Need TVM Fowler input

[jbwilliams3]

I don’t have a TVM gun, but my experience with smooth muzzleloaders mirrors Hanshi’s. I don’t doubt that folks get good accuracy with patched balls, but I wouldn’t ignore the bare ball with a wad as an experiment. My 28 gauge trade gun shoots a very acceptable group at 50 yards offhand using nothing but a bare ball and usually leaves as a wad. I have found little difference in patching versus not patching ball in smoothies. Others’ mileage will vary, without a doubt. My experiments with my trade gun were based on how I thought an individual in the 18th century would load ”“ basically throw in a wasps nest and ball and a green leaf, etc. and ram the whole thing home in one effort ”“ that’s counter to most advice as most say you need to ram each element individually and it’s got to be super tight ”“ but it’s fast and very reasonably accurate which is what I believe they were intended to be.

I’m not advocating for accepting less than optimal performance, particularly for the sake of any creature that might be hunted with these guns. However, I find it extremely fun to load and shoot how they were shot originally and I just so happen to get the same or similar accuracy as I do using a patched round ball. Have fun experimenting!

 

[kingsax26]

Have yought of trying a barfe ball with a fiber wad? all of my fowlers shoot equally well to 50yds like that and still plenty good at 75. plus its muuuuuch easier to load in a dirty bore

 

[Docgp]

Sorry Byron, but someone had to say it. I have never heard of a barfe ball :haha: :haha: :rotf:

Doc

 

[jd411111]

Thanks all for all the info. Guess I'll just have to try it all and find what works for me. However,I do like the idea of doing it how it was historically done, but that's probably a whole other topic.

 

[Brokennock]

Thanks all for all the info. Guess I'll just have to try it all and find what works for me. However,I do like the idea of doing it how it was historically done, but that's probably a whole other topic.

Not really "another topic." But one that has been discussed before. As I recall from previous topics/threads regarding documentation of smoothbore loadings of round ball, there seems to be little or no documentation that smooth bores (fowling pieces, smooth rifles, etc) were loaded with patched ball. Wadding of some and various types seemed to be the rule.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Sorry Byron, but someone had to say it. I have never heard of a barfe ball :haha: :haha: :rotf:

Doc

My cat produced one a while back. About .50 cal. with hair so compacted it looks like fine felt, even after rinsing off the barfe part :idunno:

 

[lefty41]

LOL! :bow:

 

[Pete G]

Sorry Byron, but someone had to say it. I have never heard of a barfe ball :haha: :haha: :rotf:

Doc

Otherwise known as a college fraternity party. :haha: :rotf:

 

[Grenadier1758]

Let's be kind here. I am sure Byron meant to type bare ball.

 

[nessmuk]

I have a TVM fowler in 20 ga. with a 36" barrel and my load is 60 gr. of Goex 3F with a PRB and this is accurate for me out to 50 to 60 yds.

For bird hunting I use the same 60 gr. of Goex 3F with an over the powder wad, 1 oz. of shot with an over the shot wad. There is no choke in the barrel so it only gives good pattern out to 25 yds.