Just droped the hammer on a .56 TC SB barrel

[Palmetto Ed]

I agree,smoothbores are very addictive.

 

[nit wit]

CL:
Make some shot cups with supermarket grocery bags, you will get more range #6 is fine, I use 3f even in my bess and fowlers and prime with the same. .10 patch .550 ball.
Have fun!
Nit Wit

 

[cynthialee]

So I got my wads and cards today from TOW.

I did what anyone would have done, I loaded up and shot some shot down range. Just three rounds down range to get a feel for it...

First shot:
80 grains of 2F, over powder card, fiber wad, equal measure of 7.5 shot as to the powder so I fill the shot up to the 80 grain mark on my powder measure, then a pair of over shot cards.
Boom! Owy owy owy...why didn't you men warn me!? Damn that hurt like hell.

Second shot:
70 grains of 2F, over powder card, fiber wad and this time only enough shot to fill to the 60 grain mark, and a pair of over shot cards.
Boom! Ok that hurt too. Not as bad though.

Third shot:
60 grains of 2F, over powder card, fiber wad, and this time shot only to the 50 grain mark on my measure, 2 over shot cards.
Boom! Much better. That didn't beat me up too much.

There was a herd of deer out by my targets that I had to shoo away before I started shooting. Silly critters. Standing exactly at the distance I practice shoot out my back door. Too bad they change that behavior durring hunting season.

 

[Leatherbark]

So Cynthialee. What are you going to hunt for with it? Grouse? Squirrel? Wabbits? Curious as to the main small eatin game is in your state?

Regards

Bob

 

[Lonegun1894]

I did label my loads as light and heavy, so I kinda, sorta, did warn you, a little. But glad you're shooting it now. Usually, at least with mine, using more powder than lead gives me very open patterns, so I tedn to use equal amounts of each or use more lead than powder to tighten up my patterns to something more useable. Hope this gun settles down for you as you get used to it.

 

[Carl Fowler III]

CL, 80gr = 1 1/8oz, 60gr =7/8oz, 50gr =3/4oz of shot, hope you find this helpful...you may want to put a recoil pad on that gun, not P.C. but hurts alot less than that steel plate on your Renegade! Turkey's are tough birds and need some kill'n...shoot as much powder and load as you can and always hit em in the head! :v By the way, there are 225 #6 pellets in an ounce of shot.

 

[cynthialee]

I wanna eat me a wild turkey this year.


I was shooting at the snow drift down by my targets so I could see somewhat how it was doing. Not to bad actually. Of course I need to do proper load development but I was pretty happy with it.

So is loading by volume wrong? When I read up on shooting smooth bores it seemed I was suppossed to go equal measures of powder and lead by volume. With a little variation as needed to get a proper patern.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

So is loading by volume wrong? When I read up on shooting smooth bores it seemed I was suppossed to go equal measures of powder and lead by volume. With a little variation as needed to get a proper patern.

Traditionally, equal volumes of powder and shot was the starting point for loads in unchoked smooth-bores. But this is affected by a number of factors, including intended use, barrel length, and the powder (burn rate, granulation, and density). For one thing, powder manufacturing changed in the first part of the 19th century resulting in somewhat increased density, at least in the better grades, so the recommended charges from earlier sources would have to be reduced accordingly. Also, it has long been observed that going with more powder than shot tended to open patterns (until you hit the point where it blew them completely) while more shot than powder than shot tended to tighten them but at a cost to velocity and penetration, so one could vary the load according to one's needs. If you read the 18th century writings, such as those posted on Spence's site, you'll see "1/3 more shot than powder" by volume often recommended as an optimum compromise between tight pattern and adequate velocity, but some of the turkey loads reported here have gone as heavy as 1/2 more shot by volume with #4 or #5 shot. As with accuracy with ball, you have to learn what your firearm likes to get it to do what you want with shot.

On another matter, if you got the 1/2" cushion wads, some have had excellent results with them, but many of us have had better patterns splitting them and using 1/2 or 1/3 of one. Also, some have found that the bottom layer of shot tends to imbed in some types of cushion wads, and use an O/S card on top of the cushion to prevent this. Again, you have to find what works for you in your gun with your components.

Have fun learning your new toy

 

[VEARL]

CL,
In my 56 cal smoothbore, I have found that mine likes a load of 80 gr. volume of # 6 shot. A charge of 70 gr of 2F B/P. I use 2 O/P Cards and 1 O/S card. If I used a fiber wad, I found that it would blow a hole in the patern.
I have also loaded with 90 gr volume of # 6 shot and 80 gr volume of 2F B/P. Seems to do well also.
To keep my pattern intact and to increase my distance, I made up some paper shot cups. They really helped increase the range and tighten up the pattern.
P/M me for instructions on how to make the paper cups. Be glad to help.
Vearl

 

[Carl Fowler III]

I wanna eat me a wild turkey this year.


When you do get one of them thieve'n longbeards, don't make the same mistake I did with my first bird....seems if you cook em as long as a butterball they get mighty dry and tough eat'n! Cook it about 1/2 the time you would a butterball and it'll be fine eat'n! :v

 

[cynthialee]

I plan on brining it for a few days then baking it in one of them roasting bags so it don't get dry.