Smooth bores

[WALT53]

Easy transition from rifled to smooth bore, for me. Load development is crucial. Every gun has a favorite loading, patch, ball size. Half the fun of them, is learning their foibles. Easier to clean, lighter to carry, force you to actually hunt a game animal, not murder it from a half mile off. A thrilling way to spend some time.....From a 100% dedicated, Flintlock Smooth Bore Shooter.

Agree 100% once you figure out the flint lock part and every one has there own favorite load is also 100% correct ,you hit the nail on the head well said.

 

[smoothshooter]

I disagree respectfully.

Most of us could take a new-to-us rifle with some sort of undersized ball and patch and have it grouping on a 10” paper plate at 50 yards in about 10 minutes. Taking another half hour or so and those groups might get down to 5”.
And at less cost per shot.
Very unlikely with a smoothbore. Even one with rifle sights.
Probably not going to happen anywhere near that fast with a smoothbore. More like hours or days.

 

[tenngun]

Was shooting the smoothbore competition at Pomme de Terre rendezvous this weekend. Shot at five gongs, 25 yards east hit, big target at fifty yard ring and ring, little target at fifty one hit one miss, big target close two solid hits. Big target next to it two miss, umph
Five shots at skeet five miss
Then a paper at twenty five yards, clover leaf…. Except for one almost off the paper….why?
Smoothies are the ladies of ml, like Richard Harris in Camelot all you can do is love them

 

[Kev308]

Once I settled on a working load, (80 gr 3f pillow ticking patch and .600 rb) I was ready to go! 50-60 yards and I hold my own with those rifled guns. Shot loads have been a little more difficult.
For me smoothbore is the only way to go.

 

[Fisherking]

I shoot my smoothbore more often than my rifles. Like three or four times more often. I think there is something about the challenge versus the simplicity that appeals to me. When I first started out, I had some very frustrating results and considered selling the gun and washing my hands of it. I had the same type of experience with traditional bare bow. I never really mastered that- I was okay, not great. It required too much of a time commitment for me which is an admirable quality for others.

Once I started seeing results with different load combinations and getting to know my gun, I am nearly obsessed with it. I don’t care how easy it is to clean, I just want it to shoot.

 

[Perkiomen Bruce]

Flint smoothbores are a tad more fun !!
For many years I've shot primarily original big bore rifled Jeagers in competition matches & for long range hunting mainly because I have a fetish for shooting tight groups.
That being said, I get more fun out of shooting the 20ga./.62 cal. French style smoothbore rifle I built & regulated the barrel to be dead-on @50 yds. I've won several 50yd rifle matches with this smoothbore.

Folks I've observed who were having troubles with flint rifles & smoothbores needed their locks tuned, were not using the correct patch & ball combo or both.
Cleaning a flat breached smoothbore is much faster & simpler than a rifled gun with a flat faced breach scraper & a good bore cleaner.
As a former owner of a BP store I continue to use my all-time favorite formula patch lube & bore cleaner given to me about 40 years ago by an old timer at Friendship. I know many of you continue using the same.
The inexpensive 3-part formula is a 1/3rd mixture each of rubbing alcohol, Murphy's Oil Soap & hydrogen peroxide.
This mixture also makes a great hand & frizzen cleaner at the range
Relic shooter

Do you find the hydrogen peroxide mix to corrode the barrel? Must the mix be extensively rinsed? Thanks.

 

[Perkiomen Bruce]

For me it's about 50 to 60 yards.

Yes, at least 60 yds. I've tagged trail walk targets at ~80yds routinely.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Do you find the hydrogen peroxide mix to corrode the barrel? Must the mix be extensively rinsed? Thanks.

That old time mixture, known as MAP (Murphy's Oil Soap, Rubbing Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide) is an aggressive cleaner. Even the less aggressive cleaners such as water and Dawn dish detergent should be well rinsed to remove any leftover fouling still trapped in the corners of the grooves. When followed by some wipes with Ballistol and a finish lubrication of a filming rust inhibiting lubricant such as Barricade, or Boeshield will adequately protect the barrel.

