Hevi-Shot in flintlock smoothbore?

[Matt PA]

Got to looking around my workshop last night and it got me thinking......I have a nice little supply of loose #6 and #7 Hevi-shot doing nothing but occupying space.
Anyone ever consider shooting this stuff out of a flinter (or any ML barrel for that matter)? Its super hard of course, but the pellets are small and at least in my case if I were to use them it would be in a dedicated turkey gun (Colerain turkey barrel)
So looking at a few patterning shots, and then at most a shot or 2 per year? (Pulling loads by hand to conserve the shot when not needed in the field)

Would the wear and tear of a couple dozen shots over the lifetime of the barrel really harm anything or make it so that any potential damage would even be noticeable? Maybe a few scratches?

I know that stuff patterns like gangbusters in a modern shotgun vs lead but we aren't comparing apples to apples here other than the strong choke.

The potential to throw a swarm of #7 Hevishot at a turkey's coconut is intriguing

??? :hmm:

 

[Patocazador]

Use plastic shot cups from Ballistics Products to protect your barrel if it is a 20 or 12 gauge.

I wouldn't score a nice smooth bore just to use 'em up. I use copper-plated #5 lead shot and it works fine on a turkey within 30 yards.

 

[Matt PA]

Use plastic shot cups from Ballistics Products to protect your barrel if it is a 20 or 12 gauge.

I wouldn't score a nice smooth bore just to use 'em up. I use copper-plated #5 lead shot and it works fine on a turkey within 30 yards.

I have a BUNCH of those cups on hand to use.....if they would fit through the .580 choked section of the bore.

Not that it's not shooting good killing patterns at 30-35yds with nickle #5.5's just wondering if anyone has tried it with good results (or at least no noticeable damage)

We are talking about a gun that seriously will have a huge potion of time in the woods but in reality a very limited amount of actual shooting.

 

[cynthialee]

making a shot cup of thick crepe paper will reduce the wear and tear.

Consider this, that gun is going to be around longer than you. You are less the gun owner than the guns current caretaker. Take good care of it so that when it becomes another persons gun it is in good shape.

 

[Skychief]

My thought Matt is that it might pay to ask Colrain about it.

By the way, where are you finding turkeys running around carrying coconuts? :youcrazy:

Best regards, Skychief :haha:

 

[rushlake1]

Hev-i shot 6's work just fine on turkeys..
with a protective wad-cup.
iffing u don't mind permanent lines in your bore go for it.

shot only hard lead 5's in my colerain turkey choked bbls. killed them dead-dead.
used a lubed patch shot cup..zero leading.

felt like I was cheating and went back to cyl bore...
odd man out again...22 yards or less with the cyl. bore flinter..life is good.
# 6 hev-i shot 30yards the year of my transition to black powder..t/c new englander per-suction choked.dead dead
This spring bird hooked me deep.

ff.. fall bird.28 yards colerain barrel # 5 hard lead..dead dead
t/c Renegage 37" colerain bbl.flint.

average 2-3 birds a year.can hunt toms in spring and all in the fall.

 

[The Baron]

Well, there's definitely two ways I could lean on the topic.

The big sell of HS is it's density carries energy a lot further for the given shot size, so it kills 'em farther for those gents who can't call a bird in close or hold steady to let it happen. (That sounds more derogatory than intended :hmm: ). At typical flintlock ranges (i.e. out to perhaps 30-ish yards) lead is an age old, tried and true gobbler med'sin and has plenty of energy for turkeys. And of course, lead is PC, HS ain't (if'n that matters to ya').

However... those HS #7's would offer more pellets per volumetric load than lead, and carry the same energy as lead 6's to your bird. You should be able to protect your bore with a plastic shot cup, perhaps those designed for steel shot as they are a bit thicker than the standard trap/skeet wads. And with a choked barrel, maybe you can get a 30+ yard killing pattern and make some use of that energy. Plus, if you wanted to hunt waterfowl, non-toxic shot restrictions would force you into using HS or Bismuth so there's a fully legit use.

I guess the decision points are do you want to be PC in your loads, and can you sufficiently protect your bore (or live with some scoring).

I second the suggestion to ask Colerain for their input. I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of their FAQ's.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Actually it's even simpler than suggested...,

Would you shoot plain steel shot through your gun the same way you plan to shoot the Hevi Shot? It's made from an alloy of Tungsten, Nickle, and Iron, and is harder than plain steel shot, so no matter what you do, it will wear harder on your barrel than plain steel. It is also not made up of uniform spheres, but is instead made up of rather oddly shaped pellets, so potentially will be more abrasive than expected.

If the answer is "yes" to the question about steel, then go ahead, but if it's "no, I wouldn't shoot steel", then you shouldn't shoot the Hevi Shot.

:idunno:

LD

 

[Matt PA]

I have been back and forth on this one quite a bit....probably spent more time thinking about it than it's worth! :grin:

I contacted Scott at Colerain and he definitely wasn't dead set against me being ABLE to shoot it out of the barrel.....To paraphrase he said "I probably wouldn't??" in reference to volume shooting but that the "special occasion" type shooting should be no problem at all to the integrity of the barrel.

I'm definitely not trying to turn the thing into a modern shotgun but the 2lb bag of Hevi #7 and 1/2lb of #6 that I have sure might make it more efficient at modest 30-35yd ranges and allow a little 'Fudge" factor for a mistake.

303 pellets to the ounce with HEvi #7's and the energy and penetration probably exceeding #6 lead is hard to ignore if one is willing to overlook the HC, PC, etc aspect.

Currently I'm looking at about 330ish Nickle #5.5's in a 1 3/4oz load......if I can bump that up to somewhere in the neighborhood of 530 pellets of similar energy and possibly tighter patterns with the Hevi #7's? It's a bit hard to just dismiss from a performance standpoint.
Shouldn't be too much room to hide a turkey head in that pattern!

I will wrestle the HC, PC demons and see what I come with. :haha:

 

[Patocazador]

Sell it to a duck hunter.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Seeing as you're getting more pellets per on. why not drop back a little on the load? Its your gun. As you said it won't be shot much so shoot it once with the HS and see what the bore looks like. Doubt if you will tell much difference. Then shoot your standard load and see if it caused any change in the pattern. 3-4 times a year isn't going to hurt. Let me know how it works. Dan.