Shooting Buckshot in a Rifle

[Top Jaw]

This may have been briefly discussed before, but any tips on shooting a buckshot load from a rifled barrel?
Is a hunting pattern possible for squirrels at closer ranges from a 50 cal rifle?  Your thoughts and experiences are welcome.

Top Jaw

[Ole Doc]

 try number six birdshot ... and an overpowder wad.
You will be suprised at the performance
load by volume... equal shot too powder
  have fun.

[steg49]

I wonder if you will get leading on the lands, seem that it could happen as the shot is pushed against them.  you may need to do a real good job of cleaning afterward.  I've also heard that the spin of the riflings causes a doughnut effect with hole in the center, but I've never tried shot in a rifle.  Let us know how it works.

[Ole Doc]

  Puts mee in mind of a fella that took a 36 cva... bored it too smooth 40 and restocked into a mini trade gun
for a 40 smoothie ... real nice lil groups.
 the connection  he tried n was suprised.

[Jeff Peters]

You don't want to shoot shot from a RIFLED barrel, it will not pattern
Shot should only nbe used in a smooth bore

Jeff

[Dphariss]

This may have been briefly discussed before, but any tips on shooting a buckshot load from a rifled barrel?
Is a hunting pattern possible for squirrels at closer ranges from a 50 cal rifle?  Your thoughts and experiences are welcome.

Top Jaw

Find a light load for the 50 and use a ball. Or bark them with a heavier load.

You would be very lucky to hit a squirrel with buckshot for a small bore.
Small shot will pattern to 15+- yards if you keep the powder charge a little light and the shot a little heavy.

Dan

[northmn]

As to shot in a rifled barrel, it does not work well with the modern faster twist rifles but you could be surprised.  When we get to the 1-48 inch twists and slower in a BP rilfe it may not be so pronounced.  Straight rifling has been used in shotguns. Shot could cause leading.  A 50 is a 32 gauge and would likely work with up to about 60 grains of powder/same measure shot.  I would not expect to pick running squirrels out of treetops with it but it might work up close.  Squirrels can be barked but it is as easy to head shoot one.  I tried it once and the squirrel jumped up in the air and called me everything he could think of in squirrel chatter and ran off before I could reload.  I thought the situation so humorous my speed loading was slightly impaired.  You can use toilet paper, paper towels, wasps nest or whatever for wadding. Sounds like you need a fowler.

DP

[Candle Snuffer]

Not to hi-jack this thread, but how do you think shot would work in the stock TC Hawken .54 cal barrel with its 1 in 48 twist and .005 grooved rifling?

Personally I can't think of anything else to use this rifle barrel for.  I've never felt it worthy of round ball accuracy, so playing around with it in this manner might not be a bad idea if you guys with the knowledge of having used shot in a rifled bore feel it's doable?

[Blacksmoke]

  Many years ago I played around with shooting shot from a rifled barrel and found that it tended to "lead" the riling really bad.  Then the light went on---"paper cartridges" and wala!  The only other problem was holding any kind of pattern due to the rifling twist.  So the paper cartridges worked but only for close range grouse or rabbits.       Hugh

[Dphariss]

I tried it in a 54 cal 66 twist pistol and it would pattern good enough to kill grouse to 15 yards or a little more but I was using a lot of shot and less volume of powder.
Since I could head shoot grouse with it, and did, at that distance+- I could not see any reason to actually use it.

Dan

[northmn]

I tried it in a 54 cal 66 twist pistol and it would pattern good enough to kill grouse to 15 yards or a little more but I was using a lot of shot and less volume of powder.
Since I could head shoot grouse with it, and did, at that distance+- I could not see any reason to actually use it.

Dan

Not every one is quite that accurate with a rifle and grouse do not often stand still where I live, however in principle I agree and personally would rather do the same as I would rather not spit out bird shot.  A rifle would give more range than a pistol with shot but it still would be second rate to a smoothbore.  I guess using a rifle in that manner to gather camp meat would be OK.  Rifles really are not made to handle like shotguns.


DP

[northmn]

Another point is that after 40+ years of hunting I have grown disillusioned with small bore shotguns.  While a 28 or 20 gauge may be great for quail, in my neck of the woods I find that my needs are best served with at least 1oz of shot.  A 20 ga handles 1oz pretty OK a 16 ga much better, which is why I own four 16's.  Also I bought my 16 O/U when I was handling shotguns and picked up one that felt lighter than the 20's.  If molds were available at a reasonable cost and I could afford the barrel I would use a 16ga fowler.  I have a 12 bore which works fine.  Rifles are very small bore for shot use and are limited in efficiency even if smooth.  The mighty 58 is a 24 ga.  and really does not handle a heavy shot charge efficiently.  Another thing I have become very disillusioned with is fine shot.  I have shot grouse that have #8 shot in them and have had even poor luck with the recommended 7.5's and use 7's or 6's.  Small bores need fine shot to fill out the patterns. An individual will talk about getting birds or game with fine shot, but after seeing its failures on and off for 40+ years you can keep it.

DP

[Top Jaw]

Northmn

Yes, my intention is an alternative to head shooting a squirel with my .50, as the eyes are getting a little fuzzy.  So I may experiment with the paper-wrapped shot charge.  Any pointers on preparing these to get the best pattern?  And maybe a fiber wad to cushion the charge too.

Top Jaw   

[Dphariss]

Northmn

Yes, my intention is an alternative to head shooting a squirel with my .50, as the eyes are getting a little fuzzy.  So I may experiment with the paper-wrapped shot charge.  Any pointers on preparing these to get the best pattern?  And maybe a fiber wad to cushion the charge too.

Top Jaw   

Put a tang sight on it. Works wonders. "lollipop" style is best for tradition.
I put this one on so I did not have to modify the rifle just make a tang screw.
This also has windage. Just adjust everything so it aligns with the barrel sights and it sharpens them right up.



Dan

[northmn]

Shopping bag paper can work or even newspaper.  You can go different routes.  One is to wrap the paper around a 1/2 inch or 7/16 dowel to from a cup and then tie one end with plain old white string. Some even glue the paper with whitte glue.  Leave a tail to form wadding.  If you want to carry them precharged you can add shot and tie the other end.  Tear off the end or cut it off when you seat the charge and put a over shot wad over the works.  Similar to a paper cartridge the military used for muskets.  They can also be prelubed.  Dan's idea is good for aging eyes and is usable.  I made a peep sight for my percussion out of a 8X32 thumb screw and used a nut to lock it in place.  Got a deer with it.  Drilled a tapped the tang close to the breech for installation.

DP   

[Daryl]

I tried it in a 54 cal 66 twist pistol and it would pattern good enough to kill grouse to 15 yards or a little more but I was using a lot of shot and less volume of powder.
Since I could head shoot grouse with it, and did, at that distance+- I could not see any reason to actually use it.

Dan

I had much the same experience as Dan. I used 80gr. 2F in a .58 with 1oz shot and with appropriate wads and had killing patterns to about 20 yards tops. At that range, head shooting them with round balls was more challenging and rewarding. Any that got hit low with a ball were badly discombobulated - lesson learned, don't shoot low.  I never had a problem with leading in the rifling using #7 1/2 shot.

Due to the limited range of shot in a rifled bore, round ball is almost as easy to hit with, and you're already loaded for moose and deer- whatever shows is meat for the pot.