 

[Splitear]

My Smoothbore is just plain fun. I mean, all of my guns are fun, but I really enjoy the boom of my 10 bore.

 

[oldwood]

Almost have my smooth bore built. We will find out what works ,in a .555 caliber. .

 

[skwerleater]

What barrel is in .555 caliber Oldwood?

 

[waksupi]

That old time mixture, known as MAP (Murphy's Oil Soap, Rubbing Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide) is an aggressive cleaner. Even the less aggressive cleaners such as water and Dawn dish detergent should be well rinsed to remove any leftover fouling still trapped in the corners of the grooves. When followed by some wipes with Ballistol and a finish lubrication of a filming rust inhibiting lubricant such as Barricade, or Boeshield will adequately protect the barrel.

I had a gun come into the shop a few years ago. It was leaking gas at the breech, smoke being seen after the shot. I took the breech plug out, and the threads were pretty much non-existent. Rust was the only thing holding it in place. It ended up with me shortening the barrel and fitting a new breech plug. The owner was a proponent and defender of the soap, alcohol, peroxide mixture. I showed him a barrel I had browned with hydrogen peroxide, and he was surprised how aggressive of an oxidizer it is.

 

[Relic shooter]

Do you find the hydrogen peroxide mix to corrode the barrel? Must the mix be extensively rinsed? Thanks.

No, I've never experienced any corrosion. After sessions at the range & cleaning my firearms I always run a patch with a little lubricant down the bore before putting them back in my gun safe.

 

[Cruzatte]

What barrel is in .555 caliber Oldwood?

I'll supply an answer. According to Kit Ravenshear in his booklet Tubes and Tools (chart p. ii) .555" is just slightly bigger than 28 ga. He says .550" is 28 ga. and .557" is 27 ga. So .555" is right in the middle.

 

[maillemaker]

I shoot a .69 M1842 reproduction in N-SSA competition. It's one of my favorite guns to shoot. 70 grains 3F Goex, RCBS .678 round ball roughed up in a Vortex Ball Roller, and it will blow a ragged hole in the paper at 25 yards off a bench. Of hand, it will easily put all rounds inside a 4" circle at 25 yards if I do my part. My first Nationals, I made it to 10th place expert class. At 50 yards, you can easily put them in an 8" circle.

It's dirty, and it consumes a frightful amount of powder. But it makes big holes in things.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I had a gun come into the shop a few years ago. It was leaking gas at the breech, smoke being seen after the shot. I took the breech plug out, and the threads were pretty much non-existent. Rust was the only thing holding it in place. It ended up with me shortening the barrel and fitting a new breech plug. The owner was a proponent and defender of the soap, alcohol, peroxide mixture. I showed him a barrel I had browned with hydrogen peroxide, and he was surprised how aggressive of an oxidizer it is.

Amazing isn't it.
Mention using hot water and some get their panties all contorted worrying about rust but getting them to mix this concoction is no bother to them!

 

[maillemaker]

The good news is, hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water rather quickly. So really, you're just as well off making the solution using 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 murphy's oil soap, and 1/3 water.

 

[TDM]

The good news is, hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water rather quickly. So really, you're just as well off making the solution using 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 murphy's oil soap, and 1/3 water.

I used the hydrogen peroxide/alcohol/murphy’s mix for a number of years. I’d always heard it called “Witches Brew”. But I do not use hydrogen peroxide anymore. Never saw the benefit and too many cons.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I used MAP for a while. I was impressed by all the foaming action that made it seem as if I was really cleaning the bore. But really it was no better than tap water and dish soap. I stilll have almost a full bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide.

 

[maillemaker]

I stilll have almost a full bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide.

It it's several months old you probably have a bottle of water.