Capt. Jas.
58 Cal.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2005
- Messages
- 3,010
- Reaction score
- 1,265
I have found documention that stated the 1750's Virginia colonial militia and rangers on the frontier preferred "large goose shot" to one round ball projectile for encountering the enemy.
Do you think that their large goose shot would have been like our BB size pellet or a small size modern buckshot?
I have posted this on the smoothbore site as I have a 20 ga. that I want to try to pattern some large shot out of. I found an old bag of "7 1/2 buckshot" which mics out to be .27 which is what we know would class as no. 2 buckshot. What load should I try with this shot in the 20 bore as far as powder, amount of shot, wads, etc? I am not expecting super and realistic hunting patterns out of the 20 but just curious as to what it does.
The source and text is cited below.
From the Executive Journals of the Council of Colonial Va., February 1st, 1757.
"His honor (Governor) was pleased likewise to lay before the board two letters from Colo. Read dated 24th of january (1757) acknowledging in his first the receipt of his Honor's letter by Capt. Voss, and signifying that he has writ to Mr. Calloway in Bedford to know what arms and ammunition he has, that he had not yet received any account from him and was apprehensive of a bad one in regard to the powder and ball from the extravagant use made of it by the several companies, that 100 guns ordered him, he had supplied as directed Colo. Fontaine with 40 , that Captain Hogg in behalf of Stalnaker had 11 so that only 49 remained, that he has 200 which were last sent, about 600 pounds of powder, but few musket balls and no flints. , desires a supply of 1000 pounds of ball, and 1000 flints to be forwarded by Mr. James Deans, merchant in Chesterfield -he believes it will be some time in March before the volunteers can be ready to go out- He thinks every man should have a wallet of oznabrigs to carry his provisions in when they leave their horses at the passes of the mountains, and two pair of mockasheens- that blankets would be wanted and clasp knives, thread for the linen, and woolen bags for transporting the powder when taken from the wagons....-that after the meeting for the choice of officers, he shall instantly send to his Honor for commissions-enclosing the account of the money he received by his Honor's warrant from the treasurer, and how it has been applied, with an estimate of cash wanting to pay the people employed by him to kill and cure the provisions, also to pay the men and officers of Lunenburg who were out on duty till discharged in November, and accounts of the like nature from[url] Bedford..........In[/url] his second letter he desires that a sufficient quanity of large goose-shot may be sent, which is judged preferable to bullets, and proposes as an encouragement to the people in Augusta, Bedford and Halifax who are esteemed the best woodsmen to engage as volunteers in the association that two or three companies of the militia of some of the adjacent counties be sent to garrison the three forts in Augusta during the time the associators shall be out on the expedition......
Do you think that their large goose shot would have been like our BB size pellet or a small size modern buckshot?
I have posted this on the smoothbore site as I have a 20 ga. that I want to try to pattern some large shot out of. I found an old bag of "7 1/2 buckshot" which mics out to be .27 which is what we know would class as no. 2 buckshot. What load should I try with this shot in the 20 bore as far as powder, amount of shot, wads, etc? I am not expecting super and realistic hunting patterns out of the 20 but just curious as to what it does.
The source and text is cited below.
From the Executive Journals of the Council of Colonial Va., February 1st, 1757.
"His honor (Governor) was pleased likewise to lay before the board two letters from Colo. Read dated 24th of january (1757) acknowledging in his first the receipt of his Honor's letter by Capt. Voss, and signifying that he has writ to Mr. Calloway in Bedford to know what arms and ammunition he has, that he had not yet received any account from him and was apprehensive of a bad one in regard to the powder and ball from the extravagant use made of it by the several companies, that 100 guns ordered him, he had supplied as directed Colo. Fontaine with 40 , that Captain Hogg in behalf of Stalnaker had 11 so that only 49 remained, that he has 200 which were last sent, about 600 pounds of powder, but few musket balls and no flints. , desires a supply of 1000 pounds of ball, and 1000 flints to be forwarded by Mr. James Deans, merchant in Chesterfield -he believes it will be some time in March before the volunteers can be ready to go out- He thinks every man should have a wallet of oznabrigs to carry his provisions in when they leave their horses at the passes of the mountains, and two pair of mockasheens- that blankets would be wanted and clasp knives, thread for the linen, and woolen bags for transporting the powder when taken from the wagons....-that after the meeting for the choice of officers, he shall instantly send to his Honor for commissions-enclosing the account of the money he received by his Honor's warrant from the treasurer, and how it has been applied, with an estimate of cash wanting to pay the people employed by him to kill and cure the provisions, also to pay the men and officers of Lunenburg who were out on duty till discharged in November, and accounts of the like nature from[url] Bedford..........In[/url] his second letter he desires that a sufficient quanity of large goose-shot may be sent, which is judged preferable to bullets, and proposes as an encouragement to the people in Augusta, Bedford and Halifax who are esteemed the best woodsmen to engage as volunteers in the association that two or three companies of the militia of some of the adjacent counties be sent to garrison the three forts in Augusta during the time the associators shall be out on the expedition......
Last edited by a moderator:
