How do you load your fowler?

[Nav]

Starting to think about putting a fowler together before the next hunting season, and clearly there is more to it than loading a rifled ball. I've been watching the youtubes and there are hardly two folks who seem to do it the same. From flax and oakum fibers, felt, card, newspaper wads... They seem to be in several different arrangements that all seem to work. Looking to plumb the board for information and insight.

What is your process/ritual, and why?

 

[#BPBReloadingFFL]

Powder patch ball works best of all. For shot powder over powder card)wad shot over powder/wad card

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Nav, look up the sticky for the Skychief load.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/skychiefs-shot-load-link.127394/

There are a number of topics here on the Forum on hunting loads. Ultimately you should try several of the loads and see how they pattern on some patterning paper. What are you hunting and what pattern are you seeking. There are differences between a tight pattern and shot size for turkey to a short range shot load for upland birds or patterns for squirrels up in a tree or a rabbit running along the ground. Do you expect to be taking many shots during your hunting day?

You are going to get more than a few good suggestions for loads. There's a lot of variations on the load for a smoothbore that work. Use one that works with the materials that you have on hand at first. That may well be a charge of powder with a wad of tow (jute or sisal) fibers with an over shot card, desired shot charge and the heavily lubricated wad (Skychief) over the shot.

I prefer the lightest wads between powder and shot to minimize the possibility of the over powder wad blowing through the shot collum and opening a hole in the center of the pattern.

 

[Nav]

I'm good with understanding the loads. I've been shotgunning my whole life.

What I'm confused on (ignorant about) is the wide variation of how people use the different wad material, and it's order stacked in the barrel. There seems to be quite a bit of variation in both materials and their order almost to the point of everyone having their own way of doing it.

Like your last comment on wanting the lightest wad between powder and paper so it doesn't affect your spread. That makes a ton of sense to me. Other people don't seem to agree with that. I watched a guy who used what almost looked like a wooden or cork disk over the powder, and then a ball of flax fibers, and then another disk of card stock before he poured in his shot, and then more flax fibers and then another card stock...

I'm sort of a k.i.s.s. guy, so this looked too involved and perhaps unnecessary. I just want to know if there is any kind of consensus at all, and hear people's reasoning on why they use the materials and load the way they do. I should have been more clear in my OP.

 

[BCarp]

I'm good with understanding the loads. I've been shotgunning my whole life.

What I'm confused on (ignorant about) is the wide variation of how people use the different wad material, and it's order stacked in the barrel. There seems to be quite a bit of variation in both materials and their order almost to the point of everyone having their own way of doing it.

Like your last comment on wanting the lightest wad between powder and paper so it doesn't affect your spread. That makes a ton of sense to me. Other people don't seem to agree with that. I watched a guy who used what almost looked like a wooden or cork disk over the powder, and then a ball of flax fibers, and then another disk of card stock before he poured in his shot, and then more flax fibers and then another card stock...

I'm sort of a k.i.s.s. guy, so this looked too involved and perhaps unnecessary. I just want to know if there is any kind of consensus at all, and hear people's reasoning on why they use the materials and load the way they do. I should have been more clear in my OP.

KISS is key, in my humble opinion. The old timers punched wads out of old felt hats, and old saddle leather. I don’t have leather to waste, so I use lightly lubed wool felt wads - two between the powder and shot/ball, and one on top. Good results!

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I use tow greased with fat mostly.

 

[RiverRat]

Stay away from those thick cardboard nitro cards. They tend to shoot right through your shot pattern and leave a hole in the pattern. I feel a patched round ball is better than a bare ball.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

You're going to have the chance to experiment a lot.
For my roundball load in my .62 FDC, I currently shoot 80 gr 2f, .595 ball and a .010 patch.
For my turkey load, I'm using 70gr 2f, over shot card, 80 gr (by volume) of 5 shot, and an olive oil soaked fiber wad.
For squirrels, 70 gr 2f, over powder card, half of a cushion wad, 70 gr 6 shot, and an over shot card.
I am by no means settled in on these. I've got room for improvement.
Each gun acts differently and each load acts differently.

