unpatched load

[Snowshoe]

I just returned from a Boy's camp where I demoed my english fowler. When it was realized that I had ordered .610 balls I thought I would be in a real fix.
I loaded the first ball with a piece of tisue to hold it in place over 75 gr 2f . The three following loads were rammed down in the fowling. At 30 yards I shot a 3 inch group and with the one my friend shot it was a 4 inch group. I was pesantly surprized.
Shoe

 

[Slowpoke]

You can shoot a ball in a smoothbore without a patch, guys in the NSSA have to do it that way. They get a .600+ ball and roll it between a strong tooth rasp... it's called Knurling. Anyway, the ball looks like a porcupine and they dip it in a beeswax/alox mixture.
They shoot really well and no patch is required.

 

[musketman]

You will have to take care that the ball doesn't roll forward though, you can run an over-shot card down on top of the unpatched ball for extra insurance...

 

[cptleo1]

I have been using an un patched .610 in my 20 Ga.for about a year now.

I really like it cuz it keeps everything
simple.

I always use an over shot wad to keep every thing
tight - cheap insurance.

Actually I use my standard shot load and just substitute the .610 ball.

I roll my cusion wads in melted Crisco and have
very little fouling to worry about.

Accuracy I get is about the same as yours.

Good luck

 

[Rebel]

I do the same with my Jackie Brown smoothbore. Powder, over powder wad, half a lubed cushion wad, ball, overshot wad.

 

[Lone Carabiner]

Just for argument's sake :bull: what is feasiblity of using some sort of handmade 'sabot' load with wasp-waist type slug or maybe a Lee mould slug in that gauge? would the hollow base Lee slug expand enough to give any accuracy improvement over tight fit round ball?
I dont have a smoothie, my next ML will be 20 ga/.610 though. I ain't got into flinters yet- capper is too much fun to get distracted.

 

[paulvallandigham]

A smoothbore is a smoothbore. You are not going to get much better accuracy with a hollow based slug, like the foster style slug, or the cinch waste slugs firing them out of a smootbore. Out of a rifled barrel, Yes, they will shoot more accurately. There are other types of slugs than the two described that give better accuracy than these two mention, but even they work much better in a rifled barrel.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Agree with Paulvallandigham here. Without rifling, slugs are just like tossed darts.

 

[arcticap]

Just for argument's sake :bull: what is feasiblity of using some sort of handmade 'sabot' load with wasp-waist type slug...my next ML will be 20 ga/.610 though.

I believe that you have a feasible idea, especially if the smoothbore fowler that you get someday has any kind of fixed choke.
1. The back of the product card states "Best results are obtained when used in a rifled barrel. If a smooth bore is used, chokes no tighter than modified is suggested."
However, this is not truly a "modern conventional sabot" slug because it's designed for use with a standard shotgun wad, and just because the accuracy of standard non-sabot style slugs could slightly benefit from barrel rifling doesn't mean that they won't shoot better than a patched round ball out of some choked smoothbore barrels. All a person really requires is paper plate accuracy at 50 yards or so.
2. If you look at the picture, the upset 20 gauge slug is a modern BRI sabot slug that was .40 caliber and totally encased in solid plastic.
However, the Lyman Shocker is made for a standard shotshell wad which won't benefit much from barrel rifling if at all since those types of wads fit loosely in the barrel. Standard smoothbore shotguns usually shoot well out to at least 50 yards, even my single shot with a modified choke does.
3. The design of this slug has a larger head than the sabot slug and a hollow base making it a little more front heavy for better stabilization than the hour glass solid BRI slug pictured.
I bought an opened package of these Shockers at a gun show and intended to shoot them just for fun out of a .56 TC smoothbore as they are just a fraction oversized at the base of the skirt and should fit tight. But since they are really designed for use with a standard shotgun wad, I think that they would shoot even better out of a 20 gauge wad as designed. Modern plastic shotshell wads have performed well for me out of both my 28 and 12 gauge muzzle loading shotguns loaded with shot. I used both newspaper or cotton for over powder wadding, the plastic didn't melt and it patterned better than without the wads.
I wouldn't be discourage from trying something new out as mentioned, especially if the smoothbore you end up getting has a fixed choke which can significantly affect the reliable accuracy of patched round balls at 50 yards.
You're idea of a feasible experiement may not only be worth a try, but if it hits a deer watch out! That .40 caliber slug almost went completely through a large deer diagonally from a frontal quartering shot at close range, expanding to ~.64 caliber in the process. :winking:

 

[ronrryan]

For many years I was obliged to hunt deer in a shotgun-only area (with the great pleasure of good companions). I have always been amazed at the accuracy of off-the-shelf foster type slugs, which typically shot cloverleafs or very close to it at fifty yards from the bench. The day I am able to do as well with my 62 smoothbore I will be a very happy person. Good smoke, Ron in FL