Historical shot load ?

[54ball]

I have a new Carolina Smoothbore in 28ga.. It is my first flintlock smoothie. :thumbsup:
I'll date the gun to around 1800+or-. What is the historical way to load shot for small game. I have read on this forum that wasp-hornet nest, spanish moss, leaves and paper like military muskets of the era were used. What was the sequence? powder-nest-shot-nest. When using leaves, green or dead? Is this mentioned in any period texts?
One thing that has ocurred to me while posting this. I am at my computer surrounded by pounds and pounds of paper. Am I wrong to assume that paper was a precious comodity on the frontier of 200 years ago. I remember being taught in school that the early settlers used waxed or greased heavy paper in place of glass in their window frames. When storms came they shut the shutters. So, would paper be too precious to use at that time?
Thanks for any comments.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Bob Spencer has rounded up some pretty neat stuff about our sport. This one is a century ahead of the date you mentioned but still a source of information.
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/ptery.html[/url]

 

[Many Klatch]

I have used "horse weeds" to load with shot in my 20 gauge. I poured in the powder, grabbed some leaves off of what ever was nearest and tamped it down. Then pour in the shot and tamp a smaller amount of leaves on top. It works well enough, but I have never tried on paper to see if it is any different from my usual over powder card, cushion wad and over shot wad.

I always shoot a "balanced load" the same measure is used for the shot as the powder.

One thing you will notice is the bad smell after the shot. I suppose from the crushed leaves.

 

In general, you can justify a lot of different ways to load your smoothie. If you are trying to pin it down to a certain time, place and persona then it may narrow your choices somewhat. Paper may have been relatively rare, for example, in Boonesborough or some other frontier post in the 70s, but military cartridges were paper and the eastern seaboard probably had little shortage of it. Old newsprint, hornets nest, leaves, cloth, buckskin, etc could all be used. I am not sure when modern-type felt or cardboard wads came into use. As in all shot loading, a wad should be placed between powder and shot (or they will mix)and over the shot (to keep it in).

 

[musketman]

Old newsprint, hornets nest, leaves, cloth, buckskin, etc could all be used.

I believe tow was also used, maybe even some wood pulp...

 

[Russianblood]

I use tow soaked in Moose Juice as my cushion wad in my blunderbuss. I've also used hornet's nest for wadding.