Range Report - need opinions

[burch]

This is the first time out with my new JB smoothie 20ga/62cal. I probably ran about 20 different loads and it seemed to like this one the best so far. I`d like to tighten up the 25 yrd. pattern and tried several things and this was the best I could do. I might try some FFF powder next time and see what that`ll do.
One things for sure, it was a blast to finally get this one to the range.
burch :v

 

[Rifleman1776]

15 yards isn't much of a test.
Did you really use one ounce of powder? :shocked2: Methinks not. That would be about 438 grains and you wouldn't be able to make this post.
Try one ounce of shot and start with 50 GRAINS of bp.

 

[burch]

o.k. I have a CVA volumetric adjustable measure. I set it at 1 oz. for powder and 1 1/4oz. for shot. I`m thinking it`s between 60 to 70 grains of powder. One of my test loads was 7/8 oz. of powder and 1 oz. of shot. Would that pretty much cover your recommendation or are you telling me to work up the powder charge with 1 oz of shot. I went through quite a few test loads with 1 oz of shot and nothing seemed to pattern very well but I didn`t work up any powder charges with `em I just changed the components ( 2-op cards, 3-op cards, 1 felt wad, 2 felt wads etc. )

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Yessir,

Your at 70gr on the powder and 90gr on the shot, did you try backing off on the shot any, also adjust the amount of powder as well as the cards etc. your right in there with the ratio though.

Just gonna take some fiddlin'

 

[roundball]

Glad you're off and running...playing with smoothbores has really become my most favorite thing to do...hope you enjoy yours.

As you found at 25yds, a cylinder bore gets pretty thing, pretty quick.
One of the old sayings that actually seems to have merit when shooting cylinder bores muzzleloaders is:

"Little powder, more lead, shoots far, kills dead"

 

[burch]

I figured i`m close and I also know it`ll take more than one time out with it. I just want to get to a tighter pattern at 25 yrds. Figuring out your best load is all the fun. It took me long time to get my GPR right but I had a ball doin` it. It`ll shoot the bottom of a paper cup at 100 yrds ( with a rest ) but I haven`t got to kill anything with it yet. I still enjoy shooting it though. You`d think with all the Hogs around here I`d have no problem making meat with it. When I show in the woods they just to run for cover. I`ve killed quite a few Hogs with an old CVA Hawken I used to have, probably should`ve kept it. :hmm:

 

[burch]

I`ll keep that in mind. Maybe I do just need to back off the powder some.

 

[Dave K]

You are doing fine. I am glad to see you are out patterning to know what is going on! Many want the loads just given to them and there just is no way around it, but to see what YOUR gun will do. Some guns may pattern very similar, some just don't. Mystery to me, but patterning and testing is what it takes to KNOW.
Personally on my 20ga. depending on what target I am loading for, I will use 7/8oz. for doves and everything else is 1 oz. Shot size will change when I use the 1 oz. loads. I will use 7 1/2's for doves and clay and 6's for turkey. For me, I then adjust the powder to get the pattern on the load I am looking to use.On all of my guns and the way I load them, I know I use less shot than it seems many others will use. That is OK as well as they learned what they learned by testing, same as I did. It is what works for your gun that matters.

 

[Rifleman1776]

o.k. I have a CVA volumetric adjustable measure. I set it at 1 oz. for powder and 1 1/4oz. for shot. I`m thinking it`s between 60 to 70 grains of powder. One of my test loads was 7/8 oz. of powder and 1 oz. of shot. Would that pretty much cover your recommendation or are you telling me to work up the powder charge with 1 oz of shot. I went through quite a few test loads with 1 oz of shot and nothing seemed to pattern very well but I didn`t work up any powder charges with `em I just changed the components ( 2-op cards, 3-op cards, 1 felt wad, 2 felt wads etc. )

I really was certain you used a volumetric scale and not a measured one ounce for powder.
I made the comment I posted in case someone not familiar with bp loads actually believed you used a full ounce of powder and might have tried it.
Wats the old adage?:
"Less powder, more lead.
Shoots far, kills dead"

Opposite:
"More powder, less lead,
Kicks hard, widespread."

 

[roundball]

I`ll keep that in mind. Maybe I do just need to back off the powder some.

AND...if you can get your hands on some #5 shot that's always a good experiment too.
At first you think larger heavier pellets take up more room so there will be less pellets in the same space, making an even thinner pattern, etc.
BUT...the extra weight of larger heavier pellets can fly a little further forward in a straight line before starting to veer off opening the pattern so it can surprise you.

