New Smooth Bore!

[cheyenne]

Just got a really nice 20GA from Jackie Brown in today! It's more of a smooth rifle than a fowler as it has the cheek piece and rifle guard, but it's a looker none the less!

46" barrel, plain maple, browned and shoulders like nobody's business! Throw it up and you're right on!

It came into the shop today, and several of my fellow workers, shooters all, but not BP shooters, were impressed with the way it shouldered!

I had contacted Jackie about a smoothbore, and wanted the longer 46", wasn't sure if I wanted a 28 or 20Ga, but Jackie was accomadating and said either would be no problem.....delivery time....TWO WEEKS!!  

Well, though I was a bit skeptical about the delivery time, Jackie proved he is a man of his word!  Can't wait to get it out and work up some shot & prb loads!

I know, where's the pictures.....well the camera is broke....never leave it where a 2 year old can git a'hold of it! I'll try to get some photo's up this week.

So, here's a tip of the hat to Jackie Brown!  

If you have any tips on shot loads, or prb loads, or general smoothbore tips, please send them my way...I have a couple of original percussion smooth bores, but have never fired them, so this is all new to me!

[ghchristian]

How's the finish on your smooth rifle look?

[northmn]

I have seen a variety of loads used in the 20 ga.  Some of them quite interesting.
A "square" load in a 20 ga is about 7/8 ounce.  Original cartridge loads were I believe 5/8.  A black powder smootbore has no case to contain the shot so that mush heavier loads are possible.  Some have gotten turkeys using very heavy shot loads coupled with lighter powder charges.  In a small bore pressures go up with heavy loads.  While you can use about anything for wadding most commercial barrels will take the 20 ga card wads available through several sources, like Grafs, TOW precision Reloading or Ballistic Products.  I like to buy the heavy over powder wads then split off the over shot wads from them.  You really do not need the fiber wads in a BP smoothbore, but they can be useful cut thin to hold lube for heavy shooting.  If you use an overpowder card wad plastic for steel will work.  If you have no shoke you will have to pattern to see what works as donuts are common.  An old rule of thumb for smoothbores was t o use an equal volume of powder and shot, but better patterns seem to occur with less powder.
Some get better accuracy with a round ball with a 590 ball and very thick patching, but a standard is a 600 ball.  70-90 grains of 2f is a pretty standard load, although some will claim 3f is better.  Most smoothies shoot very well at 25 yards, start to go at 50 with about 4 inch groups and may start to limit out for deer hunting at 75 yards.  Lots have luck with wheel weight for alloy for RB.  That about as close to smoothbore 101 as I can get.

DP

[cheyenne]