Author Topic: New to smoothbores (Read 4983 times)

Mike from OK · « **on:** January 16, 2020, 01:39:44 AM »

I've got a smoothie coming my way. 20 ga flint....

While fairly competent with a rifle, I know little about operating a smoothbore.

I currently have on hand: a 25 lb bag of #6 lead shot and a pound of 2f.

What else might a fellow need? Especially if he wants to cast and shoot round ball loads in addition to shot?

I have a horn and I will see about a bag once I know what all I need to carry.

Mike

Craig Wilcox · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2020, 01:44:43 AM »

Mike, you may want to think about over powder (OP) wads and over shot (OS) wads. Track, as well as other, can supply what you need fairly easily. Measure your powder and shot weights carefully, so that the result is repeatable.
Have fun and enjoy the smoke!

Maven · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2020, 02:03:26 AM »

Mike, Take a look at this thread: https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=57618.0

TonyM · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2020, 07:36:01 AM »

Check out Midway USA.
They have bags of wads for ML shotguns, each containing an over powder card, lubed fiber wad, and an over shot card. Enough for 100 shots for $10.
Tony

Bob McBride · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2020, 09:11:11 AM »

Check out Duelist1954 on YouTube. Here’s a link to his playlist on shooting flintlocks. There are several dozen videos on loading flintlock Smoothbores within this series of videos.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHljRs6NHyZkRHwj1K13YY_JCMEP5ebLs

He does a good job of describing lots of possible ways to load and his thoughts on each.

Pukka Bundook · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2020, 06:20:05 PM »

Also remember Mike, that paper or Spanish moss work for wads. No need to carry all sorts of fancy stuff to get the job done.
Ivy leaves, tow from an old saddle, they all work for wadding and were used all over the world.
Dry grass will hold the shot in place.
Try it and pattern it, and you'll be surprised how well odd stuff works.

hanshi · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2020, 12:58:10 AM »

The 20ga smoothbore I had built years ago came with a rear sight that I had requested. It works for both ball and shot with no change in shooting technique when switching from a rifle. I patch ball just like rifle ball. For shot I use card wads which is a much more consistent item than simply using whatever one can come across.

Mike from OK · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2020, 04:13:21 AM »

Thanks everyone.

I'm not sure what size balls/mold to get. I'm guessing I should probably mic the bore and see what size I'm dealing with beforehand.

Mike

Pukka Bundook · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2020, 08:41:49 AM »

Hanshi,

A mate who used proper wads tried green leaves for clay shooting, and was amazed he shot just as well with them. (Flint musket)
Don't knock it till you've tried it, as they say. :-)

Notchy Bob · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2020, 03:11:52 PM »

A 5/8" arch punch, as used for leatherwork, cuts wads that are perfect for a 20 gauge. It works great on cardboard, but you can also make leather wads from small pieces of scrap, or from an old worn-out belt.

Notchy Bob

Robby · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2020, 03:47:02 PM »

Mike, I would buy the standard cards and wadding used in these guns and get comfortable with what you have. The time for experimenting will come and you will have a base of knowledge and experience to compare from.
Robby

Bob McBride · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2020, 04:06:32 PM »

Quote from: Robby on January 17, 2020, 03:47:02 PM

Mike, I would buy the standard cards and wadding used in these guns and get comfortable with what you have. The time for experimenting will come and you will have a base of knowledge and experience to compare from.
Robby

Yup, I would too. Easiest to use, then you can make your own and experiment.

Pukka Bundook · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2020, 06:11:28 PM »

I started off as a kid and my first chopped and beaten to death old Henry Nock 15 bore, with rolled up balls of soft brown paper. That combination worked awful well.
Mind, that was 50 years ago now. Nobody bought store-bought accessories back then, only powder and lead.

Majorjoel · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2020, 09:05:50 PM »

I have had good success using the paper made from hornets nests over powder and shot shooting a 50 smoothie small bore.

Just remember that no matter how good your shot patterns work for you that there is the danger of causing fires during dry conditions when using these dry paper products.

Daryl · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2020, 09:23:35 PM »

To simplify, www.trackofthewolf.com has all the wads you will need.
I would suggest, with a gun without a choke, to buy the 1/8" hard card wads and the thin overshot wads - done.
You will likely not need cushion wads, but if want to try those as well for a normal wad column, then by all means.
For round ball, a .018" ticking patch and .595" ball. My mould this size, comes from tanner moulds in the UK. Easy
to order and quick to arrive.
https://www.ballmoulds.com/

hanshi · « **Reply #15 on:** January 18, 2020, 01:12:43 AM »

Quote from: Pukka Bundook on January 17, 2020, 08:41:49 AM

Hanshi,
A mate who used proper wads tried green leaves for clay shooting, and was amazed he shot just as well with them. (Flint musket)
Don't knock it till you've tried it, as they say. :-)

I've been using poison ivy leaves so the shot is more lethal.

