max prb load in a smoothie

[dlpowell]

Interested in how far some of you are pushing the prb loads in your 62 cal smoothie. Haven't pushed mine beyond 60 grs 2f yet. This gun's a lot lighter than my 54 cal gpr. I have gone 120 grs 2f in the gpr. All I can say is wow, I don't do that very often.

 

[roundball]

As one reference, I use 80-90grns Goex 3F, or 100grns Goex 2F for deer hunting loads in .62cals

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. Powell,
We were using 100gr 2F in our NW Trade Rifle.
Best Wishes

 

[Frank/Pa]

70 grains of Goex 3F and a .600 roundball drops a whitetail in its tracks at 50 yards.

No need to beat the gun or yourself with anything more than that.

 

[Dausener]

I use 80 gr. 2F in my TVM 20 gauge Fowler w/ a .600 PRB. :thumbsup: Basset

 

[tg]

I use 90 gr 3f in my .62 smoothrifle.

 

[Galen Futtrell]

I use 90grs. of tripple7 2f in my G/R 62 S/B 32" 600RB. A GREAT DEER LOAD OUT TO 75YRDS. :thumbsup:

 

[texcl]

80-90grs. of kik 3f, dropped my first flinter deer to that load, was more effective than my .308win.

 

[buttonbuck]

I got great accuracy at 35 yards (I need to use the brush mower to get a 100 yard one.) with 70 goex 3f .60 rb and .015 patch. I am glad to hear that this drops deer good out to 50 yards thanks Frank.

 

[Cutfingers]

70 grs FFF, .600 rb w/ .018 pillow ticking patch is the ideal load for my 62 English Fowler.

 

[Timothy Gregory]

For what it's worth, in my French Tulle, I use 65 grns of 3F Goex with a .600 ball. 45 to 50 yard shot put an 8 point white tail in the dirt this year. I had just bought this gun from a friend and have been very pleased with it. It is also a very reliable squirell gun with #6 shot.
On a more humerous note, I once double charged a .69 Charleville with 180 grns of 3X Goex. I was not paying attention to what I was doing, I had charged and a cease fire was called. I told the Range Officer I had charged but had not run a ball down. RO said to "just set it against the bench" as the cease fire would only be "for a minute." Cease fire lasted 30 minutes and when firing resumed, I charged again and ran a ball. Needless to say, it hurt like Heck. Powerfull lesson learned.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Don: for what its worth, an Old Hodgdon Reloading data manual gives these loads for a 20 gauge ML shotgun:

1. 2 1/2 dram,( 69 grains) FFg for 1020 MV with 1 oz of shot. This is described as a " heavy " load.

2. 2 1/4 dram,(61 grains) FFg for 987 fps. MV with 1 oz of shot. This is described as a " medium" load.

3. 2 drams,(55 grains) FFg for 992 fps.MV, with 1 oz of shot. This is described as a "light" load.

They recommend FFg powder for all gauges. And, for the best patterns, they recommend using the "light " loads shown.

A 325 grain .600" caliber RB is 3/4 oz. So, using any of these loads will most likely produce more velocity than that shown for the 1 oz load of shot.

I tried 2 3/4 drams(75 grains) of powder in my 20 ga. fowler, and got 1050 fps. MV.I don't want to go much higher than that, altho I intend to test an 80 grains load, which will be just shy of 3 drams. Its been a recommended load for PRB from several members here, and I want to give it a fair testing out at 75 and 100 yds. The 75 grain load shoots fairly well at 50 yards.

 

[Cosmoline]

In my 12 ga. I've been having good results with 90-100 grains FFG and a .690" PRB. Nothing has blown up yet.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I am curious. What is the bore diameter on your 12 gauge, Cos??? I don't know that I want or need to buy RBs for my 12 gauge, because I have my 20 ga. fowler for that kind of hunting, but I am curious on how much smaller the ball diameter is from your bore diameter.

 

[Cosmoline]

It's a trade gun style, though I realize 12 ga is somewhat anachronistic for trade guns. The diameter is about .720" The .690's with ticking go in easy though the patches don't show much evidence of blow-by. .715" roundballs are a much tighter fit and I suspect I need to back off the charge with them.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

On a more humerous note, I once double charged a .69 Charleville with 180 grns of 3X Goex. I was not paying attention to what I was doing, I had charged and a cease fire was called. I told the Range Officer I had charged but had not run a ball down. RO said to "just set it against the bench" as the cease fire would only be "for a minute." Cease fire lasted 30 minutes and when firing resumed, I charged again and ran a ball. Needless to say, it hurt like Heck. Powerful lesson learned.

Indeed! Glad you weren't hurt ... nor the musket either.

Here's a few things we're doing to educate our RO's for BP shooters on the line, also note the BP shooter might be new too. (Not that you [Crankyman] needs this info ... but if it helps one person ..., we've (this forum) has done it's job.)

1) Rod must be marked with a typical full load mark, sharpie pen or scratched into the rod (as I see most do).

2) When a range 'cease fire' is called and there's a BP shooter on the line, we give them an option ... (a) continue to load and fire, or (b) ONLY if powder has been dumped AND the rod marked, we allow the firearm to be stored upright against the bench. BUT the rod is inserted as a reminder to the user that they were interrupted in the midst of a load. Usually the RO stays by that bench to ensure they then load a ball or projectile and not another powder load.

NOTE to above, if they're rod isn't marked, we insist they complete they're loading and fire it off; then the 'cease fire' is called.

Works for us, and helps educate newbies and those in the immediate area.

 

[spudnut]

Ted franklin Balue(?) wrote an article for Dixie gun works black powder annual a few years back (Better grab a musket)where he was shooting 160 :surrender: of 3f with a patched .715 in his bess.I weigh 350 lbs and shoot about 90.and it packs a punch.I hope I get to meet him someday I saw him at kalamazoo a few years back but didnt ask him.

 

[Timothy Gregory]

Yea, it was a pretty stupid mistake on my part. Been shooting a long time, it was just a case of the pure-dee-old stupids! My Charleville handled it pretty good though. Proofed the barrel the hard way. I had about a week and a half of two black eyes staring back at me every time I looked in the mirror to remind me of my mis-placed complacency!

 

[PreglerD]

Have a .54 smoothie flinter and load it with 90 grs WANO PP, borebutton, .525 RB and another bore button.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Yea, it was a pretty stupid mistake on my part ... I had about a week and a half of two black eyes staring back at me every time I looked in the mirror to remind me of my mis-placed complacency!

Oh my, :surrender: you clearly ommitted that fact in your 1st post!