Using Bess for shotgun?

[hickok45]

Okay, I've shot my new Pedersoi Bess enough to know my way around it and that it works well. What a hoot! Shoots great and is surprisingly reliable and accurate, as long as I can refrain from the flint lock flinch!

But I'm ready to try buckshot! Somebody who's done that with a Pedersoli Bess, give me the skinny on what size wads I need to order. I haven't measured the bore, but a .715 ball with very thin patch loads just fine. The .730 balls I have are really tight with even the thinnist patch (.10, I think) My standard ball load is the .715 ball with very thin patch.

How much shot should I start with and how do I measure it if I'm walking around? I may drive back up to Dixie Gun Works early next week, so I should be able to pick up anything I need.

I have browsed around some of the shotgun threads and see that there's are several schools of thought on what to use and how to keep it simple. I just want to get the right size wads, preferably that are fairly easy to load. I'm just plinking around,trimming tree limbs on my farm and such, not hunting.

Thus far, I've just shot it from my shooting table and have not carried it around. I don't have a powder horn or anything for carrying shot. Any recommendations there would be useful. Even if Davy Crockett would not approve, in the interest of simplicity, I'd probably compromise and use a powder horn with a measuring spout on it.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[trent/OH]

Get some 11 gauge wads and cards, and be prepared to use the patterning board extensively. Write detailed notes on each target you shoot. You certainly won't be shooting rapidly, so that should help to reduce mirage.

BTW, when you say buckshot, do you mean buck, or birdshot?

 

[Russianblood]

I use 12 gauge fiber cushion wads and 11 gauge overshot cards in my bess. I cast .308 round balls from a Lee mould for use as #1 buckshot in my smoothbores. In a bess, I would load either 12-16 buckshot balls or a single .715 topped with 3 buckshot for a "buck and ball" loading. Have fun! :thumbsup:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Not sure how much buckshot you will really need, but you might want a supply of #5 and #7 shot and some card wads. Also some FFg. The Bess makes a nice 11 bore fowler, if a slightly heavy one. I don't recall what I used to use in my old Bess, but I think I used 2 and 1/2 to 3 drams of FFg and 1 and 1/8 to 1 and 3/8 ozs. of shot. I'm sure someone will be able to help you with this.

 

[mark/wi]

I bought some 11 ga. stuff for my bess. I have some .690, .715 , and some .735 balls. Also have #5 and # 7 1/2 shot to try. I plan on have some fun seeing what it will or will not do. I will post latter about what happens. Mark

 

[ffffg]

flinching is more to do with ignition time than your skills.. Go to search then advanced search and put pletch in the user name search and you should learn how to get your ignition sped up enough to stop most flynching.. dave