Smooth Bore Accuracy

[BS]

SR,

A screw might look better!

 

[fatboy]

Hey Squire how does that nail effect your buddy standing beside you ? :what:

 

[musketman]

Actually this is the better method, that way you can still kill that deer that is sneaking past you as you sight down on a stump that you think is a deer in the early dawn of the hunt...

 

[BS]

hornhead,

This was not off hand shooing, kneeling beside and shooting off the bench. You are much more upright if you kneel, especially when shooing Big Bores, it let you rock with the Blast! If you are sitting, with your shoulder into the gun, you take much more of the Blast. Sorry if I was not clear on that!

BS
my web page

 

[robinghewitt]

A screw might look better!

I prefer the rustic look, that's why I used a bent one :thumbsup:

I'm having a bad day, tried to go clay shooting this morning but woke up late then found the London orbital blocked a junction 8, gave up and came home where I found my range box complete with caps, cards, agate files and pan priming still waiting for me to pick it up :huh:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

To all worried about using a OS card over the ball, I have a question. Give us the components involved and the loading technique for smoothbore muskets such as the brown Bess?

 

[Rat]

All things considered, seems like the best accuracy is going to be obtained with the patched ball, even if some are getting "good" results with bare-balls. Certainly a more convienient loading procedure.

If you are using denim now, there's no need to get another ball size, you can just try thinner patch material. Denim is thick stuff, I can shoot .570" balls out of my .61" calibre Jaeger with it.

I get 3" groups from a Brown Bess carbine, with rifle sights. I use a tight ball/patch combo, but not as tight as yours. So you should be able to use a thinner patch, I think that a tight combo is good, but there is a point where tighter stops making any difference, accuracy-wise. One whack on the short starter gets the ball into my barrel, and then it rams down reasonably well. Get about six shots maximum before wiping, but normally wipe after every third shot. I figure that's perfect for hunting. That's with a .735" ball, .750" bore, and a .010" patch and a Wonder wad, and I load the first load, into a clean barrel with a .018" patch.

The 3" group was obtained wiping (actually cleaning) the barrel between each shot, and using the .018" patch. This will stay on the paper plate out to 70 yards, giving me a 70 yard kill-zone, under perfect conditions. (steady rest, animal not alerted or moving, and no wind)

Rat

 

[BS]

Rat,

I tried thinner patch material, but it would rip on loading, that is why I use the .020 levi. I just pound it down slow and carefully.

BS

 

[berickson]

RAT
70 yards with a smoothbore?? :master:

i am not yet a jedi!!! ::

 

[berickson]

BS
from a bench that's still good shooting. i couldn't hit a kenworth at 50 yards from the bench with my trade gun.
something about the stock shape or something.
i had all but given up on round balls til i started getting hints from the guys on this board. now i forget about any rear sight & almost totally ignore the front sight. i shoot it like a shotgun. i guess it's a zen thing like instictive archery. i just shoot it lots. it's a 54 so i'm only working with 60-70 grains of 2F and either a round ball or shot. i'm getting better.

 

[BS]

Hornhead,

Have you tried 3f, my 2 54 barerels like 3F better than 2f.[goex]

bs

 

[berickson]

i use 3f in my 54 percussion 60gr- matches; 90 gr-hunting.
in my trade gun 3F blew the shot patterns and sent them low. switched to 2F and the patterns were centred. i also went to 1oz 2F to 1 1/8 oz shot.
with 3F and round balls i could'nt FIND where they were hitting. 25 yards dead on ... 50 yards?? ... bring me a kenworth ::
used 2f and started moving back from 25 yards. 50 yards max for this old fart. but i scatter targets at different distances if there's no one at the range. when i'm in the bush,and bored cuz of lack of fluffy bunnies, i'll shoot at a stump at an unknown range and never bother to pace off the distance. just check to see if i hit the offending knot hole. 50 yards is a long shot in the bush where i wander.
smoothies are a challenge, but if you're on it's a hoot!

 

[musketman]

Hornhead,

Have you tried 3f, my 2 54 barerels like 3F better than 2f.[goex]

bs

It has been my experience in my Bess that FFFg will burn through my patched, no matter what they are lubed with...

I dropped to FFg and haven't burned through a patch again...

 

[Rat]

Hornhead notice I say under perfect conditions! And, my smoothie has rifle sights. And, last season I passed a shot at a nice black bear, that was right around 70 yards, because I could not take a rest...so really my kill zone under normal conditions is 60 yards, which is not bad for a smoothie for sure. Still I think it's the rifle sights more than the FORCE! But again, I would not take a 70 yard offhand shot.

BS, are you sure the patches tearing at loading? A wonder wad under the ball and patch will ELIMINATE smoked and torn patches, unless they tear when loading of course. Boy, a good pillow ticking patch should not tear in a bore/ball combination that will accept denim patches...?? Sharp muzzle?

Here's a weird one: With 110 grains of Goex fg powder, my Bess will smoke, rip, and totally shred the patch. The peices of it lay burning on the ground. Put a Wonder wad under the ball, but no other changes in the load, and the patch comes out perfect. Switch to fffg and no wad, and the patch comes out much better, but again use a Wonder Wad and the patch comes out "reuseable".

What I use now is 110 grains of ffg Swiss and the Wonder Wad, and that's when the 3" groups at 50 started happening.

Rat

 

[BS]

Rat,

I have a smooth, radiused crown on my muzzle. i do like the idea of a wonder wad under the ball. Do they make one 7/8"? or what material would I use to make some? ::

 

[Donny]

with .62 tulle or .62 English tradegun..I can regularly hit a 54 Merc coupe at 40 yards.. eace:.& think the misses go thru the windows. I have scored a 2 on the NMLRA aggregate. :haha: It is still loads of fun to shoot. ::

 

[BS]

If the barn door is left open, I know the same feeling! :winking:

bs
my web page

 

[Rat]

Don't know if anyone makes a wad that size, but what you want is some thick felt to make some, like they used to make hats out of, in fact an old hat is good but make sure its not made of something synthetic.

I think you can also buy felt weather stripping that works good. Look around and you can find something to make felt wads from. If you dont' have a punch just cut them out with scissors (sp?) while you watch a movie.

Then soak them in melted bee's wax or Musket Man's dog snot or something.

Rat

 

[musketman]

Then soak them in melted bee's wax or Musket Man's dog snot or something.

I think you mean Stumpkiller's Moose Snot, I'm working on Hedgehog Goo...

 

[BS]

Musketman,

What is the recipe for Moose Snot or your Dog Snot?

Thanks,
BS