Author Topic: 28ga smoothbore loads  (Read 6331 times)

PNE

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28ga smoothbore loads
« on: July 25, 2009, 04:41:02 AM »
Trying to determine the loads for a 28ga flinter. Most of what I have read in regards to loads for shot seem to say "use the same volume of powder as you are loading for the shot". Keeping close to a 3/4oz load of #5 shot has me loading 60grs of FFg. Feels pretty good when I touch it off, and the pattern is good at 25yds if not a bit low.  Then if I keep with the same 60grs when shooting .530 round ball I find that I have to hold way high to get anywhere close to the bull at 50 yards!!!

I'm relatively certain that I need to bump up my powder charge, but how much is too much?

I'm sure this post appears that I am all over the place with my questions. That fits, so's my shooting right now.

Appreciate any feedback. I won't be able to respond for about a week as I will be on the road.



Rod


roundball

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2009, 11:32:02 PM »
Believing in the old saying:  "Less powder, more lead, shoots far, kills dead"
These are the loads I've developed in mine:
========================================================

GM  .54cal(.28ga)  15/16"  x  33"  Flint  Smoothbore  Barrel  In  TC  Hawken

LOADS I USE IN A THICK, STRONG, OCTAGON GREEN MOUNTAIN BARREL:

HUNTING LOAD – PRB for Deer
70/80/90grns Goex 3F and .018" lubed pillow ticking patch and Hornady .520 (five twenty)
Note: could not use any number of Oxyoke OP wads as they caused occasional flyers for some reason, so I had to use a thick pillow ticking patch for it to survive...but the thick patch was too tight with .530s.
Tried .520s and they were extremely accurate with snug .018” pillow ticking, and patches survived fine.
Shoots like a rifle to the 50 yards I zeroed it.

HUNTING LOAD – Squirrels, Rabbits, Crows 
70grns Goex 3F
2 Oxyoke wads (or one half of a 1/2” Circle Fly lubed cushion wad)
100grns #5 shot (1+3/8oz)
Circle Fly overshot card
Outstanding squirrel/rabbit/crow pattern to 30 yards

HUNTING LOAD – Turkey 
70grns Goex 3F
2 Oxyoke wads (or 1/2 of a Circle Fly lubed cushion wad)
100grns (1+3/8oz) #6 hard magnum lead shot or #7.5’s nickel plated shot
Circle Fly overshot card
Good saturation pattern for small turkey head size target at 22-25yds (too thin past that)

HUNTING LOAD - DOVE
Dove load with .54cal GM Flint smoothbore barrel on TC Hawken
70grns Goex 3F and one half of a ½” Circle Fly prelubed cushion wad (or 2 Oxyoke wads)
80grns (1+1/8oz) #7.5 ‘Magnum’ shot and Circle Fly overshot card
No wiping between shots…after 16 shots the bore easily wiped clean with both sides of a wet & dry patch 
Excellent pattern at the 30yds tested…#7.5s penetrated 1 tuna can + dented another one behind it

CLAY TARGET LOAD ON TRAP RANGE
Trap targets at DCWC with .54cal GM Flint smoothbore barrel
70grns Goex 3F and two .58cal Oxyoke OP wads
70grns (1.0oz) #8 hard shot and Circle Fly overshot card
Powdered them standing behind the trap house, breaking them at about 20-25yds
Only broke them into 2-3 large pieces from back at the 16 yard line, breaking them out at about 35-40yds.
(Pellet energy was out there but pattern was obviously way too thin at that range from the cylinder bore)

northmn

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2009, 03:51:00 AM »
I had an old Dixie Gun Works percussion single shot in 28 gauge that I shot a few ruffed grouse with.  I worked OK with the measure set at 70 grains of powder (2f) and the use of an equal measure for shot (sometimes I would cut back to 65 on powder).  Generally 6's or 7 1/2.  As it did not have any choke, nothing would make it shoot at any range beyond about 25 yards effectively.  I broke something like 7 clays in a row at a trap match with that load and then missed the rest.  I think the barrel may have gotten hot and chaned the impact point or I fatigued out or something.  Small bores work fair with heavier loads of shot on sitting birds, but on flying birds the barrel scrubbing and shot string effect can raise cain.  The 28 I had would have been OK for cottontails if we had any in my area, was sort of OK for grouse and might be OK for quail in a good gun.   The 28 will function fair up to about 7/8 to 1 oz of shot, seems to like 3/4 oz and was loaded originally with I believe 5/8 oz. in cartridge guns.  I ahd a 28 double and sold it as I tend to like bigger bores.

