loading method for smoothbore?

[Bigmon]

I have a 24 ga straight bore flintlock fowler that I tried testing for patterns yesterday.  Not too good of results.  I would like to hear some ideas on better ways to load.
What I was doing was 70Gr or 75 Gr. 2f powder, a 1/2" lubed fiber wad. The same 75Gr powder measure filled with #6 lead shot.  Then I used either a felt overshot wad, or a pc of the same fiber wad about 1/8" thick over the shot.
At 20 and 25 yds it had a very wide pattern not at all tight, maybe 30" or more in dia.  Couldn't really tell as it was larger than the target backstop. Amount of powder or wadding didn't seem to much matter?
Just looking for ideas based on experience, thanks.

[rich pierce]

Welcome to the cylinder bore. This is what they do. Search “tight pattern” and “skychief” load here.

[smallpatch]

Don’t know much about the smaller bores, but a jug choke does wonders in the larger bores...... while still shooting ball very well.
To start, less powder, more shot will help.

[Hungry Horse]

I agree with Dane on everything except resorting to the jug choke. You might also try using a thin card over the shot. It sounds like some part of your load is scattering the shot. You might try just a couple of overshot cards between the powder, and shot. Smaller gauge smoothbores tend to string out the shot column so make sure the gun stays steady and on target while shooting your patterns. Smaller gauges usually shoot a tighter pattern than big bores.

  Hungry Horse

[Daryl]

Bigmon - I feel your powder charge is a little heavy. As well, the lubed wad over the powder will tend to blow the pattern wide & may even produce donut holes in the pattern.
I would suggest dropping the powder charge to 60gr. to 65gr. 2F or 3F and use the 70gr. (1oz) to 75gr.(1 1/6thoz) measure of shot.
Too - 2 thin "B" cards .035" thick) between powder and shot.  You can also try the Skychief load using the lubed wad over top of the shot, or not. Patterning will tell how they
work for you.

[hanshi]

In my limited shooting of shot in my 20 ga smoothbore patterns improved after dropping the fiber wad and substituting self punched felt ones.  Dropping the powder charge down a little seemed to help as well.

[Bsharp]

In my limited shooting of shot in my 20 ga smoothbore patterns improved after dropping the fiber wad and substituting self punched felt ones.  Dropping the powder charge down a little seemed to help as well.

How thick of a felt wad, and do you lube it?

[Brokennock]

Put the lubed felt wad between powder and shot. Either ditch the fiber wad entirely or put it,,, heavily lubed (as in soaked overnight I'm olive oil) on top, separated from shot by one thin overshot card.

My usual small game load for a 20 gauge (reduce shot and powder for smaller gage as needed) is 60 to 65 grains 3f or 2f powder, thin overshot card, lubed felt wad or lubed ball of "faux-tow" (shredded sisal rope), 1 to 1 1/8oz. shot (I like #5 for almost everything in my area), topped with another thin overshot card.

Turkey load is different.

[hanshi]

[/quote]
How thick of a felt wad, and do you lube it?
[/quote]


Usually 1/4" wad lubed lightly.

[Waksupi]

Cushion wads cause blown patterns.

Learn from the old timers. Old Vic Starr was the grand daddy of smoothbores, and a fine old gentleman.

http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/starr.html

[Hungry Horse]

 Smoothbore loading is very much about finding what works for you. I myself refuse to buy a load of stuff to poke down the barrel that gets minimum return, and maximum labor. That being said I’ve seen some odd loads that produce some pretty good results. A couple of examples are, a local guy who slices wine corks with his bandsaw to make a nice thin cushion wad that disintegrates when it exits the barrel. And, another one that used wool blanket that is dipped in hot venison tallow and left to cool on a piece of wax paper. These get limp when the tallow melts, and don’t seem to blow patterns. I’ve used the blanket patches, but can’t seem to get the corks to work as well as the guy I learned the trick from. I must be drinking the wrong wine.

  Hungry Horse

[Daryl]

Cushion wads cause blown patterns.

in non-choked bores - usually, but not always.  Taylor's non-choked 15 bore Manton does not blow patterns with a
cushion wad between powder and shot.  I'm not sure we wrote that combination down, though??

[James Rogers]

I have frequently rolled cushion wads in a shallow tray of lube to where only the edges that touch the barrel wall get lubed. I then slice them in half.

[rich pierce]

I have frequently rolled cushion wads in a shallow tray of lube to where only the edges that touch the barrel wall get lubed. I then slice them in half.

Gotta try this!

[Jerry]

Cushion wads cause blown patterns.

Learn from the old timers. Old Vic Starr was the grand daddy of smoothbores, and a fine old gentleman.

http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/starr.html

I’ll have to admit VM Starr got the name Mr. Shotgun for a reason. I enjoy reading everyone’s smoothbore loads. Thanks, Jerry

[Daryl]

Pretty good advice, except the part of spitting down each barrel that is already loaded with powder and shot. Not recommended, but the 2 card board wads between powder and shot is a great idea.  Another is 2 thin "B" overshot wads between powder and shot, IF, the gun has no choke. I think his load recommendations are good advice as well.

[Craig Wilcox]

Hold on now!

Youse guys mean to tell me that the shot goes ON TOP of the powder?  That the powder goes in first?  And you DON'T put in a card, then the shot, then the thick waddie thing, THEN the powder???

No wonder I don't kill more doves!

I must been born backwards!

[Daryl]

Pretty sure the powder goes in first, then the wad/s then shot & wad. Yosemite Sam had it all wrong with disastrous results no matter which he loaded first.

[Keith Zimmerman]

In my 58 smoothie I use 70gr 2F, hornets nest, 70gr shot, and hornets nest.

[Daryl]

I think you mean a 70 gr. stricken powder measure, of shot, not 70gr. of shot, ie: 437.5gr. per ounce.

[Keith Zimmerman]

I fill my 70gr powder measure with shot.