RB accuracy out of smooth bore

[snapper]

I am always surprised that people are trying different things to get better accuracy out of a smooth bore while shooting a single projectile.

Why not simply shoot shot out of it and get a gun with a rifled barrel to shoot a RB?   A smooth bore is a poor substitute for a rifled barrel ML.

I did not want to hijack the other thread, but I keep wanting to simply post, "try rifling"

Ok, sure you like the challenge or perhaps you can only afford one ML. 

All you smooth bore RB shooters, ENJOY and have fun.   Perhaps someday I just might try it.

Fleener

[john bohan]

I was very surprized when I sighted my 62 cal in. After I was hitting good at 50 yards I tried 100 yards, 2 out of 3 in a 6 inch bull ain't bad, it pounds deer real hard.

[New Fowler]

Depending on the time period one is representing, they are much more historically accurate than rifles. They are also more simple to maintain, more versatile in the field for different kinds of game, a bigger, heavier ball than most rifles, and if you're in heavily wooded areas, there is no disadvantage to the smoothbore. I like rifles as much as the next guy, but to say that smoothbores aren't accurate and are dumb, is silly. They can also be loaded much more rapidly if you care about that

[snapper]

New Fowler:


Never said they were dumb and also never said they were not accurate.   I did say they are not as accurate as a rifled ML.  That is an accurate statement.

I get it if it trips your trigger and you enjoy it!  Live and let live, not trying to tell anyone not to do it.

Fleener

[snapper]

 New Fowler:

Makes sense if you are trying to represent a particular time frame and location.   Since I am not a reenactor, never considered it from that viewpoint, thanks.

I am a shooter that has a collection problem.

Fleener

[New Fowler]

Understood good sir. That, and there is just something cool about carrying a gun in the woods that could handle everything from squirrels to the pot to the largest North American critters. They also tend to be lighter than their big bore counterparts in rifles. I will acknowledge that they are less accurate at distance, but its a coolness factor for me. Smooth bores are definitely not every ones cup of tea. I also like rifles as well, and appreciate what they can do. There is also almost more to tinker with in Smoothbore guns than in rifles, from shot loads to roundballs, theirs a lot to play with lol.

[snapper]

The coolness factor is reason enough.

A buddy once told me that if we all had the same taste in women, we all would be chasing his wife.

I have a 7 bore (.873"), single barrel that I shoot shot out of and a round ball would be over 900 grains I think.   Cant imagine shooting that.....

Killed a bear and a deer with a .73" round ball.  They died within seconds.

Fleener

[alacran]

I can do anything a 44 inch .62 caliber smoothbore can do with a 25inch .61 caliber jaeger rifle and then some.

[whetrock]

I can do anything a 44 inch .62 caliber smoothbore can do with a 25inch .61 caliber jaeger rifle and then some.

Except carry an elegant, long, smoothbore. I'm pretty sure that's one thing none of us can do very well with a jaeger. 

[reddogge]

I just enjoy shooting my NW trade gun I built. I would imagine more round balls were historically shot out of them than shot by Indians but I can't know for sure. I do know it's pretty accurate and fun to shoot.

[bob in the woods]

I am a devoted BP rifle shooter, even competing in the long range [ 1000 yard] matches, however, I am also fascinated with the ways and equipment of those who lived here in the days of Champlain and Frontenac, so when hunting and in the woods in general, you will usually find me with a period type smoothbore in hand.  50 yards is a long shot in my woods, and my 20 bore or 10 bore are more than effective .  Either will keep a ball well in the vital zone of a deer or bear or moose . The 10 bore will stagger a moose or bear and is my preferred hunting gun for these animals.

[Longknife]

Back in the 80's my four-man team won the Fort Chartres wood walk, and we were all shooting smoothbores. They were mostly hit and miss targets. I then started putting on a woods walk for my local club. A lot of the targets I made were cut out of cardboard, life size and painted realistically with scoring areas marked on the back. You could get more points for hitting a vital area. The hole was then taped over and ready for the next team. There was also a "rapid" fire target that was steel and reset itself. The team was required to fire as many shots as possible in a certain amount of time and score points on every hit. This was supposed to mimic an "attack" by and adversary. The smoothbores were an advantage in this type of "woods" warfare and usually won the event.,,,,LK       

[Maven]

Allow me to put in my oar on this.  After reading various comments on SB accuracy, I think accuracy depends on the gun and shooter, e.g., "cheek weld" and steadiness for the latter.  Then too, different guns prefer different load arrangements, i.e., bare ball, patched RB, tow wads, etc.  They also "like" different RB diameters (within the same caliber) and perhaps powder charges as well.  The tight patched RB, while good for rifles, may not be so good (accurate) for SB's.

Years ago, I thought a bore sized RB, .618" in my case, would be especially accurate in my GRF 20ga. NW trade gun.  In short, it needed a hard over powder wad + a greased felt wad + a thin over powder wad to get accuracy approaching that of a smaller (~.600") RB.  Running the .618" between two coarse files enlarged the RB by .001", but didn't improve accuracy at all.  In fact, it made it worse. 

I'm posting two photos below of 25 yd. results (kneeling with my right arm on shooting bench) using a variety of .600" patched RB's and the biggest surprise (photo #2), using a .572" RB (although the Lyman mould is stamped "575") + a ~.028" duck cloth patch.  Pay particular attention to the groupings on the lower part of the target in photo #2.

I hope these results offer some food for thought.

[Pierce]

Hahaha yeah I want to turn my smoothbore into a rifle. It is the one I made with hardware store stuff. I made the whole thing for under $50. So for me its a I cant afford anything else so I have to get creative kind of thing hahaha. But if anyone knows how to rifle a barrel at home please let me know! I want tips!

[Daryl]

Smoothbores can shoot round balls, but like "Maven" says, much depends on the load parameters 'for that gun".
Here's 5 shots at 28 yards, with a 20 bore with a standard IMP CYL choke, shooting - patched round ball. This is
probably a flukey group, but it happened. I don't do as well, standing shooting.



Now, some "other" brench groups.