62 caliber rifle loads.

[B Staley]

Anyone want to share their favorite load for their 62 cal rifle. I did a look up but most of the loads were for smooth bores....... B Staley

[roundball]

Several years ago I bought a new 32" x .62cal GM Flint smoothbore barrel directly from GM and sent it to Ed Rayl to add .012" x 1:72" rifling.

It was a proverbial tack driver with 80/90/100/110/120grns 2F charges, using an Oxyoke .62cal prelubed wad over powder, .018" pillow ticking, and Eddie May .600" balls.
(GM .62cal barrels are actually bored .610".....not .620")

With my NC deer hunting being in thick woods and typical shots only 35-50 yards, I settled on a mid range charge of 100grns Goex 2F...filled my deer tags with it for a couple seasons.

My new 38" x .62cal Rice smoothbore barrel...with a Caywood Jug Choke...prefers 110grns Goex 2F, Oxyoke .022" patches, and Eddie May .600" balls.  (The Rice .62cal bore is an honest .620")  

[smylee grouch]

I had a 62 cal. rifled Getz Jagger barrel that liked 600 balls and about 85 gr. of 2f GOEX. Dont have it any more but seen it up for sale on TOTW web site, and they list it as 60 cal. but its a tight 62.    Gary

[bob in the woods]

I just test fired my new Edward Marshall Chambers rifle in .62 cal.[ Rice Barrel ]
Best target at 50 yds was .60 ball, .20 patching with bear oil, and 100 gr FFg
Tried my .610 balls, but didn't work as well. I am going to try it at 100 yds later this week
and see if more powder is a plus or not. With the shorter barrel, I'm planning on this being my moose gun, since we hunt a lot from canoes.
My last rifle in .62 had a Colerain 42 inch barrel, and it shot well with anything from 80 to 120 gr of FFg and the same .600 ball and patch. The Rice barrel is a lot slicker, and loads like a dream.

[roundball]

The Rice barrel is a lot slicker, and loads like a dream.

Round bottom grooves ?

[B Staley]

I have a Caywood with 42’’ barrel was going to start out with a .600 ball with .015 patches 100 to 120 Goex 2f powder, might try some thicker patch material if I have any, will lube with mink oil, will post results.
Thanks.......B Staley

[bob in the woods]

Yes, the Rice barrel supplied with the Edward Marshall Kit has round bottom grooves.
So did the Colerain .

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Do some math before you go to the range for a disappointing performance.
If the bore is .620", and the rifling is only .010" deep (likely deeper), you have a total groove depth of .640".
Now subtract the ball diameter of .600" and that leaves .040" you need to fill as a minimum, and that's without any compression at all.  So a .020" thick patch will just go to the bottom of the grooves, and with a hunting or accuracy charge, will burn out and blow to pieces.  But give your .015" patches a try and prove me wrong.

[roundball]

I have a Caywood with 42’’ barrel was going to start out with a .600 ball with .015 patches 100 to 120 Goex 2f powder, might try some thicker patch material if I have any, will lube with mink oil, will post results.
Thanks.......B Staley

PS:
If you don't have any thicker patches on hand, you could at least consider seating a spare lubed patch down on the powder first, followed by the patched ball itself.

As I'm sure you already know, when we center a patch over the muzzle by itself and poke it in the center to push it into the muzzle, the sides pucker up all around, and that shape acts as a good firewall when its compressed under  / around the regular PRB when you seat it down on top of it.

[Daryl]

YOu're right, RB- ther is a pucker above the ball. No load I put down has a pucker in the groove. The material compresses and 'moves' across the bottom of the groove, up the other side, across the top of the land and down into the groove without any doubling or puckering. This stretching and compressing is probably why we prefer a ball only .005" under bore size, along with a patch that provides at least .005" compression per side, to the bottom of the groove. This combination has worked in ten's of guns - maybe over 100 we've tested it in.  It is as close to a 'formula for success' as can be.

My .69 is the only annomoly so far it seems, with over 125gr. of powder. Up to that, the .006" under ball works fine with a .0225" patch. After 125gr. I have to up the ante` with the 12 oz. denim, that measures .025" with my mic, and .030" with calipers.  That barrel has only .012" rifling, not the deeper, .016" to .025" rounded rifling used in some other barrels.  Those might need even thicker patching.

