Shooting Patch & Ball From A 12 ga. Smoothbore

[Axe]

My plan is to compete (?) in the 2018 postal match and try my hand at using the TVM Fowler for the October target. Any suggestions as to patch and ball combinations?
Axe

[Ohio Joe]

Sorry Axe, I don't have any info for you as I'm just a Rookie 24 ga. (.58 cal) Smoothbore user myself with the NWTG I bought from Rollingb at Rendezvous this past Summer.  However, I expect it won't be long before you get an answer to your question.   

[Ironhand]

It's a case of shoot and try finding a ball load for a smoothy. I usually end up using a patched ball but my tradegun likes a naked ball with a normal wad column.

Despite some advice to the contrary, I have always found that the best groups are with balls near bore diameter.

IronHand

[rollingb]

My plan is to compete (?) in the 2018 postal match and try my hand at using the TVM Fowler for the October target. Any suggestions as to patch and ball combinations?
Axe

There are lots of combinations of various loads and loading methods you can try in your smoothbore to see what shoots best.
One must always remember,.... that every barrel is an animal of it's own and what works best in one barrel may (or may not) work as well in an identical barrel.
That being as it may, it might take a while to find the ideal load for your particular barrel.

Some smoothbores like a patched ball load, while others may shoot more accurately with wadding and a bare ball. Even the type of "wadding" varies, as some barrels prefer wadding such as wasp nest material or wads made of "tow". Still others may prefer wads cut from felt, or card-board such as milk cartons. Some barrels might even shoot better with a "combination" of the things listed above.

In my personal opinion, a smoothbore will shoot about anything you can stuff down it's bore (reasonably well), which makes it more versatile than rifled bores, but at the expense of "effective range".
Personally,.... I find that I have to burn a lot more powder to find a good load for a smooth bore (with all of it's variables), than powder burnt to find an accurate load in a rifled bore.

As with others here (I'm sure),.... I think half of the fun in finding a good load for a particular smooth bore is the time spent shooting and playing with all the different variables, such as ball size, wads/wadding, and powder charge.

I'm sorry if my ramblin' doesn't exactly answer your question, but anyone working with just one smooth bore has a big advantage over someone (like me) who is looking for the "ideal load" for 5 of these critters and limited time for "fun at the range".

Hopefully others with more "enlightening" info than I have to offer, will share what they know about these interestin' pieces of history and how to get the utmost accuracy out of them,.... although (from the historical research I've done) accuracy didn't seem to be a top priority when usin' smooth bores in the past. 


 

[Axe]

Using a ball with no patch, and loading it similar to turkey hunting i.e. powder, over powder card, felt wad, shot, over shot card. Would substituting a ball for the shot work?

[Ironhand]

Using a ball with no patch, and loading it similar to turkey hunting i.e. powder, over powder card, felt wad, shot, over shot card. Would substituting a ball for the shot work?

That is how I shoot my tradegun. I have also had good luck with using the overpowder and/or cushion wad under a patched ball. That is probably the best combination I have used.

IronHand

[Axe]

Thanks Ironhand....I'll give that a try. Might also try putting towe on top of the ball. I see a fun, challenging day at the range in my future.
Axe

[Bigsmoke]

Years ago, maybe 1990ish, I had a T/C New Englander with both a .50 cal and a 12 ga (cylinder bore) barrel.
I put a simple rear sight on the barrel and shot a .715 ball with a .010 patch and maybe 90 grains of Ffg, IIRC.  Probably used spit for lube.
At 50 yards, 5 shots pretty much obliterated the 9 and 10 ring.  Them 12 bore balls make a pretty good size hole.
Of course, I sold the darn thing.  If I would have had the .54 cal barrel, I might have kept it.  Might, but probably not.  So many rifles have walked in and back out the doors.  Drat, wish I could learn to not sell the darn things.
John

[ross]

I have a 12 ga double and shoot .690rb and blue jean patches. it is by the way not choked.

[AxelP]

I generally shoot a patched roundball out of my smoothie. The patch and ball can be thumb started down the bore but it is relatively snug and not at all loose. I can get a satisfactory group that way out to 50-75 yards. As stated above, each gun is different and so stating exact patch and ball combo is not all that helpful I don't think. Experiment and have fun.

K

[Buzzard]

My huntin buddy; tater, shoots a cva, 12ga sxs, with a 690rb, and a .015 patch, over 90grs. 2fg!!! deer, elk, dead meat!!!

[Winter Hawk]

Drat, wish I could learn to not sell the darn things.

My problem also!  I had a beautiful T-C New Englander 12 ga, it had been professionally built, nicely checkered.  Then one day I decided I had never shot it, I'm not a shotgunner anyway, and I sold it... 

~WH~

[Paulk]

Drat, wish I could learn to not sell the darn things.

My problem also!  I had a beautiful T-C New Englander 12 ga, it had been professionally built, nicely checkered.  Then one day I decided I had never shot it, I'm not a shotgunner anyway, and I sold it... 

~WH~

My TC New Englander with a .54 cal and 12 ga choked barrel was my first muzzleloader and one that I'll never part with.

[Hanshi]

My smoothbore is a .62.  With a lubed patch it gives consistent 3 shot groups of 3" or a little less at 50 yards.  With a .606" WW ball loaded without a patch, the groups are larger but still pie plate size with 5 shots.  The patched load has killed deer previously so is a proven load - 70 grains of 3F.

[Uncle Russ]

Hanshi,  That .62 with that load using WW ball should be a "Drop Dead Right There" load for just about anything it is aimed at.

I have never gotten the accuracy I wanted from own .62 when shooting rb patch, so I have leaned heavily, for years, on my .56 smoothie which I know and trust to be deadly accurate at 50 plus yds.

Someday, when I get myself a really nice roundtoit, I fully intend to do more work on that .62...like starting from scratch and working through the whole process again. However, that takes time, and I have weigh that "time' very carefully, that is if I truly want to re-invent the wheel all over, or be perfectly content with what I have. I suspect we'll just have to wait and see.......

Nice post, thanks for sharing.

Uncle Russ...