ive been shooting a 50cal hawkins,and now decided to give my 62 cal fusil a try my question is, will the 62 cal smoothy foul easier? it seems to be. and im shooting the very same load as my 50 cal. im very impressed with the accuracy it gives me, my load is 90g 2f lube patch 62 ball.
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smoothbore gun question
- Thread starter trent
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When shooting matches and no time to clean the smooth bore. I push a tight lubed over powder wad down the bore. Then push the patched ball down on top of the OPW. This scrapes the bore clean ready for the next load. I use a wet over sized patch on the RB. I can shoot any number of relays without cleaning the gun. :thumbsup:
Aside from cleaning the bore. I have not found the OPW to be an aid in over all accuracy improvement in the smooth bore. That is when shooting RBs. :shake:
Aside from cleaning the bore. I have not found the OPW to be an aid in over all accuracy improvement in the smooth bore. That is when shooting RBs. :shake:
When target shooting I generally spit patch, and I have literally shot my smoothbore tradegun all day and never swabbed. In my opinion, a tight patch ball combo will essentially swab the bore every time you load. A friend of mine, who was predominantly a rifle shooter, was always swabbing his trade gun between every shot, as was his habit with his rifle, while we were on our woodswalk. He would get hangfires, flashes in the pan, etc. I finally convinced him to not swab and he has not had any problems since. He uses a lubed patch, not sure which lube though. So, in my opinion, it is not necessary to swab a smoothbore, and may cause problems if you do.
As for cleaning the bore between shots I will agree you will more than likly have miss fires or hang fires. In a new rifled barrel I was told to do that every shot and had a hell of a time getting the thing to go off, I picked the barrel after wiping and after loading and still had a few flash in the pans. I then wend with wiping after loading and the problem has stopped. Try that and see if that makes life any easier for you.
John
John
brawny man
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I learned a bit about fouling during a long smoothbore match. We had to shoot 10 round balls and 10 clays, loading from the bag. Useing the ramrod in your pipes and load not using a bench to rest your rifle. I shot the clays first with no problem other then the clays not flying where my shot was. I ran into problems during the 10 round ball part of the shoot. I was using a wonder lube patch and .600 ball. After pushing down the first load It dawned on me that I should have cleaned out the lead fouling. I stubbornly proceeded to the next shot thinking the wonderlube patch should clean some of the lead fouling off. I learned a lesson that day, after I snapped my ramrod. Clean the lead fouling. I now use advise learned from this forum. Thanks.
im using the gun to hunt. but it seems that after one shot i need to clean because the next load goes in to hard. are u saying to use a spit patch and no other lube, another sug was after loaded run a cleaner down the barrel. not sure what the answer.
Mike Brooks
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First off you're shooting too much powder. You might consider shooting a brand with less fouling too. Swiss is really clean powder. A tight patch/ball combo is essential for a easy loading gun. Wonder lube is a good lube, but many other things work as well, spit, tallow, Murphy's, etc. I'd also blow a good breath or two down the barrel after you shoot as the moisture from your breath softens fouling too.
Each barrel will be different but for me it worked better to run a spit patch after load the 2nd round to clean the bore. My problem was with getting the thing to go off if I used a spit patch before loading. Though trial and error you should come up with what works in your barrel. If its between rifled barrel and smooth barrel I dont need to clean as often with the smooth bore as I do rifled.
John
John
paulvallandigham
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John: The problem with using a spit patch to clean after a shot out of a smoothbore is TOO MUCH SPIT. And, if you run the jag all the way to the breech, you are shoving wet GOO into the flash channel, or vent.
I stop an inch short- I have marked my rods--- of the plug, and then pull the jag and patch out. The goo is very damp, and very noticeable. Then, I either flip the patch over, or use a new patch to go down and catch the remaining residue, but this patch is mare wiped across my dry tongue. ie., its not very damp at all. Then I run a dry patch down the barrel before pouring in the powder.