DP 

Offline Dphariss

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2009, 10:00:47 AM »
Trying to determine the loads for a 28ga flinter. Most of what I have read in regards to loads for shot seem to say "use the same volume of powder as you are loading for the shot". Keeping close to a 3/4oz load of #5 shot has me loading 60grs of FFg. Feels pretty good when I touch it off, and the pattern is good at 25yds if not a bit low.  Then if I keep with the same 60grs when shooting .530 round ball I find that I have to hold way high to get anywhere close to the bull at 50 yards!!!

I'm relatively certain that I need to bump up my powder charge, but how much is too much?

I'm sure this post appears that I am all over the place with my questions. That fits, so's my shooting right now.

Appreciate any feedback. I won't be able to respond for about a week as I will be on the road.



Rod



60 grains is sufficient, 3/4 oz should be OK you might go a little higher but its not likely to bring the point of impact up at short range.
If it shoots low with a RB it needs a sight adjustment. Though it may take a pretty stiff load to shoot well with the RB. This might not bring the POI up much at ranges of 50 yards and under.
Find a load that groups well 3-5" at 50 yards then adjust the sights.

Dan
He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine

Offline Dphariss

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2009, 10:10:25 AM »
Trying to determine the loads for a 28ga flinter. Most of what I have read in regards to loads for shot seem to say "use the same volume of powder as you are loading for the shot". Keeping close to a 3/4oz load of #5 shot has me loading 60grs of FFg. Feels pretty good when I touch it off, and the pattern is good at 25yds if not a bit low.  Then if I keep with the same 60grs when shooting .530 round ball I find that I have to hold way high to get anywhere close to the bull at 50 yards!!!

I'm relatively certain that I need to bump up my powder charge, but how much is too much?

I'm sure this post appears that I am all over the place with my questions. That fits, so's my shooting right now.

Appreciate any feedback. I won't be able to respond for about a week as I will be on the road.



Rod



60 grains is sufficient, 3/4 oz should be OK you might go a little higher but its not likely to bring the point of impact up at short range. More velocity might even make it shoot lower depending on the recoil characteristics.
The service load I can find for a 28 bore breech loader is 55 grains (2 drams) and 3/4 ounce.
It should pattern very well with a charge in this range and might do well with even 10gr less powder if penetration is OK.

If it shoots low with a RB it needs a sight adjustment. Though it may take a pretty stiff load to shoot well with the RB. This might not bring the POI up much at ranges of 50 yards and under.
Find a load that groups well 3-5" at 50 yards then adjust the sights.

Dan
He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine

roundball

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2009, 04:44:04 PM »
To clarify theories with actual hands on experience using my loads above:

The 1+1/8oz #7.5s work fine on flying Doves.

The 1+3/8oz #5's work fine on flying Crows.

 

Offline Dphariss

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2009, 05:01:45 PM »
And with a 20 bore you can shoot 10 bore loads.
 ::)
Dan
He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine

PNE

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2009, 05:49:14 PM »
Gents,
     I appreciate all of the feedback!!! Looks to me like I have a couple of different things to do; namely bump up my powder charge! I picked up some pillow ticking so I'll have some thicker patch material to try to tighten up my groups before doing any sight adjustments.

     I've filed down the front sight already until it's about 5/32". Shooting the RB's I think one of my biggest problems is getting and keeping the same cheek weld on the stock. I'm "seeing" an awfully lot of barrel between my eye and the front sight. I'll bump up my charge to 70grs and see what that does for my impact at 50yds. From there I'll file down the front sight some more.

     I'm giving serious consideration to making a rear sight for it and turning it into a smooth rifle. Not really like a semi-buckhorn sight though, more of a "bump" with a saddle in the middle just so I can have more to gage my elevation with. If anyone has some pictures of such a sight, or knows where I can find them, it would be much appreciated.

     On the shot side of things I'll probably stick with what I have. I was wondering though if any of you had experimented with using a plastic shot cup in you BP guns with any success. I reload for 28ga so I have the wads and was thinking that just cutting off the plastic cushion so I just had the shot cup left, and then load it on top of the BP cushion wad would work. Any thoughts on that?


     The really good news is now I have another excuse to go back to the range.   :)

Offline LynnC

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2009, 06:54:26 PM »
From Leather Belly, Site picture as follows, round ball in a 20Ga.

75 yds - see whole site above barrel

50 yds - see site and reflection of site back to wedding band

25 yds - see just top of sight above barrel

Or something like that - anyway, different sight picture for different distances
The price of eggs got so darn high, I bought chickens......

