I have been a muzzleloader shooter for years but I am new to smoothbores. Trying to figure out the right way to load the thing with shot. I am a bit confused as I see so many different methods available. What works for you? Where to get what I need on the web. Its a .62
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Loading the smoothbore
- Thread starter papellet
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Leonredbeard
54 Cal.
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2004
- Messages
- 1,863
- Reaction score
- 4
Phil,
Tioga County, huh? Treat yourself to a trip down to Dixon's ML shop. He will set you up with eveything you need. He and Greg (his son) love to answer questions and will help you avoid things you don't need. And you get to see and touch the stuff in real time. Remember, you are simply building a shotshell, without the shell. It doesn't matter how modern or primitive your components, you are building a shotshell in your barrel.
God bless.
volatpluvia
Tioga County, huh? Treat yourself to a trip down to Dixon's ML shop. He will set you up with eveything you need. He and Greg (his son) love to answer questions and will help you avoid things you don't need. And you get to see and touch the stuff in real time. Remember, you are simply building a shotshell, without the shell. It doesn't matter how modern or primitive your components, you are building a shotshell in your barrel.
God bless.
volatpluvia
Hi Phil, Dixon's is the place to go. This coming spring, my shooting club in Towanda has a monthly bp shoot. Anyone on this forum is welcome to join us.
I also shoot a .62cal smoothie and there is a ton of great info:[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html[/url]
I also shoot a .62cal smoothie and there is a ton of great info:[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html[/url]
Last edited by a moderator:
Dixon's is the place to go for sure.
Also check some of the earlier posts in this forum, there's a few discussions about loading your smoothie.
Enjoy it!
When I want to have fun I'll shoot my rifle, when I want to get serious I'll shoot my smoothbore.
Kevin :hatsoff:
Also check some of the earlier posts in this forum, there's a few discussions about loading your smoothie.
Enjoy it!
When I want to have fun I'll shoot my rifle, when I want to get serious I'll shoot my smoothbore.
Kevin :hatsoff:
CrackStock
69 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2004
- Messages
- 3,017
- Reaction score
- 9
Hello, I am Matthew and I am a ML smoothbore addict...
It is not rocket science, but there are a lot of variables here and many ways to do it right.
Dump powder first as always.
Seal that with a medium over powder card.
Add some form of cushion (often this is lubed and softened to avoid it being driven through the shot column on exiting the muzzle)
Paper wrapped shot that separates from the paper quickly. I use thin brown department store bags and wrap around a thinned 5/8 dowel to form. Glue or tape. Some tear the paper at the muzzle while others believe that it will rip apart on its own or punch hole to assist its destruction. This is one way that allows you to regulate your pattern. Shot volume and powder charge are also big factors.
Finally, a waxed and thin over shot card keeps you from losing your pellets when the muzzle is down.
Tweaking these variables is a lot of the fun, but you might load with 65 grains of 2f and 70 grains of shot as a starting point. Comfortable and fairly effective. Of course we all know that I will receive flak here!
I will add a few on-line resources from friends.
Bill White did a lot of work with using note cards to get a very tight pattern. Think of his when you are seeking a turkey load or rabbits and squirrels at a distance:
[url] http://members.aol.com/illinewek/faqs/shotcup.htm[/url]
One of the advocates of the renewal of smoothbore shooting is Bob Spencer. Here is his smoothbore method:
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html[/url]
Also look around his site for all sorts of good stuff:
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/[/url]
While on the subject, the next logical need will be a deer load with roundball:
[url] http://members.aol.com/illinewek/faqs/smooth.htm[/url]
Good luck and I am happy to have you among the smoothbore shooters in the group.
CS
It is not rocket science, but there are a lot of variables here and many ways to do it right.
Dump powder first as always.
Seal that with a medium over powder card.
Add some form of cushion (often this is lubed and softened to avoid it being driven through the shot column on exiting the muzzle)
Paper wrapped shot that separates from the paper quickly. I use thin brown department store bags and wrap around a thinned 5/8 dowel to form. Glue or tape. Some tear the paper at the muzzle while others believe that it will rip apart on its own or punch hole to assist its destruction. This is one way that allows you to regulate your pattern. Shot volume and powder charge are also big factors.
Finally, a waxed and thin over shot card keeps you from losing your pellets when the muzzle is down.
Tweaking these variables is a lot of the fun, but you might load with 65 grains of 2f and 70 grains of shot as a starting point. Comfortable and fairly effective. Of course we all know that I will receive flak here!
I will add a few on-line resources from friends.
Bill White did a lot of work with using note cards to get a very tight pattern. Think of his when you are seeking a turkey load or rabbits and squirrels at a distance:
[url] http://members.aol.com/illinewek/faqs/shotcup.htm[/url]
One of the advocates of the renewal of smoothbore shooting is Bob Spencer. Here is his smoothbore method:
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html[/url]
Also look around his site for all sorts of good stuff:
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/[/url]
While on the subject, the next logical need will be a deer load with roundball:
[url] http://members.aol.com/illinewek/faqs/smooth.htm[/url]
Good luck and I am happy to have you among the smoothbore shooters in the group.
