Any favorite roundball loads for a .62 smootbore?

[Curtis]

I am going to try and get some good groups with my Carolina gun this weekend.  I have some .600 and some .610 balls and a variety of patching material.  Any favorite loads out there for me to try?  Any suggestions on what powder charge to start with?

Curtis

[roundball]

Don't know what your hunting conditions will be like, but preferring a pretty flat trajectory and plenty of 'ummph' when a ball arrives on target, my 38" Rice .62cal smoothbore...(a true .620")...does best with the following deer load:

110grns Goex 2F
.020" precut/prelubed Oxyoke cotton patch (actually mic's .022")
.600" cast ball
 

[Stormrider51]

My Centermark fusil mics .614 at the muzzle.  It seems to like a .600 ball with a pillow ticking patch that mics .017 when compressed over 90 gr FFFg.

Storm

[Snow on the Roof]

Mine is a .20 gauge fowler of Jack Garners's make. She sports a 36" barrel which Mics out at .618 and seems to like 3 drams FFF goex {apx 82 grains} followed by an Oxyoke Original pre-lubed felt wad and topped off with a .600 home cast roundball , .012 pillow ticking and my home made lube. This will give minute of deer accuracy out to 60 yards. My lube is a mix of deer tallow, olive oil and a bit of bee's wax in the summertime. For deer season, when it chills off, I forsake the bee's wax.

Snow

[Curtis]

Thanks guys, that gives me some good ideas for a starting point.  I have some prelubed patches and some bear grease I will start with.  Looks like I need to take both 2f and 3f powder along also.

I'll post what I come up with for a working load.

Curtis

[Daryl]

Curtis - I currently use 85gr. 2F, a 10oz denim patch and a .595" ball from a Tanner mould. My bore is choked for about 2"- about an Improved Cylinder choke. The load goes down very easily, of course, once started with a short starter. No fouling buildup using pure lead balls - they must be obturating some upon ignition to seal the powder gasses behind, as patches are not damaged in the slightest, even though they are 'almost' loose going down. .0005" expansion per side would do it.

[hanshi]

My smoothbore is  TVM .62.  After much trial and error I've settled on two loads that give mod at 50yds. 

1. 70grns Goex 3f (powder charge seems to make no difference), a 1/2" fiber cushion wad and a .600" soft lead ball from a Lee mold with lubed .010" patch.
2.  70grns 3F & same cushion wad and a .590" WW ball (Tanner mold) and .020" lubed patch.

The first load in the woods will be the .600 lead ball and all reloads will be with the .590 WW ball.

[Daryl]

If I was going to use a WW ball, it'd be a .590 - for sure, due to the choked muzzle.
I'd rather reduce ball diameter than comprimize on the patch thickness.

[Vomitus]

If it's a .62 bore I'd go with a .600 ball and a sopping wet .020 patch.Use a short starter. I once had a true 20 gauge(.615) and it liked a .595 ball and a .020 wet patch also.Powder, started at 60gr of 2fg, and worked it up from there.A tight combination like this with the sloppy wet patch keeps the bore clean loading concurrent loads.Good luck and hey! Nice gun!

[t.caster]

My .62 Jaeger likes .600 ball/.020 vintage ticking (the flower & stripe stuff)/bore butter and 75 grs. 2f. I can use this combo year 'round or bump it up to 90grs for hunting. It's a 30" Getz barrel.

[hanshi]

My .62 is apparently tightly bored.  Using a .600" ball with, say ticking (.020" or so) results in having to literally pound the ball down.  And a wood ramrod won't do it.

[Curtis]

More good information!  If I get my chores don in a timely manner tomorrow, I will walk back to the range and try some of the different combinations.

Curtis