chunk gun loads

[ERH]

I am working on a load for my chunk gun and all I here about is people using thick patching and bore size balls and powding them down with a hammer is this the norm in the chunk gun world  ??

[Daryl]

Although I'm not using as large balls as some, they're still .002" larger than the bore and I'm using a .020" denim patch that loads easily - no hammer or mallet - only the plam of my hand on the starter knob- easy as can be. They puch down easily with a 3/8" hickory rod.

[Roger Fisher]

I am working on a load for my chunk gun and all I here about is people using thick patching and bore size balls and powding them down with a hammer is this the norm in the chunk gun world  ??

I likem tight    Since you have plenty of time in a log shoot load em tight so long as the patch hangs together.

What is takes is experiment-experiment til you find out which works best group wise!

To mention it again - there are at least two styles of chunk shoots around.  One is the 60 yd olde tyme shoot on an invisible x string measure using a spotter and shoot for group and try to spider the x.   

2nd log shoot is shooting for score on various targets, bullseye, animal etc etc w/o using a spotter,  String measure shoots she does not have to shoot to point of aim so long as she shoots a tight group then slide your X card under the group hole you shot on/in your spotter and hope she shoots same as prior shots.    On the scoreable targets i.e. bullseyes etc she has to be sighted in to shoot to point of aim (of course)

It is a different but traditional kind of shootin match for certain.

[Sam Everly]

All the log shoots i have gone to NC, Tenn, West VA, Friendship IN. They all are 60 yds and x matches. I have never seen them shooting anything but X targets and use spotters. Roger the targets by score must be somethig from up in your neck of the woods . Back to loads, all the above shoots, the loads are tight and heavy. The patch material is 80% or better teflon, and bore size or bigger balls and heavy powder charges. Most shoot 50 to 54 cals. and about 50/ 50 flint /perc. Some guys , Trammel bros for one, shoot big heavy guns 50 lbs plus and big cals. 60 or bigger. Last year at the York, one fellow shot Bill Larges chunk gun, he was up in years and i and several people hauled it back and forth for the old fellow, to the bench and back to the line . that thing was around 70 pounds and must have been 62 cal .It wore him out and several people trying to help him move it around .         

[Roger Fisher]

All the log shoots i have gone to NC, Tenn, West VA, Friendship IN. They all are 60 yds and x matches. I have never seen them shooting anything but X targets and use spotters. Roger the targets by score must be somethig from up in your neck of the woods . Back to loads, all the above shoots, the loads are tight and heavy. The patch material is 80% or better teflon, and bore size or bigger balls and heavy powder charges. Most shoot 50 to 54 cals. and about 50/ 50 flint /perc. Some guys , Trammel bros for one, shoot big heavy guns 50 lbs plus and big cals. 60 or bigger. Last year at the York, one fellow shot Bill Larges chunk gun, he was up in years and i and several people hauled it back and forth for the old fellow, to the bench and back to the line . that thing was around 70 pounds and must have been 62 cal .It wore him out and several people trying to help him move it around .         

     Jeez:: I wonder if the other guys would ever lug mine back and forth for me lika dat!

       When I described the 2 types of log shoots I was in fact refering to our 2 state area Penna and maybe southern NY...  We have been trying to foster this type of shooting matches and in order to get shooters to do it and clubs to try it we had to keep things simple.  50 yds cause most clubs are set up 25/50/75 yds etc.  Must keep things simple also for the scorer volunteers who (at least at our club) change from shoot to shoot. and using targets with scoring lines as described makes the scoring easy to handle..  Not traditional of course; but at least we have 4 or more clubs shooting chunk of some sort.
First FRontier Militia, Langhorne, Whispering Pines, Blue Mt at Shartlesville, and of course the Getz/Singer log match 1 per yr which is the only one in Penna shot the traditional way.  Sure wish there were more!  Maybe it will happen on down the road!

[Michigan Flinter]

I shoot a .454 ball  .020 teflon patch 80 grains 3F Goex in my 1 1/2 X 42 douglas .45 cal. lefthand flinter.It will stack them on top of each other if I do my job. Eric D. Lau  Riverdale Mi.

[ERH]

Hey thanks for all the info guys .  I seams to me the ball has to look more like a bullet  after you pound it down the bore but i guess it dont matter as long as it shoots good