spencer recommendations

[fishindoc]

is the spener atricles on loading ball and shot a good place to start for firgurig out different loads for my jackie brown twenty guage smoothboree
thanks
joe

 

[TANSTAAFL]

IMHO, in a word, yes.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Yes, but read the article there by V.M. Starr. Also, if you have a local gun store, make a note of the dram equivalent loads and the weight of the shot charges used in modern hunting ammo. Stick with the 2 3/4 inch length shells, not the 3 inch magnums. The ammo companies are using today all the research and development done with black powder, then semi-smokeless powder, then with smokeless powder to produce loads that work well with the widest choice of makes of guns. I found that if you stick with the charges used in modern shells, you get pretty much the same result using black powder and the same sized shot. Use FFg powder, now, and not FFFg powder. You don't need the extra recoil of the finer powder, and the base of the chot column will not be distorted by the excelerated kick in the butt those higher pressures produce. FFg was made to be used in smootbores. don't try to magnumize your loads. All that velocity is lost in the first 20 yds, and all that extra speed does is blow your patterns. Use one overpowder 1/8" thick wad, and 1/2 of a cushion wad, lubricated, but not soaking, then the shot, and finish with an over shot wafer or card. If ou use a full cusion wad, the weight of the lubricated wad is so heavy it follows and blows the middle out of your pattern, often not hitting the ground until 25 yds down range. Don't do that. Some people find they can forgo the cushion wad all together and substitute 2 over powder wads, with the second one's edge lubed with a finger run around it with your favorite grease. When hunting, you are not going to do a lot of shooting, so this loading procedure will keep the gun clean and any fouling soft for the few shots you do fire. Prime with the same powder- FFg - that you put down the barrel. No need to carry two horns. In fact, most hunters premeasure their powder charges and carry them in tubes in their pockets, and leave the horn home. The wads, and a small container of powder to prime the lock goes in another posket, and a small shot pouch in another yet, along with a dipper or other measure. set for the load you are shooting. No need for your shooting bag, or horns, or anything but your gun, your license, and coat.

Good hunting.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Expanding somewhat on one item of Paul's advice, the "dram equivalent" info in modern shotshell loads is probably on the hot side for best results in traditional (unchoked) smoothbores because they're intended for choked guns. The 19th & 20th century references I've read suggest that chokes perform better with more powder than the "equal volume" loads, where cylinder-bore/unchoked guns pattern better with less. As is often mentioned, traditionlly, the starting point for load work is equal volumes of shot and powder, and this often gives adequate results. From there, more powder tends to open the pattern and less powder tends to tighten it, thus there is a trade off between pattern and penetration. The classic recommendation for the optimum of a dense pattern while still giving adequate velocity (supported by the reported experience of various members of this forum) is to use (approximately) 1/3 more shot than powder, or a ratio of 4:3.

For a 1.1/8oz shot charge, the equal-volume load is 2.3/4dr(75gr) of powder. That is usually considered a (somewhat) low-recoil load nowadays, with standard loads of 3dr-equivalent, or sometimes more. The 1/3-more-shot load would be approximately 2dr(55gr) of powder, which I don't recall seeing in a modern load, at least not a common one. The only folks I can recall using more powder than the equal-volume load in unchoked front-stuffers were specifically trying for a more open pattern for close, fast shooting.

There is much useful knowledge gathered in those articles on Bob Spencer's pages. As is often observed, different guns with different components and loading techniques will produce differnt results, so you will have to experiment and see what works best for you.

Joel

 

[Leatherbark]

Had my Jackie Brown Carolina Smoothbore out yesterday and did alot of experimenting.........I have found my load. In the last year I have fired at least 200 rounds thru this fowler................Yesterday I decided to try bare ball loads once more.......I have tried them in the past with some success,but couldnt find consistancy I was looking for........I fired 10 shots at 50 yards that looks like it is going to be the best yet.My load consisted of 80gr of 3fg, A cushion wad lubed with 50/50 beeswax/crisco,a .600 wheel weight ball from a Lee mold,and another whole Cushion wad on top of the ball........I load all three componants at once on top of the powder......I then squish the wad ball combo somewhat............These 10 shots held a 4 inch group all clustered together,right to the point of aim.........I believe the soft wads under and over the ball centers the ball consistent as it travels down the bore ,like a big giant wadcutter projectile,until it leaves the bore.......I have never had a patched ball in this Gun do this well.And the lubed wads are dry enough from the beeswax that I dont believe I have to worry about the lube contaminating the powder....................Bob

 

[Java Man]

For round balls in my .62 Fusil. I'e been using 70gr 2F, 1/2 pre lubed cushion wad (purchased), and a .595 patched round ball. It seems to shoot very well. I have not put groups on paper past 25yds. Hope to do that today. I did hit steel gongs consistently out to 100yds though. 8-10" targets.

Since I figure my effective deer range to be 75 yds max, prolly less, 70gr 2F is more tha enough poop.