Smoothbore shooting

[SavageHunting41]

 

[SavageHunting41]

 

[Musketeer]

Okay. Looks like an old Indian Enfield that was bored out to a larger smoothbore caliber. If it's marked as .669, then that's probably the bore size and not the projectile size. You could try a .626 ball with a thick patch (like some .025 canvas or denim) or a .648 ball with a thinner patch or just a wad over the powder and another over the ball.

edit: First thing I'd do would be to pick up a cheap digital caliper off ebay or amazon (if you don't already have one) and confirm the bore size. That will decide the best size ball to try.

 

[SavageHunting41]

Would Hodgdon Pyrodex Powder work, with #11 caps?

 

[SavageHunting41]

Should I just buy #11 Magnums.

 

[oldwood]

Perhaps this might help some first time m/l shooter. Notice I said first time m/l shooter and not first time shooter. Any way , had a very good shot , U.S.Marine Corp.trained using modern weapon. He obtained a long rifle I built ,, and called on me to help him to solve a couple problems. I was honored. He said each time the gun recoiled it bumped into his cheek resulting in obviously ,sore face. At the range , we discovered he was crawling forward on the gun stock , so when the gun recoiled the crown of the stock had nowhere else to go but into his cheek bone. Most longrifles are made to be shot offhand as well as from a rest. Told him to mount the rifle to his shoulder and just Lay his cheek on the stock. Doing this gave the gun a place to move rear ward so his shoulder took the recoil and not his face. His second small difficulty stemmed from shooting a modern high power deer rifle. If the cross hairs are on the target , the rifle can be held some what loosely on a bench rest as the trigger brake -to -ball exit time is insignificant. Had him hold the flinter snugly and follow through to allow for the 1/20 th sec. lock and ignition time. The inconsistent accuracy problem disappeared. He was very happy to get a 2 1/2 " group at 50 yds. with his new .50 . Me too. Amazing how small easily overlooked things have an effect on the larger picture. ...
I realize we're discussing smooth bores , but the above text applies to rifled and smooth bore shooters........oldwood

 

[Musketeer]

Pyrodex will work. That gun should have a musket nipple on it, in which case #11s won't fit, but if it does have a #11 nipple on it then you can use them. If you need to use musket caps, I'd suggest Schuetzen. Stay away from CCI, as they've been weakened for reenactment use for some reason. I get mine from Graf and Sons. SCHUETZEN MUSKET CAPS 4-WING 1000/bx - Graf & Sons

 

[SavageHunting41]

Sounds good.

 

[SavageHunting41]

OK thank you.

 

[Musketeer]

Musket nipples are significantly larger. The cone on a musket nipple should be about .240" at the base and around .200" at the top. If your measurements are more like .150-something" it'll be a regular nipple.

Guns like yours will pretty much always come with musket nipples, though I'm sure they make regular size nipples in the same thread and someone may have put one on at some point.

 

[SavageHunting41]

Thanks for everyone helping me. Hoping to get into the sport.

 

[Art Caputo]

With a bit of time, testing(and using the advice of those on this forum), I was able to achieve some very good results with my 62 Cal TVA Fowler. I use a .60 LRB, .015” patch, lubed with TOTW MinkOil, 70gr 3F GOEX.

 

[tenngun]

Would Hodgdon Pyrodex Powder work, with #11 caps?

Pyrodex will shoot well, and in general is cheaper then black powder, as you load by volume not by weight. A volume of 100 grains of black powder weighs about 100 grains, but in pyrodex weighs about eighty grains. So you get about 20% more shots from p.
But it’s got it’s problems.you need to clean when your done shooting black, but your tired and maybe a little sloppy so you put it off till tomorrow. Not a good idea, but you won’t get rust unless it’s real moist.
pryrodex on the other hand is a ruster. You don’t leave it. You should swab it well at the range before you go home then clean deep.
should you hunt there is no leaving a shot in a dirty rifle over night. That’s never a good idea but can damage your gun.
pyrodex is an old Latin word meaning’ clean now!!!!’

 

[Britsmoothy]

Pyrodex will shoot well, and in general is cheaper then black powder, as you load by volume not by weight. A volume of 100 grains of black powder weighs about 100 grains, but in pyrodex weighs about eighty grains. So you get about 20% more shots from p.
But it’s got it’s problems.you need to clean when your done shooting black, but your tired and maybe a little sloppy so you put it off till tomorrow. Not a good idea, but you won’t get rust unless it’s real moist.
pryrodex on the other hand is a ruster. You don’t leave it. You should swab it well at the range before you go home then clean deep.
should you hunt there is no leaving a shot in a dirty rifle over night. That’s never a good idea but can damage your gun.
pyrodex is an old Latin word meaning’ clean now!!!!’

Love that " pyrodex is an old Latin word......"

 

[Docgp]

I have had decent luck with chewed rb over a tow wad. The nubs center the ball and hold it in, but you can use an over shot card if it will make you feel better.

Doc

 

[SavageHunting41]

Went and shot my muzzleloader today, worked great. Thanks again to wveyone who helped me.

 

[old ugly]

my advise on how to make your smooth bore shoot better is get rid of all your other guns and only shoot that one.
ou
tom

 

[tenngun]

I still shoot a rifle and of late a schimmel has been visiting my dreams. Bedford style, I made the mistake of watching Bob McBride show off his, and an unborn soul is calling me, ‘Jeffrey, Jeffrey, come build me’ ‘it will be fun Jeffrey’.
That said smoothbores are just soooo much fun.
I don’t know what it is about them, but it’s hard to put them down.