I learned to do this with my Percussion shotgun, after having several misfires on a very hot, humid, July Day. When I pulled the nipple, Finally!, and checked the flash channel with a pipe cleaning, it was full of GOO! Once I cleaned that out, and then cleaned the back of the barrel with a dry patch, and fired a couple of caps just to make sure the channel was open to the barrel, The next load fired just fine.
I had been told that the cap would burn and push the goo out of the flash channel. Someone didn't tell that to the flash channel, however! :cursing:
I don't expect that much from my caps anymore, although its amazing how much flame comes out a muzzle when just a cap is fired. My own theory about why the cap will not clear the flash channel is based on observation that the material is damp goo- the consistence of Cold Cream, and that the orifice at the bottom of the nipple creates a very small stream of flame that just does not expand enough to create the pressure needed to blow this stuff out. Now, if the goo was dried crud, that might be different.At least the cap would burn a small hole through the dried crud, and might, Eventually, burn up most of the crud. But, I think an old nipple, where I drilled out the orifice to make a much larger hole will be required to "BLOW" out goo and crud from the flash channel into and through the barrel. I am still not convinced that damp goo will move out of the flash channel, as there really is not enough compression created by that fired cap.
I stop an inch short- I have marked my rods--- of the plug, and then pull the jag and patch out. The goo is very damp, and very noticeable. Then, I either flip the patch over, or use a new patch to go down and catch the remaining residue, but this patch is mare wiped across my dry tongue. ie., its not very damp at all. Then I run a dry patch down the barrel before pouring in the powder.
I learned to do this with my Percussion shotgun, after having several misfires on a very hot, humid, July Day. When I pulled the nipple, Finally!, and checked the flash channel with a pipe cleaning, it was full of GOO! Once I cleaned that out, and then cleaned the back of the barrel with a dry patch, and fired a couple of caps just to make sure the channel was open to the barrel, The next load fired just fine.
I had been told that the cap would burn and push the goo out of the flash channel. Someone didn't tell that to the flash channel, however! :cursing:
I don't expect that much from my caps anymore, although its amazing how much flame comes out a muzzle when just a cap is fired. My own theory about why the cap will not clear the flash channel is based on observation that the material is damp goo- the consistence of Cold Cream, and that the orifice at the bottom of the nipple creates a very small stream of flame that just does not expand enough to create the pressure needed to blow this stuff out. Now, if the goo was dried crud, that might be different.At least the cap would burn a small hole through the dried crud, and might, Eventually, burn up most of the crud. But, I think an old nipple, where I drilled out the orifice to make a much larger hole will be required to "BLOW" out goo and crud from the flash channel into and through the barrel. I am still not convinced that damp goo will move out of the flash channel, as there really is not enough compression created by that fired cap.
The only time I swab my 28ga smooth rifle is when I am cleaning it after a day of shooting. I always us a greased patch, lately made of bear grease and beeswax. Olive oil and beeswax works great too. The only troublesome fouling I get is when I am shooting lead shot and that lead fouling is another story. So I agree with No Deer
in that it is not necessary to clean between shots.
in that it is not necessary to clean between shots.
Many Klatch
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A lot of us that shoot smoothbore have found that a slightly looser patch/ball combination works better. I can shoot about 20 shots before I need to run a cleaning patch in my .60. My load is 75 grains of 3F and a .10 muslin spit patch on a .60 ball. If I am holding good I can keep 3 shots in the 8 ring at 25 yards with no problem.
I recommend you drop your powder charge, switch to 3F and go for a looser patch. The patch and ball should thumb start easily and be easy enough to ram down the barrel onto the powder in one smooth stroke of the ramrod.
Many Klatch
I recommend you drop your powder charge, switch to 3F and go for a looser patch. The patch and ball should thumb start easily and be easy enough to ram down the barrel onto the powder in one smooth stroke of the ramrod.
Many Klatch
Many Klatch
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One Shot. Sometimes when I am designing a smoothbore woodswalk, I will throw in a shot target early in the match to mess up shooters barrels. Nothing dirties a barrel quicker than one or two shot targets unless it is a blank.