If the patch is not completely reusable with identical accuracy, it did not hold up to it's task, as far as I'm concerned.

I am in total agreement with Taylor's post - obviously. This 'system' has worked in every gun we've tried it in for almost 40 years - it did take us a few years of much testing back in the early 70's to discover it.

[roundball]

Actually, I was referring to the pucker that occurs when first poking in a "spare" patch first...that when seated down helps act as a firewall under and around the bottom half of the ball...and if all he currently had was .015" patches, he might try using one of them as a spare patch for a firewall, then load the normal PRB.

[Daryl]

I understand what you're saying and that might work OK - but accuracy most be inferior to a thicker patch to start with.

Sam Fadala used & wrote about that method in his hornet's nest, anti-patch theories many years ago and claimed better accurcy.  I am not disputing he got better accuracy with the wad.  That is entirely possible, however improved accuracy is a relative thing, as his accuracy was suffering due to patch burnout.  That was when the theory that patches didn't seal and a gasget of some sort had to be used was formed and described is you paid to read it.  Unfortunately, it left a lot of people thinking thin patches were the way to go - coupled with some sort of sealiing mechanism.

If adding anything between the ball and the powder gave the best accuracy, the bench boys would be using it.   Instead, they go to a larger than bore sized ball, and load that with the thin .015" patch to ensure adequate compression in the bottom of the grooves - just as Roger F. does.  They also use square bottomed rifling.  Round bottomed rifling needs a thicker patch yet- or maybe some hornet's nest  - something must be used to seal the powder gasses behind the ball where they belong or you will be faced with a changing bore condition, shot to shot, which is not conducive to good accuracy.

[Old Ford2]

My best grouping occurs with a lightly lubbed patch over the powder, then a lubbed .020 patch with a .610 ball, with 90 grains 2f powder.
When I increase it up to 140 grains, my underware puckers!
Old Ford

[jim moore]

Getz barrel .62 (.622) x 48" round bottom rifling
so far best group has been with
80 gr. 3FFF
ox-yoke wad
.024 patch
lubed with deer tallow

[Daryl]

It's close - Taylor's .60 Cal Jaeger gets 1,350 (approx) with 85gr. 2f GOEX - .022" denim patch and .595" ball. We once chrono'd it up to 120gr. but I cannot remember what it got - seems to me, something just over 1,600fps.  As with all guns with tight loads and round ball rifling, it shoots better with more powder.

[B Staley]

Did a little shooting today. You can see the results in the picture. This was at 50 yards from the bench rest. The load was 110 grains 2F Goex with 20 gauge wonder wad over the powder with .027 denim lube with mink oil. Also shot a few rounds without the wad over the powder and the patch just disintegrated so I guess I need a bigger ball and different patch material. But for now with the wad over the powder it’s working. In the 2nd picture is a few shots off-hand, I need more practice........B Staley

[Daryl]

You're on the right track.  The .027" denim patch is probably what is called 12oz denim.  It measures differently from measuring tool to measuring tool due to the compressibility and technique.  The colour is right for the heavy denim I use in the .69.

A true .62 should have a .615" ball, by the formula we use, just as Taylor uses a .595" bal in his .60 Jaeger. 

Smoothbores need a different formula as there are no grooves, of course.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

.62 Smoothbore, 600 RB, cotton canvas patch .18 with bear grease with a 3/8 bear grease lubed wad and 85 gr Goex fffg  hts the kill zone with no problem out to 75 yards
 I cant see why you would want to go to 120 gr ffg,  but hey experiment and see what works best with your gun...

[Daryl]

B Staley wants to find an accurate, flatter shooting load that's accurate in his .62 cal. rifle, DrTim.  If such a load combination is found and he is up to the task, he easily has a 175yard deer rifle and about that range for moose or elk- if he and the load is up to it.  He needs to feed it to get the trajectory and needs a tighter combination to stand the gaff of higher pressures.

[B Staley]

I just ordered some .610 balls from Track, will see how they work. As for shooting 175 yards I’m an old @$#% I can’t see that far LOL. ..........B Staley