How do you load your smoothbore for shot?

[Magungo1066]

I have recently started experimenting with shot in my fowler. I did manage to shoot a few squirrels, and a rabbit on my Grandma's farm, but the loads were rudimentary, even random at best. I am kind of confused by how everyone loads their shot. Can someone break it down for me (slowly lol). What wads and cards go where? What sizes?

 

[tenngun]

Wads are whatever soft stuff you can stuff in your gun. I’ve used fiber wad from the store, balls of paper, balls of hair and tow. Shredded wool blanket, shredded hemp, wasp nest, grass, grape leaves,
Last couple of yeas 2x1 inch squares of brown paper.
Powder,paper wad,shot,paper wad

 

[Grenadier1758]

There is a sticky at the top of the Traditional Muzzle Loading Forum on the Skychief Load.

Skychief Smoothbore Load Recipe........ | The Muzzleloading Forum

That would be a good start.

Then in the General Muzzle Loading Forum there is a sticky of useful information such as the following:

Smoothbore Loads | The Muzzleloading Forum

Probably would want to roust out @rich pierce to see what he might suggest for your fowling piece.

 

[Magungo1066]

There is a sticky at the top of the Traditional Muzzle Loading Forum on the Skychief Load.

Skychief Smoothbore Load Recipe........ | The Muzzleloading Forum

That would be a good start.

Then in the General Muzzle Loading Forum there is a sticky of useful information such as the following:

Smoothbore Loads | The Muzzleloading Forum

Probably would want to roust out @rich pierce to see what he might suggest for your fowling piece.

Rich is my flintlock Yoda. He has grown my brain exponentially

 

[Yewbender]

I will say for turkey you can’t beat Skychiefs load. Best groups i got so far. If you go to the Hunting section you will find the thread to his load at the top! I haven’t really tinkered around with shot other then that. I have been using my .36 for squirrels when i can get out. Another thing is check out Bob Spencers Black Powder Notebook, look for the title My Smoothbore Loads. Lots of info on loads for different game. The other info he provides is good stuff and a great read! There is alot more to shooting shot and getting a good pattern...lots of time at the range and different ways to work your load to get a good pattern. Just change one thing at a time and take plenty of notes. Also remember its a cylinder bore and your yardage will be limited cause you are not shooting a modern gun with interchangable chokes. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[Grenadier1758]

That's why I suggest you put the question to the one who would know.

 

[user 49399]

I use a 60 cal Fusil de Chasse for squirrel hunting. My load is sort of a backwoods hillbilly load but it works very well for me.

First down the barrel is 75 gr of Goex 2f.
Then I put down a wad of wasper nest about the size of a 60 cal round ball or a little bigger. I tamp this firmly against the powder. This is wasp nest, not the big football shaped hornets nest.
Next is 75 gr of #6 shot.
Then I top it off with another wad of nest, same size as what went over the powder. I tamp this tightly against the shot.
I prime with same powder. My gun works well with this.

This is just what works for me.

I've tried all sorts of materials for wadding, cards, felt, paper, cardboard, flannel, leather, tow, jute, grass and leaves but have settled on the method described above since it's simple and easy for me.

 

[Magungo1066]

This may be horrendous (I don't know) but when I killed those squirrels and the bunny, my load was equal shot to powder, two felt wads over the powder, and one on top of the shot. That may be a ratchet way to do it, but it worked.

 

[andy52]

Heavy cardboard over powder, 2 felt wads to cushion the shot and a thin over shot card. Powder and shot loads whatever works in your gun.

 

[Art Caputo]

I really like the results I got using the Skychief load.

 

[Magungo1066]

I really like the results I got using the Skychief load.

I will have to try it out

 

[dave61965]

Powder, thick leather wad punched with a homemade punch soaked in hot beeswax/olive oil mix, shot, and a thin leather wad over the shot, sometimes I roll up a ball of raw wool to use as a cushion over the powder between two thick leather wads, not sure why, just do sometimes, never patterned my smooth bores but they kill squirrels just fine for me and that’s all I need.

 

[dave61965]

I just drop the punched out leather into the hot mix and take them out when they stop bubbling, that’s when all the air is out and they are totally saturated with the lube mix, they swell a bit and work good for me .

 

[Ajijaak17]

Powder, two felt wads, shot, and a half of one of those thick fiber wads broken up, rolled up and packed on top of the the shot. Works good on squirrels, rabbits, and snowshoe hares.

 

[Walkingeagle]

I’ve used green poplar leaves, hornets nest and raw sheeps wool both as over powder and overshot wads. Thats all I do. Always done a square load. Worked on rabbits, clay targets and grouse. Might have to try geese over decoys next.
Walk

 

[Magungo1066]

I’ve used green poplar leaves, hornets nest and raw sheeps wool both as over powder and overshot wads. Thats all I do. Always done a square load. Worked on rabbits, clay targets and grouse. Might have to try geese over decoys next.
Walk

I found a HUGE hornets nest on my family farm in South Carolina a few months ago. It is like my all-time favorite stuff to use with a smoothbore now

 

[Sam squanch]

The best time to get hornets nest is in the summer. Sneak up on it quite closely, and SHOOT it. It’s better fresh! No, don’t do this. My friend did that once. Once was enough....

 

[Magungo1066]

The best time to get hornets nest is in the summer. Sneak up on it quite closely, and SHOOT it. It’s better fresh! No, don’t do this. My friend did that once. Once was enough....

I have to ask... Is that a trailer park boys username?

 

[Brokennock]

Squirrel, pheasant, and general small game load= 60 grains 3f, thin "overshot" card, lubes felt wad or lubed ball of "tow", 1oz #5 shot either in a premade paper shot cup/cartridge or in a shot cup formed at the muzzle, 2 over shot cards.

Skychief load that I use for turkeys and some use for squirrels in tall trees is pictured here,
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/your-skychief-load-in-pictures.121544/You will also see pics of the thin "overshot" cards used in both loads.

 

[Colterkid]

W

I use a 60 cal Fusil de Chasse for squirrel hunting. My load is sort of a backwoods hillbilly load but it works very well for me.

First down the barrel is 75 gr of Goex 2f.
Then I put down a wad of wasper nest about the size of a 60 cal round ball or a little bigger. I tamp this firmly against the powder. This is wasp nest, not the big football shaped hornets nest.
Next is 75 gr of #6 shot.
Then I top it off with another wad of nest, same size as what went over the powder. I tamp this tightly against the shot.
I prime with same powder. My gun works well with this.

This is just what works for me.

I've tried all sorts of materials for wadding, cards, felt, paper, cardboard, flannel, leather, tow, jute, grass and leaves but have settled on the method described above since it's simple and easy for me.

Wasper nest? Now that's country. We call them that too
You play a banjer too?