Buck and Ball

[Dave McNew]

Could anyone enlighten me on the proper loads or at least a starting point for loading a 20 ga. with buck and ball? Powder charge amount, sequence of loadin wads, patching, ball, shot. Thanks, Dave

 

[musketman]

I can get you a starting point for a black powder 20 gauge using shot...
My Lyman black powder loading book states:

1 1/8 oz. load

2 3/4 drams FFg black powder (75 grains)
one Remington POWER PISTON wad. # W29944
1 1/8 oz. load shot
one Alcan thin overshot card

Load the measured powder first
start the wad a couple of inches into the muzzle (shot cup facing up)
Add 1 1/8 oz. shot into the cup
Add overshot card
With ram rod, run wad, shot and overshot card down on top of powder with one stroke of the ram rod.

This load will yeald roughly 1020 fps in a 32 inch barrel...

Did you want to use fiber wads instead of plastic shotcups?

If yes, replace (one Remington POWER PISTON wad. # W29944) with one hard over powder wad (Alcan PGS)
Then One 1/2inch Feltan-Bluestreak Fiber wad.
Then add the measured shot and the thin overshot card.


I do not have a load for buck & ball, sorry

 

[musketman]

I found this on buck and ball loads :

Experiments with buck and ball loads in fowlers and muskets have shown the to be very effective. One example was the different patterns obtained in a 20-gauge flintlock fowler. When loaded with No. 4 buckshot (Eastern, .250 diameter ball), the gun cast a scattered pattern; however, when charged with a .58 cal ball loaded first on the wadding with a charge of buckshot over the ball, the gun shot a uniform pattern at thirty yards.

The pattern rarely exceeded 24 inches in diameter, and the ball would strike within a few inches of the center of the pattern. Used against massed troops or in an ambush in bush or forest, such loads would have been devastating.

About buck & ball loads, I just did a lot of shooting with those and I used the round ball and #4 (.25 caliber) buckshot. In my 20 gauge guns I'd load the patched round ball, getting it started and just below the muzzle, then position 4 buckshot on top, add an over shot wad, and ram it down. Shooting performance was quite good.

 

[tg]

Start with 50-60 gr of your favorite powder then a patched rb of your normal ball load then 4 or 8 .25 buckshot(this size will "layer" nicely) followed by an over shot card to keep buckshot in place.

 

[musketman]

Here are some Civil War BUCK & BALL pictures.
.69 caliber with #3 buck

NOTE: The impressions on the fired .69 caliber round ball from the smaller #3 buck shot. The theory of BUCK & BALL was that if the larger ball missed it's mark, one of the smaller balls still might dispatch the intended target.