My hands are itching!

I have used hornet nest which works well and won't burn. But as long as I have cereal boxes and my wad punch I'm set to go. I patch all round ball.

Mike from OK · « **Reply #16 on:** January 18, 2020, 02:51:58 AM »

Quote from: hanshi on January 18, 2020, 01:12:43 AM

Quote from: Pukka Bundook on January 17, 2020, 08:41:49 AM
Hanshi,
A mate who used proper wads tried green leaves for clay shooting, and was amazed he shot just as well with them. (Flint musket)
Don't knock it till you've tried it, as they say. :-)

I've been using poison ivy leaves so the shot is more lethal.
My hands are itching!

I have used hornet nest which works well and won't burn. But as long as I have cereal boxes and my wad punch I'm set to go. I patch all round ball.

I guess aside from using them as starter pots for the garden, I have another use for empty toilet paper tubes now.

Mike

Mike from OK · « **Reply #17 on:** January 18, 2020, 02:55:43 AM »

Quote from: Daryl on January 17, 2020, 09:23:35 PM

To simplify, www.trackofthewolf.com has all the wads you will need.
I would suggest, with a gun without a choke, to buy the 1/8" hard card wads and the thin overshot wads - done.
You will likely not need cushion wads, but if want to try those as well for a normal wad column, then by all means.
For round ball, a .018" ticking patch and .595" ball. My mould this size, comes from tanner moulds in the UK. Easy
to order and quick to arrive.
https://www.ballmoulds.com/

Thanks Daryl. I was clueless on where to start with round ball.

Mike

Bob McBride · « **Reply #18 on:** January 18, 2020, 03:00:05 AM »

Also for round ball Mike, you can shoot just like for shot. Your charge, 1/8 over powder or two overshot cards, your ball, then an overshot card or tow or a piece of blanket or cut paper or whatever else. The historical record doesn’t really tell us they shot patched rb out of a Smoothbore but I’m sure they did. Most resources tell us they used cards or tow just like for shot. Try it all. It all works. See what you and your gun likes best.

Mike from OK · « **Reply #19 on:** January 20, 2020, 01:07:23 AM »

I checked the bore ID... Looks like it's about .613... Track has round ball molds in .595 and .600... Not sure which size would be a good for starting... May just order both.

Or I may wait till I get the load developed in my .45 Bedford and shoot shot in the smoothbore... One less iron in the fire for a little bit.

Mike

hanshi · « **Reply #20 on:** January 20, 2020, 02:15:47 AM »

Mine has a tight bore for a 20ga and uses a .600" ball and a .012" to .014" patch.

Mike from OK · « **Reply #21 on:** January 20, 2020, 03:51:00 AM »

Instead of ordering multiple molds I just ordered some cast balls... .590, .600, and even some .610's... And a few other "necessities" that go along with a new gun purchase.

I figure the ball size that works best is the size mold I'll order... and the other balls will go in the pot and get cast in the new mold.

Anybody ever melt down shot and use it to cast ball for their smoothbore? ( I realize shot isn't pure lead so I would have to keep it separate from my pure stock )

Mike

alacran · « **Reply #22 on:** January 20, 2020, 05:02:27 PM »

I only use wheel weight lead in my smooth bores. But you would be better of selling your shot to a trap or skeet shooter. The price for shot now a days is exorbitant.

WadePatton · « **Reply #23 on:** January 20, 2020, 08:15:19 PM »

Bare ball is another option for ball shooting and calls for at least a .020" smaller than bore diameter ball. IN case you ever want to try that. I like the utter simplicity of the BB concept, in contrast to the pattern coddling combinations needed for best scatterwork. I'll get me one of them smoothies someday.

Daryl · « **Reply #24 on:** January 20, 2020, 09:48:25 PM »

Around here, a 25 pound bag of shot costs $80.00. That's a bit rich & hard for casting into balls, when we paid $0.50 per pound for absolutely pure, Xray wall lead.
The harder lead is OK in a smoothbore, due to the normally undersized ball. I use a .595" ball in my .618" bore smoothie. If using hard lead, an even smaller ball would be likely needed
for the "tight" patch I use.

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Author Topic: New to smoothbores (Read 4983 times)