 

[oldwood]

River Rat got it right. Don't use more than a .025 card wad between powder and shot , and a half of a .025 card over the shot. Equal amounts of powder and shot. That's where you might start your experimenting. The thick felt wads will scatter your pattern. The object is to cause the wads to fall away before they can put a hole in your shot cloud.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Lots of ways to skin a smoothbore.

For ball I used paper "cartridges". I dip the ball end in a mix of beeswax and tallow.

For shot I use an overpowder card, then a fiber wad rolled through thin beeswax/tallow melted (NOT dunked - just lube the edge), then shot, then a thin over-shot card with either a hole poled in it with an awl or a nicked edge. Too tight and no air-relief it can compress air in the load and "pop" it up off the shot when you pull the rammer.

I carry a tin with fixings for 12 shots like so:

The smaller tin kilds a turn-screw and jags.

But I gave up on the ball block (for 16 gauge) and now exclusively shoot paper cartridges.

Sometimes I get fancy and make a shot cup out of grocery bag paper. Improves the patterns a bit.

 

[tenngun]

I like filed paper above and below the shot. One by two inch square and it gives good pattern to twentyfive yards.
Also heavy on the shot load light on powder
Bare vs pathed ball at fifty yards. One looks tight but the five shot group measured the same

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Don't forget the buck and ball load too. Mine shoots a 50 cal round ball and (4) 40 cal round balls very well at 40 yards All will stay on a paper plate. Most going within 3-4" of center. Whats cool is buckshot is illegal where I hunt. But since the ball size meets legal requirements it legal here and not considered buckshot

 

[bigted]

Don't forget the buck and ball load too. Mine shoots a 50 cal round ball and (4) 40 cal round balls very well at 40 yards All will stay on a paper plate. Most going within 3-4" of center. Whats cool is buckshot is illegal where I hunt. But since the ball size meets legal requirements it legal here and not considered buckshot

Oh that's AWSOME! I'd like to see a target and know your load column. This seems like a deer gettin machine. I do not eat antlers and this sounds like a head shooting special what with NO meat damage. What gun and calibre? Smooth or rifled?

I know right ... questions questions questions.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I’ve also tried wool blanket wads. I cut squares about the size of a domino and grease them. Folded over they for a snug fit in the bore. But I prefer tow, seems to shoot “harder” and more consistant.

I’ve been meaning to try wasp’s nest, but I’m scared of bugs and think touching it is icky.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Oh that's AWSOME! I'd like to see a target and know your load column. This seems like a deer gettin machine. I do not eat antlers and this sounds like a head shooting special what with NO meat damage. What gun and calibre? Smooth or rifled?

I know right ... questions questions questions.

Its a smoothbore 62cal aka 20 gauge. 90 grains 2f a nitro card drop in 50 call ball then 4 40 cal balls. Then a shot card to keep them in the barrel. Thats it. I have a spot the deer have to funnel through theres a cliff on one side and a river on the other. To get to the beans they have to go through there. No more than 40 yard shot possible. I just sit in the giant rocks and wait.

 

[bigted]

Awsome! I gotta try this in my 20 smoothie. So a .500 ball followed by 4 .400 balls and a card to keep em all down on the powder and card wad? Gonna have to repair my smoothy and give this a whirl.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Did @Johnny Too-Tall mean a 0.600 ball and 4 0.400 balls in his 20 gauge? Just gotta ask as 0.500 seems too small for the ball size for a 20 gauge buck and ball load.

 

[Clark Badgett]

I load mine from the muzzle end.

 

[2 shots]

I load mine from the muzzle end.

ya beat me to it. ...

 

[Jeff Latz]

I have used original percussion shotguns since the 1960s. For 12 ga. I have used an ounce and 1 1/8th dipper for both shot and powder, at times called a square load. After powder I put in one of Mike's over powder wads. (Mike has had a booth at the nationals' at Friendship, Ind., for shotgun supplies.) That wad is a bit oversize to seal. Next is half a cushion wad, shot and over shot wad. Track of the Wolf has a good selection of wads. In the original guns I have been using 777. I clean with Ballistol. I try to avoid water in the old barrels. When developing loads try pattern tests.