifle. Wads, etc. I’m an old ML rilfle gun shooter who just traded for a splendid smooth rifle and am captivated by it. Thanks

Just scaling down my 20 gauge load in my head, I would try a 50 grain powder measure for powder and a 60 grain powder measure for shot. This should give you a 7/8 ounce shot load.

 

[3Setters]

With a similar bore size to a 28 gauge, I'd start out with 3/4 ounces of shot with the same volume of powder. But I'm also less is better when it comes to shot giving a better pattern.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Treat your new smooth rifle pretty much as you would treat your rifled bore although I would find the use of a thick patch with a ball about the patch thickness smaller in diameter than the bore would be effective with rifle sized powder loads. I would try a starting load of 70 grains (volume) 2fg.

For a starting load of shot, this is a 28 gauge load, so shot size would depend on what you are hunting or shooting at. Using a volume measure, I would use from 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce of shot on top of the same volume of black powder. If it passes the tuna can test (the shot penetrates the base of a tuna can at 25 to 30 yards or whatever range your quarry will be hunted) then you should be ready to go hunting.

 

[Brokennock]

Okay, so, some of these answers are, and will be, in ounces of shot. But, you most likely have a volumetric powder measure in grains.
There used to be a chart here in another section but all that got messed up at some point.
Luckily this was posted elsewhere just yesterday.

In the grain to drams section the 61.5gr should say it equals 2 1/4 drams I believe.

Another rule of thumb is that more shot than powder will give you denser patterns. There is a point of diminishing returns though as eventually you could have so much shot that your pattern in impenetrable but not enough powder to move that much weight effectively.

 

[Cpt Flint]

Many Thanks Gentlemen, sound advice taken seriously.

 

[Historian]

I strongly advise trying 3Fg at about 50 to 60 grains. That is what a friend shoots in his 54 and 58 smooth bores. He has great results. He uses leather wads he punches out himself as over powder and over shot wads and uses 1/4 inch fiber wads between them which the shot sits on. He uses 3/4 oz to 15/16 oz loads for squirrels, rabbits and dove.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I strongly advise trying 3Fg at about 50 to 60 grains. That is what a friend shoots in his 54 and 58 smooth bores. He has great results. He uses leather wads he punches out himself as over powder and over shot wads and uses 1/4 inch fiber wads between them which the shot sits on. He uses 3/4 oz to 15/16 oz loads for squirrels, rabbits and dove.

In a 54 I would be dumping 1oz in it and the finest powder I could get.
I would drop 1oz in my 58's all the time.

 

[3Setters]

Interesting Brit, I go the opposite way, finding using less a little less shot gives me better patterns in both unmentionables, and now in my BP 12 gauge.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Interesting Brit, I go the opposite way, finding using less a little less shot gives me better patterns in both unmentionables, and now in my BP 12 gauge.

Sure, do what's best for you. I just like lots of shot in the air.
I load 3/4oz in my 45.

 

[jlatz]

I have used a 28 ga. flint fowler over the years. The square load works well. I use 3/4s of an ounce of 7 1/2 or #8 shot and the same volume of 3f powder.

 

[OhioHawkeye]

I need some advice on how much powder and shot to load in a .54 Smooth Rifle. Wads, etc. I’m an old ML rilfle gun shooter who just traded for a splendid smooth rifle and am captivated by it. Thanks

Congratulations on your acquisition.

With any smoothbore, once you workup a load for roundball.. and most of us do start there... the basic thing is to use one measure of powder to one and one half measures of shot for the load.

Thus, loading procedure is as follows, for me:

Powder (after all, whatever else goes in, the powder makes it all come out)
Over powder card
Shot Wad (the large softer squishy thing...works like a shot cup does in a modern round)
Shot (1 1/2x the measure you used for the powder)
Over shot card..(holds it in so you don't look like Elmer Fudd, yea, I've done that)

If you want to play with different volumes of shot, or different combinations and materials for the cards and wads, I suggest getting some very large pieces of cardboard to pattern the loads. Make a mark in the middle about the size of your fist to aim at and use a new sheet for each load. It will show you if the load is high or low, and if there are any major holes inthe pattern. I prefer an 80% load, meaning 80% of the shot hits above the target.

 

[tenngun]

For shot, load heavy get close.

 

[Cpt Flint]

I’m taking this all in and shall report soon. Shot for groups yesterday with patched ball but too early to tell. It’s trying to shoot under two inches at 40 yards.

 

[ohio ramrod]

For my 28 gauge I use 55 grain FF under 3/4 ounce shot with a leather wad and a paper shot cartridge made of thee thickness of news paper.