Shot Loads in .69 Smoothbore

[Kyle791]

Anyone shoot shot out of a .69 smoothbore? If so, what kind of loads do you use? Looking for some starting points to work up a squirrel hunting load using #5 shot. Thanks

[rich pierce]

I took 2 turkeys this year with my .69 New England fowler build. No misses or wounded birds.  I use a “square load” with the shot measure set at 1 and a half ounces of #5 shot and same amount of powder. I throw the powder then a hard over powder wad, birdshot, then a thin card wad on top. I tried the Skychief load and cushion wads and such but a simple load works ok in this gun. It’s a 25 yard turkey load. At 25 yards, turkeys are CLOSE!

2 years ago when I was still in Missouri I got several gray squirrels with 1 and 1/8 oz of #5; square load and same wads. It’s a good all round gun. It shoots a .662 ball well to 50 yards. I hit some gongs at 100 yards but would not shoot at deer at that range.

[Daryl]

That's about 110gr. powder. Stiff load for a .69. Certainly not excessive. Whatever works for you.
I would suggest something in the realm of 3 drams to start - 82gr. That powder measure will hold about 1 1/8oz. shot.
Then, experiment from there.  More shot certainly helps fill in patterns.
In my SxS 12 bore, I use 75gr. 1F and 1 1/4oz. shot. powder, 2 overshot cards, shot then one overshot card on shot.

[Daryl]

An 11 bore H.Whall I used  IIRC a 96gr. Measure same measure filled with shot, 1 3/8's is. I suspect, 3 thin over shot cards between powder and shot and 1 over the shot. I won a trap shoot with that load at rendezvous.

[Pukka Bundook]

A little old 19 bore double I had shot a 40 percent pattern at 40 yards with 2 drams 2F and an ounce of shot.
You couldn't miss with that little gun if you held it right.
Normally an oiled felt wad over the powder, and a card wad from a cereal packet to hold the shot in place.
Made by Loffley.
English gun. pretty well worn out but didn't know it where patterns are concerned.
For dry times ivy leaves were used as wads.  shot same pattern.

[rich pierce]

I’m still trying to figure out the best pattens from cylinder bore guns. But I have one of the sought-after Colerain turkey choke barrels to build up before the spring turkey season.

[Daryl]

Chokes make loads easy. My 20 flinter has about an Imp. CYL choke and I use normal or standard wad column. It shoots modified patterns.
It just does not do well with round balls at 50yards or further.
Had to edit the choke. Bit dyslexic, I guess. Was thinking about it's patterns when I was typing Imp Cyl., came out Imp. Mod.
Rich- I have had some luck with the heavy wet wad over the shot, but the thin cards between powder and shot seem to work in them all, Ml. and Ctg. with BP loads- cykl., or choked.
My SxS 12 had cylinder bores & I patterned it, both barrels. Thin cards won. With the Skychief load, the left barrel shot tighter than the right. With the 2 thin cards in between, both barrels shot about the same as the Skychief load, but more evenly.

[Pukka Bundook]

Good morning Daryl,
I know Mr Starr used only wads stamped from cardboard and did exceptionally well with them.
My only reason for using a thicker wad in some of the old guns, was because of pitting to varying degrees.
if pitted and a thin card used, we get a certain amount of flame passing the wad, and this can cause balling of the shot.
balling that is not so severe can look like short snakes on the target, where pellets are welded together into strings.

Col. Hawker recommended a wad no thicker than half the diameter of the bore.

all the best,
Richard.

[Daryl]

I can certainly see the wisdom in using heavier or slightly larger diameter wads in guns with pitted bores. My SxS 12 has bright, shiny bores, no pits. I lucked out there.
 The old Sellier and Bellet shells we used to get back in the last century, when taken apart had a thin "B" wad on the powder that wad cupped, with the cup facing the powder.
 They then had a horse hair wad above that, then another cupped thin "B" wad cup up under the shot, then crimped.
These cupped wads gave me the idea of using cupped wads like the Swedish cupped wad shown in W.W.Greener's book, but for centering a round ball.   This is something "else" I must try in my 20 bore flinter at some point. My 12 bore loaded in this manner gave me deer killing accuracy out to 100 meters with 14 bore balls - about 10" groups. I now have a 13 bore mould (Tanner) for further testing, as well as a .595" Tanner mould for testing in the 20 bore with cupped wads.
Cupped wads can be made by drilling or using a hole punch on a donna conna wad. The idea is to get the wad to hold the ball in the middle of the bore, without any contact. Thus lubed wads can be used for cleaner shooting.

[Pukka Bundook]

Good on all points Daryl.
completely agree!
In our muskets we use thick felt wads, of medium density. these of course on firing form a cup around the ball.
We at 50 yards, off a rest found we could get 3  1/2 to 4 1/2" groups for ten rounds with  this,with a .750" ball in a .760" bore and driven by about 125 grs 2F.

[Daryl]

That's good shooting.

[Pukka Bundook]

It hurt, taking a lean Daryl, but we were trying the guns for accuracy, not ourselves.
we both got sore faces!

[Daryl]

It's mostly about stock design.

[Pukka Bundook]

Indeed Daryl!...but shooting position can help or hinder!...as you know.