Daryl

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2009, 07:07:27 PM »
PNE - some guys have descent luck with plastic in their smoothbores, while others get plastic welded onto the interior, even with a couple hard cards between the plastic and the powder.  Black powder burns hot enough to melt the plastic, which is then sprayed onto the bore - not a fun job to clean out.  It's best to stay with normal wadding - and some experimentation will show what combinations to use.  In most guns, varying the powder charge and shot column height and weight can get things in order. Some guys use only.y the thin "B" wads over the powder, several to get a seal, while others use the considerably more expensive 'woven' wads - yours to experiment with.
 A slight jug-choke can help patterns and not disturb RB shooting as well.  A mere .005" of jugging can help considerably, as it slows the wads and helps prevent them from punching into the shot column.   The use of light wads seems to allow the wads to spin off away from the shot column at the muzzle and give similar results. I've never had a problem getting normal wad columns to shoot well from cylinder bores, buy am open to trying some of the other methods.  It's all about experimentation and patterning the loads. Large sheets of paper or cardboard should be used as small 'target's won't show the holes that develop in patterns.  Holes are what wound or cause misses on game and birds. Even patterns are what you are after.  A 30" even pattern at 25 yards is the goal for a cylinder bore and should contain 70% of the shot load at that range. This will give a killing pattern to 30 yards.  A slight centre concentration of the shot pattern might add a couple yards to that range.  As a rule of thumb, heavy shot loads cause long shot strings (shot cloud very long and sparse at any one point) that give misrepresentation of the effectiveness of the pattern on paper - they look good, but on passing birds, hit with very few pellets - again, as a rule. Square loads, generally give the best killing patterns.

Good luck.

Offline Roger Fisher

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Re: 28ga smoothbore loads
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2009, 04:50:49 PM »
Believing in the old saying:  "Less powder, more lead, shoots far, kills dead"
These are the loads I've developed in mine:
========================================================

GM  .54cal(.28ga)  15/16"  x  33"  Flint  Smoothbore  Barrel  In  TC  Hawken

LOADS I USE IN A THICK, STRONG, OCTAGON GREEN MOUNTAIN BARREL:

HUNTING LOAD – PRB for Deer
70/80/90grns Goex 3F and .018" lubed pillow ticking patch and Hornady .520 (five twenty)
Note: could not use any number of Oxyoke OP wads as they caused occasional flyers for some reason, so I had to use a thick pillow ticking patch for it to survive...but the thick patch was too tight with .530s.
Tried .520s and they were extremely accurate with snug .018” pillow ticking, and patches survived fine.
Shoots like a rifle to the 50 yards I zeroed it.

HUNTING LOAD – Squirrels, Rabbits, Crows 
70grns Goex 3F
2 Oxyoke wads (or one half of a 1/2” Circle Fly lubed cushion wad)
100grns #5 shot (1+3/8oz)
Circle Fly overshot card
Outstanding squirrel/rabbit/crow pattern to 30 yards

HUNTING LOAD – Turkey 
70grns Goex 3F
2 Oxyoke wads (or 1/2 of a Circle Fly lubed cushion wad)
100grns (1+3/8oz) #6 hard magnum lead shot or #7.5’s nickel plated shot
Circle Fly overshot card
Good saturation pattern for small turkey head size target at 22-25yds (too thin past that)

HUNTING LOAD - DOVE
Dove load with .54cal GM Flint smoothbore barrel on TC Hawken
70grns Goex 3F and one half of a ½” Circle Fly prelubed cushion wad (or 2 Oxyoke wads)
80grns (1+1/8oz) #7.5 ‘Magnum’ shot and Circle Fly overshot card
No wiping between shots…after 16 shots the bore easily wiped clean with both sides of a wet & dry patch 
Excellent pattern at the 30yds tested…#7.5s penetrated 1 tuna can + dented another one behind it

CLAY TARGET LOAD ON TRAP RANGE
Trap targets at DCWC with .54cal GM Flint smoothbore barrel
70grns Goex 3F and two .58cal Oxyoke OP wads
70grns (1.0oz) #8 hard shot and Circle Fly overshot card
Powdered them standing behind the trap house, breaking them at about 20-25yds
Only broke them into 2-3 large pieces from back at the 16 yard line, breaking them out at about 35-40yds.
(Pellet energy was out there but pattern was obviously way too thin at that range from the cylinder bore)
Your r ball load interesting,  The TC must be tighter bore.  My Getz loads nice and shoots well with .530 ball .017/.018 spit patch!!   The .535 can be used but I consider barrel whip a possibility then! :)