CS
Last edited by a moderator:
I have no local source for shot, so had to turn to the web merchants. I was very happy with the service I got from Precision Reloading up in SD. Fifty pounds of shot (two 25lb bags) cost me $50, delivered.Phil said:
[url] http://precisionreloading.com/index.html[/url]
Track of the Wolf and Log Cabin Sport Shop both carry the wads and cards you need for shooting shot. I think you'll be wanting the 20 gauge sized components. (Track of the Wolf also has buckshot but does not carry the regular shot.)
And, I'm told, after a while of shooting shot lead will build up in the bore so you'll want something to clean that out.... hey guys, how often do you have to do that, and what do you use?
Last edited by a moderator:
The Baron
45 Cal.
- Joined
- May 10, 2004
- Messages
- 927
- Reaction score
- 15
Welcome to the world of the smoothbore Phil. It's a lot of fun.
I'm way up here in the Great White North, so supplies are hard to get. I've had really good luck ordering on-line from Track of the Wolf. Their site is at[url] www.trackofthewolf.com[/url]
I have had good luck loading my .62 with 80gr. FFg, overpowder card, pre-lubed fibre wad, 1 3/8oz. #6 lead and 1 overshot card. This will be next spring's turkey load and should do the trick comfortably to about 25 yards, even with no shot cup.
I have not hunted any game with my smoothie yet, but at the range I find either 60gr or 70gr. FFg and a 0.10" wonder-lubed patch with 0.600" RB shoots well without too much recoil.
I'm way up here in the Great White North, so supplies are hard to get. I've had really good luck ordering on-line from Track of the Wolf. Their site is at[url] www.trackofthewolf.com[/url]
I have had good luck loading my .62 with 80gr. FFg, overpowder card, pre-lubed fibre wad, 1 3/8oz. #6 lead and 1 overshot card. This will be next spring's turkey load and should do the trick comfortably to about 25 yards, even with no shot cup.
I have not hunted any game with my smoothie yet, but at the range I find either 60gr or 70gr. FFg and a 0.10" wonder-lubed patch with 0.600" RB shoots well without too much recoil.
Last edited by a moderator:
HistoryBuff
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2004
- Messages
- 152
- Reaction score
- 0
Is the .5 inch fiber wad absolutely necessary? I have all of the supplies except that.
HistoryBuff
HistoryBuff
No it isn't absolutely necessary. In fact, some people find that their gun patterns better without one. Or they use a half of one. The full fiber wad is fairly heavy when lubed and seems to blow holes in the center of the pattern. The lubed fiber wad does help keep the fouling soft in your bore for easier loading though. Some people use two thin wad over the powder with a dab of lbe in between them.
1/2" wad necessary?
Definately not! (at least in my case)
I shoot a heav(ier) load in by Bess and find that a Nito, finger pinch of BB or Bw&OL, and anouther nitro works perfectly fine for me.
I've had bad luck with the shot cushion wads as far as "blowing holes" in my patterns at the boards.
Definately not! (at least in my case)
I shoot a heav(ier) load in by Bess and find that a Nito, finger pinch of BB or Bw&OL, and anouther nitro works perfectly fine for me.
I've had bad luck with the shot cushion wads as far as "blowing holes" in my patterns at the boards.
I have not been using any lube since spring turkey season and have had no problems loading at all with either black or Pyrodex. I do use a very heavy over powder card that is right at 5 mm thick. I would give you a better measurement but all I am finding is a cheap metric caliper right now. I have a bunch that are 12 mm thick also, but I split them in half if I use them. I suspect that the stiff thick over powder wad scrapes the inside of the barrel after every shot keeping the buildup down. I fired maybe 25 shots working on the steel load one day with out swabbing or using lube.
HistoryBuff said:
No, it doesn't even have to be a wad, it could be a section of wasp nest, some dried grass, paper, whatever...
Nothing is written in stone, every gun likes something different, trial and error will show you what your gun needs...
Jim Cochran
Pilgrim
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
Great information ya'll, thanks for sharing your
knowledge. I bought a Wilson Trade Gun back in
May from Caywood, and I'm very pleased with it.
I have not used shot yet so this info is very
helpful.
Jim
knowledge. I bought a Wilson Trade Gun back in
May from Caywood, and I'm very pleased with it.
I have not used shot yet so this info is very
helpful.
Jim
Jim Cochran said:
A good starting point with shot is equal amounts of both shot and powder...
EXAMPLE:
I use a 90 grain measurer for powder in my brown bess, then over-powder card, fiber wad, then the same 90 grain measurer to weigh out my shot, then the over shot card...
Keeps things simple and works fine...
Similar threads
