How do I load buck ball?

[tom deinek]

Prompted by a recent post, I bought a .54 smooth barrel from GM for my TC Hawken.

I've read about and always wanted to try buck and ball. How do I load it? I assume wads or a buffering agent wil be used between projectile types.

Any powder load suggestions?

TIA

 

[paulvallandigham]

Considering that even Number 4 buck is .24 " in diameter, I don't think you are going to get much in the way of buckshot loaded in that small bore.

Normally, a Buck and Ball load consisted of 3 pieces of buck shot, usually 00, or 000, which are .32 and .36" in diameter, respectively, toped by a bore diameter round ball. Best accuracy occurs with light loads, and using an OP wad. That tends to distort the buckshot the least, so that they stay together. For military use, buck and ball loads were put in cloth containers, and tied off, sot they could be carried, and loaded all together. Often you will find people putting the large ball down first, followed by the buckshot. But if you have ever played pool or billiards, you know what happens when a large ball hits three smaller balls. For military purposes, where they were trying to stop lines of enemy soldiers marching toward, or shooting at, them, a wide spread buckshot load that hit 3 or more men was just dandy. Its not that good firing at wild game. Consider buchsot to be a 35 yard load at best. They will kill at much longer range, but keeping them on a 12 inch target beyond 35 yards is a challenge in most guns. Many can't keep them in that small an area at that short range.

 

[tg]

I have always loaded the patched ball then drop in shot and hold in place with an over shot card, wadding of some sort would also work for this, the .54 is getting kind of small bored for buck and ball I believe but give it a try and see how it works, the shot size should layer in the bore for best results I have heard,this will mean a pretty small shot in that bore size, it is basicly a military load to cripple as many as possible but can be used as a very close deer load usually 10 yds or less.I try to make the ball and shot weight equall to no more than the heaviest conical made for the bore size, I would try 60 gr either 2f or 3f and go from there.

 

[paulvallandigham]

With #4 buck, at .24" in diameter, you can get two balls to sit in one layer across the bore of your .54 smoothie( .550 Diameter bore?), but not three of them. You would have to drop down to birdshot to get three pellets across, Probably down to #2-#4 shot to get three pellets to lay across on the same layer. I don't think that is what you are looking to do.

If you want to use buck shot, then stick with the #4, and put two layers, two lined in one direction, separated by a OS card, and then the next two at 90 degrees to the first two, followed by one or two OS cards to hold all the stuff in the barrel. If you put an OS card on top of the large bore diameter RB, to separate the Ball from the buckshot, you should get a bit tighter pattern with the buckshot.

Basically, you are shooting a very small bore shotgun, about 28 gauge, and there is a reason why you don't find buckshot loads made and sold in that gauge. Its too small for this. Most Buck and Ball guns are 16 gauge, or larger, bores( .69, .72, .75, .80, etc.) Even a .62 caliber/ 20 gauge gun is difficult to load with a buck and ball charge.

I think the 60 grain charge of either FFg or FFFg is a good place to start, also. YOu might take it back down to 55 grains( 2 drams ), to see if that improves the group. Considering the effective range of the small buckshot you are forced to use, You have more than enough power even with the lighter loads.

Instead of using small buckshot, and a ball, you might be better to consider using two balls loaded on top of each other, each patched, with the same small charge of powder, and see how they perform. They are more likely to put the two balls close on a target at even 35 to 50 yards than any buck and ball load you are likely to make. Keep the powder charge low, because the gun is going to be knocked about a bit with two balls in the barrel. Remember that chamber pressure tends to get higher, faster, in small bore guns, for the same proportional increase in powder charge.

 

[smokeblower]

If your punching paper targets, no problem. If you are hunting, check your local/state laws. My state considers this load buckshot, which is an illegal hunting load.

 

[Russianblood]

Three #3 buck fit flat in a 28 bore barrel. Load the ball like normal. place and overshot card down the barrel. Drop 3 buckshot down the bore. Cover with an overshot card or some kind of wadding and you're good to go.

 

[Phantom Captain]

Hmmm,

This is how I do it to really good effect actually. I have an Armi Sport Model 1842 Springfield .69 smoothbore.

I make my own buck and ball cartridges with newspaper and thread. Only the ball and buckshot though, no powder. I simply cut a small square of newspaper, wrap it in a tube around my .678 ball, twist at the bottom and tie off with a small piece of thread. I add three #00 buck shot (I think it's #00, whatever one is .30 cal) on top of my round ball and then twist and tie off again.

This way at the range it's super easy to switch off patched round balls or buck and ball. I've been staying pretty consistent with an 80 gr. 2f Goex load underneath these but have gone up as high as 100gr which was standard military buck and ball powder load. 80 grains is just ALOT more comfortable and works just fine at these distances for paper targets.

I simply use my measure, fill an 80gr load and then I can use a patched round ball or just drop my buck and ball newspaper cartridge on top of the powder. I always shoot big ball on the bottom, buck on top with good results!

I understand everyone has their own ways but this is what works for me.

You can see here, these are at 25 yards.