Many thanks to Spence's recent posts on paper and tow loads. Shooting shot through my Pedersoli Indian Trade gun has been a success since the start. Shoots dead on where I look (important in shotgun shooting!). Square loads tend to donut when charges/loads get heavy. Lighter square loads are fine. SkyChiefs load with 1 1/8 oz shot is wonderful. However ball loads have been frustrating at best.
I've tried many many different loads of patched balls without repeatable success. I've shot fantastic groups at 85 plus yards but can never duplicate the results. There also seems to be a really wild flier or two or three that would either miss or only wound a deer at 50 to 85 yards. The point of impact with many of the patched RB loads tended to be radically different than point of aim. What's really baffled me was the wild fliers. I've tried nearly every combination of ball size, patch thickness, cushion wad or no wad, etc. It's been a real disappointment.
I've tried a couple of loose ball loads at 50 yards but wasn't happy with the results either. I for the most part gave up on shooting round balls from this smoothbore.
Then the other day I stumbled on on thread here that Spence mentioned he used paper, tow, ball, tow. I asked for more details and he showed pictures. It's here on page two.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/to-patch-or-not-to-patch-ball-in-smoothbore.122494/
So this morning I duplicated his load setup the best I could. I used 80grs ffg DuPont powder, 1" x2" brown paper folded in half, walnut sized ball of sisal fiber 'tow' wiped across a tin of TOW mink oil, .610" bare ball, walnut sized ball of sisal fiber again lubed with mink oil. The group size is larger than I'd like BUT I shot 9 shots all into the same group with NO fliers at 50 yards. Here's the cool thing, the POI is the same as the shot loads at 50 yards. This means one sight picture for ball and shot. I shot a few more groups until it got too hot for comfort. No wild fliers, and poi and group size was repeatable time and time again. I think I can shrink the group size down some by playing with powder charge and ball size. I have .600" and .613" balls to experiment with. As it stands now I have a 50-65 yard smoothbore deer load. As a side note sisal rope fiber is not very flamable. I found sisal 'nests' downrange blackened a bit but no smoldering or flame.
I then tried his method of loading with shot and was pleasantly surprised. Not quite as tight as a SkyChief load but far far better and more even dispersion of shot than any traditional square load using nitro cards and over shot cards I've tried.
I guess moral of the story is, if you are not getting good PRB groups with your smoothbore try using tow and bare ball instead. You might be surprised. I certainly am!
I've tried many many different loads of patched balls without repeatable success. I've shot fantastic groups at 85 plus yards but can never duplicate the results. There also seems to be a really wild flier or two or three that would either miss or only wound a deer at 50 to 85 yards. The point of impact with many of the patched RB loads tended to be radically different than point of aim. What's really baffled me was the wild fliers. I've tried nearly every combination of ball size, patch thickness, cushion wad or no wad, etc. It's been a real disappointment.
I've tried a couple of loose ball loads at 50 yards but wasn't happy with the results either. I for the most part gave up on shooting round balls from this smoothbore.
Then the other day I stumbled on on thread here that Spence mentioned he used paper, tow, ball, tow. I asked for more details and he showed pictures. It's here on page two.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/to-patch-or-not-to-patch-ball-in-smoothbore.122494/
So this morning I duplicated his load setup the best I could. I used 80grs ffg DuPont powder, 1" x2" brown paper folded in half, walnut sized ball of sisal fiber 'tow' wiped across a tin of TOW mink oil, .610" bare ball, walnut sized ball of sisal fiber again lubed with mink oil. The group size is larger than I'd like BUT I shot 9 shots all into the same group with NO fliers at 50 yards. Here's the cool thing, the POI is the same as the shot loads at 50 yards. This means one sight picture for ball and shot. I shot a few more groups until it got too hot for comfort. No wild fliers, and poi and group size was repeatable time and time again. I think I can shrink the group size down some by playing with powder charge and ball size. I have .600" and .613" balls to experiment with. As it stands now I have a 50-65 yard smoothbore deer load. As a side note sisal rope fiber is not very flamable. I found sisal 'nests' downrange blackened a bit but no smoldering or flame.
I then tried his method of loading with shot and was pleasantly surprised. Not quite as tight as a SkyChief load but far far better and more even dispersion of shot than any traditional square load using nitro cards and over shot cards I've tried.
I guess moral of the story is, if you are not getting good PRB groups with your smoothbore try using tow and bare ball instead. You might be surprised. I certainly am!