Bottom line, for small game size targets like the body of a squirrel inside all that fur, a cylinder bore probably won't consistently get it done with the current pattern on that 25yd target.
So yes, it wouldn't hurt to drop back 10grns of powder and see if it tightens up a few more pellets.

Then the next part of trying to balance the 3 sides of a triangle is energy / penetration.
You could fill in that pattern with more pellets of a smaller lighter size like 7.5s or 8s...but of course then they'd be too light at 25yds with a light powder charge to penetrate through a steel tuna or soup can. (a pretty good test vehicle)

Good fun constantly juggling powder charge, number and size of wads, size of shot pellets, size of shot charge, penetration, usable distance, etc.
And it won't be the same load for all game...a more open pattern of large pellets like your 25yd target will be fine for a crow coming in to decoys...but something much tighter for the tiny skull & neck vertebrae of a turkey at 25yds would be needed.
Something in between works for squirrels & rabbits.

:thumbsup:

 

[burch]

NUTTIN` but fun I tell ya, nuttin` but fun :grin:

 

[Gordon Jabben]

Hello Burch
I have been burning a lot of powder with my 14 gauge double barrel shotgun and really having a blast but I can't get much better pattern with my cylinder bore than what you are. You might try my favorite load of 55 grains of 2f with 1 ounce of 7 1/2 shot. It's a very light load but I have been doing well on squirrels with it and seems to pattern the best for me. If you just can't live with the light patterns, you may have to have it jug choked or try some of the pillow ticking shot cups.

 

[Tony Logan]

If thats your first session, you might want a bigger piece of paper, I use the white side of Christmas paper until I see exactly whats going on. I had to file a lot on my smoothbore to get the densest pattern on a turkey head at 25yd. I never got a good pattern with a whole fiber wad either. I have done better with a wad torn in half or no wad at all.

 

[Wayne/Al]

I agree with Roundball on the #5 shot. I have tryed lots of loads in my 12 ga SXS and I have settled on the #5 shot because of the penetration.I even went down to #4 but the pattern just thined out to much. The tree rats here in Bama are kind of wild and I seldom get a shot under 25 yds.So I need to reach out there to get them. I use the 7.5 shot on doves.
I would suggest you read the writing of Mr V.M.Starr on useing the muzzleloading shotgun.Lots of good information there.
I make my card wads from poster board. They are about .050" thick. I use 2 over powder and one over shot. I put a thin felt wad between the two over powder wads for lube because I dont really like spiting down the barrel as Mr Starr suggest.
I had the left barrel on my gun jug choked and it did a world of good. I'm just saying what worked for me . You will find what works best for you as you go along.
Good Luck and enjoy the trip. :thumbsup:

Wayne/Al

 

[Wayne/Al]

Burch, Some more good info can be found on Spence's web site. His site also has the V.M. Starr artical.Plus tons of smootbore Info. http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/

Wayne/Al

 

[roundball]

Burch, Some more good info can be found on Spence's web site. His site also has the V.M. Starr artical.Plus tons of smootbore Info. http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/
Wayne/Al

And a finer, more generous gentleman you will not find than Bob Spencer.
Where many charge to share their experiences, Bob has freely and unselfishly made his experiences available to anyone who can learn from them for decades.

In particular, his experiences consolidated in the article named "The Versatile Smoothbore" is like the cliff's notes of the .20ga muzzleloader world. And his smoothbore experiences are directly responsible for shortening my smoothbore learning curve significantly...ie: his .20ga turkey load has been the foundation for every turkey I've taken with .20ga Flintlocks.

:hatsoff: to member 'George'

 

[burch]

Good stuff :thumbsup:

 

[dbutch]

I use roll ends free!36" X36"
find the center of the sheet..aiming point... and draw a circle...
This will open your eyes ....
Put your time at the pattern board its pays forward. :thumbsup:

This was from one of my 62 cal. Colerain turkey choked barrels.

Looks like 70 gr. FFF Goex 95 gr,(volume measure)6 lead shot.

Good luck have fun...You'll find your happy load. :v

 

[Zoar]

I concur. You need bigger paper than a paperplate to see what is going on.

I like smaller pellets and larger quantities of pellets, myself. So many more of 'em to the same volume/weight. Fowl / birds die from head shots mostly. With so many more pellets piercing the vitals the chances go way up with smaller pellets verses larger pellets.

That is just me.

I know and respect many on this forum who have found they prefer #5 shot or even #4.... That is okay. Some prefer Hondas or Fords or Subaru's. I like more pellets. I aim for the head: bird is dead.

 

[burch]

I`ve been patterning it on full sheets of newspaper. I just wanted to see what kind of pattern i`d get on a paper plate.