hunting load suggestions for a .75 please

[adkmountainken]

i will be getting a .75 cal soon and was looking for suggestions on loads for small game, turkey and deer. i will be using Goex FF, a .765 cast rb and either #4 or #5 shot.  i plan to run bare ball if possible like i do with my .62 using hornets nest over powder and if need be over ball.  will go with patched rb if need be.  ok any load suggestions?

[bob in the woods]

I'm assuming that you are referring to a smoothbore ?   What barrel is it ?      I have had my best results when using shot , if I stick with # 4 size.    Patched balls were OK, but I prefer paper cartridges.  My gun is actually a 10 bore, and I shoot 80 gr of 2 F under a 100 gr bulk measure of shot for small game. Ducks, geese, turkeys get 100 gr 2 F under 1 1/2 oz to 2 oz of #4 shot [ Bismuth for waterfowl ]    For deer I'll sometimes go with 100 gr of 2F and a .715 ball  , but for black bear and moose I load 120 gr 2 F     I used to go with 140 gr FFg but no longer find that necessary at the distances I typically shoot here.  The 120 gr load has given complete pass through on every animal I've taken , so the 140 gr load was for a flatter trajectory, not more power. 

[Longknife]

If your barrel's bore is 75 cal. or .750 there is no way you can use a .765 ball.....

[Hungry Horse]

The bare ball when shot from a smoothbore is traditionally quite a bit undersized. But, a ball that is intended to be patched is only slightly undersized. So, one ball for both applications is not an option. My .625” bore trade gun shoots a .590” round ball unpatched quite well, but does’nt shoot the same ball patched well at all.

 Hungry Horse

[adkmountainken]

auctual bore diameter is .775 so I am pretty sure a .765 ball will be adequate….

[Hungry Horse]

That is an odd bore size, who made the barrel? The only barrel that much oversized that I have encountered was made in India.

  Hungry Horse

[Daryl]

.775 is pretty close to actual 10 bore nominal size of .774".
For a.patched round ball I would go with either a .735" and rain.030" denim or .740" J. Tanner mould and rain .025" patch.

[adkmountainken]

correct it is a 10 gauge, I ordered a .765 rb mold from Jeff Tanner and will run bare ball or light patch if need be.  it is a Colerain barrel.

[Longknife]

auctual bore diameter is .775 so I am pretty sure a .765 ball will be adequate….

Then it would be a 775 cal...….not 75 cal. as stated in your first post.

[bob in the woods]

So...your gun is a 10 bore too.  As I mentioned , I prefer paper cartridges , hence the use of a .715 ball, however when I tried a cloth [linen] patch , I was using a  .735       Whatever you read here, you are still going to have to try and see what works best in your gun.  There's no short cut to range time .

[Daryl]

Exactly
 Every gun is unto it's ow however, there are.load combinations that work very erll on ALL guns of similar construction.

[Mike Brooks]

I used to shoot a .760 ball in a 10 bore. I could only use a .010 patch as it was a pretty tight load. I used a ball roughed up with a rasp. and 95gr of powder...don't remember the granulation. It was very accurate although it knocked my hat off every time I shot it.
 I dimly recall using a fiber wad between powder and ball. I was an original India Pattern Bess made in 1826.

[Daryl]

In the original H. Whal .75 smoothbore I used at Hefley Creek a number of years ago, I used a 7.15" pure lead ball, a .0225" denim patch and WON the match. I used 90gr. of 2F GOEX REAL bp.