Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons => General Interest => Topic started by: adkmountainken on August 28, 2018, 06:11:39 AM
-
i will be getting a .75 cal soon and was looking for suggestions on loads for small game, turkey and deer. i will be using Goex FF, a .765 cast rb and either #4 or #5 shot. i plan to run bare ball if possible like i do with my .62 using hornets nest over powder and if need be over ball. will go with patched rb if need be. ok any load suggestions?
-
if it's a true .75 smoothie, i'd suggest some testing for a good ball diameter first, and that will depend on whether the ball is naked or wrapped. i think yer mention of a .765 ball was a typo. also, personally, i'd rather wrap a ball in well lubed cloth, which will mean a much smaller ball diameter and a much tighter barrel fit than a naked ball. a well lubed patch allows me consecutive loads without addressing fouling control and offers a better gas check. i use a .590 or .595 ball w/.015 greased patch in a .62 (which, like most .62's is actually .615).
however, to be historically correct and emulate the 18th century fowler (if need be), tow was a favorite for loading ball or shot. cloth was a premium and used for where it counted most - clothing. wasp/bee nesting, leaves, mulch, balled dried grass, leather, paper - all were used for wadding.
as to loading shot, lotta variables that will require testing in yer gun. the basics usually work at least ok - powder load, shot card, lubed shot cushion, shot load, over shot card wad.
lots of good ways to load a smoothie for ball, buck or bird shot. more posts from others will show that .... but what yer gun wants might be diff'rent.
-
My carbine does well with a. 735 ball and 10 thousands patch. 90 gr. FF.
Smoothies can be picky about loads. While my carbine likes a patch my trade gun likes a bare ball over a standard wad column. Try everything then decide.
IronHand
-
Sorry I'm late to the party.
My .75 likes 100 grains of Goex Fg, or 90 grains of Goex FFg. It's a pretty hefty thump, but that's what it takes to stabilize that small planetoid coming out the muzzle. I hope to transition to Old Eynsford soon, but there's quite a bit of Goex I still need to use up. At 90 or 100 grains per shot, it shouldn't take too long. :)
-
Thanks for the info on various hunting loads for the .75 cal. I am just now trying to figure out what my trade gun prefers so all the various suggestions give me a good place to start. It is become obvious that I have some testing to do to figure out what works best for ol' Bodacious.