When my barrel really loads up with crud, I'll forget using the patch. The fouling will hold the ball in place. A smoothbore will shoot just about as well without a patch if it is dirty enough.
Many Klatch
When my barrel really loads up with crud, I'll forget using the patch. The fouling will hold the ball in place. A smoothbore will shoot just about as well without a patch if it is dirty enough.
Many Klatch
I have in the past dropped a backing patch on top of the powder and then rammed a high olive oil content patch to loosen things up.
Nowadays I use 3f kind of fuel and O/S cards with a blob of beeswax/oliveoil lube to make a grease cookie on top of the powder. A bit like them ole' 45/70 guys do :wink:
Britsmoothy.
Nowadays I use 3f kind of fuel and O/S cards with a blob of beeswax/oliveoil lube to make a grease cookie on top of the powder. A bit like them ole' 45/70 guys do :wink:
Britsmoothy.
You will likely get things ironed out by giving all the above advise a try and keep notes as to avoid confusion, I like 3f myself this alone cut down the fouling from when I used 2f, but some guns don't like 3f, anyway have fun finding what you/your gun likes.
Paul you are probably right about it being a to wet patch, my 20 gauge barrel is not that picky and I have gone 10-15 rounds without having problems loading. The .50 cal rifled barrel on the other hand loads up after about 2-3 shots and because of the mis fires ive had I do it the way I do. Will trie a little less spit the next time I take it out. My way did clean the goo out and made loading a snap, and no misfires. I hope to get out this week since work is down for the holidays.
John
John
Mike Brooks
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I don't think I've ever owned a gun I couldn't shoot all day with out cleaning. In the range of 50 to 100 shots or more. I attribute that to a tight ball/patch combo, clean burning powder and a reasonable charge, and blowing down the barrel to keep my fowling soft. I have never found it difficult to find a combo that works.
Mike Brooks said:
Whew. Thank you.
My first thought when he said 90 grs in his .62 fusil was - Wow. Way too much powder.
The manuel that came with my Wilson Chief's gun from Caywood recommends 80 grs. as maximum.
I use 70 grs in mine as a hunting load with a roundball, and it works just fine.
No fouling problems. Much better than my rifle.
"just curious is ther an advantage or not to a smoothbore gun? if so why or why not'
It depends on your useage of the gun, for some have no use for one, I no longer shoot rifle since starting up with the smoothbores, with a smoothbore you can use ball or shot thus two guns in one,a smoothy will not be as accurate as a rifle, but usually will shoot acceptable hunting sized groups to 50 yds for most, a rifle will not be of much use for shot, if you hunt in areas where shots under 50-70 yds are the norm and like to hunt rabbits birds and squirrels a smoothbore might be all the gun you need, (that is where I find myself)if much of your deer/Elk hunting requires shots mostly over 75-100yds and you are not a small game hunter there would be little gained by going to a smoothbore,weight it up and see how you stand, BTW always consider the prime factors that are incuded in the purchase of a new gun.....you gotta have one, you might need one someday, it will be an investment, now is the time to buy as prices are going up, all your friends have one, it will increase the chance of putting meat in the freezer...I'll stop here and you can finish.. :thumbsup:
It depends on your useage of the gun, for some have no use for one, I no longer shoot rifle since starting up with the smoothbores, with a smoothbore you can use ball or shot thus two guns in one,a smoothy will not be as accurate as a rifle, but usually will shoot acceptable hunting sized groups to 50 yds for most, a rifle will not be of much use for shot, if you hunt in areas where shots under 50-70 yds are the norm and like to hunt rabbits birds and squirrels a smoothbore might be all the gun you need, (that is where I find myself)if much of your deer/Elk hunting requires shots mostly over 75-100yds and you are not a small game hunter there would be little gained by going to a smoothbore,weight it up and see how you stand, BTW always consider the prime factors that are incuded in the purchase of a new gun.....you gotta have one, you might need one someday, it will be an investment, now is the time to buy as prices are going up, all your friends have one, it will increase the chance of putting meat in the freezer...I'll stop here and you can finish.. :thumbsup:
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