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roundball in smoothe.

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Pioneer flinter

40 Cal.
Joined
Jan 26, 2012
Messages
192
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Hey fellas has anyone tried shooting a .570 roundball patched with pillow ticking out of there .62? How well did it perform?
 
I use .57's when I roll live paper cartridges for .62...accuracy is pretty good out to 40/50 yrds.
 
I usea .570" in my 20 -bore matchlock.
Used a felt 20 bore wad, greased one end, then a patched ball. Got a muley with it at past 75 yards. Shot like a rifle. Deer tallow on the patch, so it was stiff enough to hold the ball square in the barrel.
Colerain barrel on that one.

All the best,
Richard.
 
Almost but a .565" ball in a .62 bore with .018 pillowtick patch. It loads effortlessly and shoots good enough for the kind of shooting we do.
 
I use .590 and/or .600 prb in my Jackie Brown 20 ga. fowler. Barrels may vary. It shoots better than I do. BTW, with no rifling you can use any old scrap lead you want in it, need not be soft. Save yer soft stuff for the rifles.
 
I've also used both .590" and .600" and a few WW .606" ball. The WW ball I load without a patch, tough to seat with a patch. The other two are patched but can thumb start with .015" patch. The .590" ball seems to work okay with a double patch or something like denim .024".
 
Try a .60 ball with a .010 spit patch. All the patching has to do is keep the ball from rattling as it goes down the barrel and act as a gas check. You should be able to start it with just your thumb. If you are using a short starter the load is too tight.
 
.590 prb in front of 80gr's 2ff in my .62 smoothie went clean through this Buff at 70 yd's

Buffalo1.JPG
 
Congrats on the successful buff hunt.
And, a very informative post from first hand experience. Your load is relatively moderate but obviously did a number on a big tough animal. The earth shaking loads some guys ask about are not necessary. :thumbsup:
 
Pop shot his (roughly same size) with a Investarm Hawkin .58 conical (about 600gr) and we found the slug on the opposite shoulder bulging under the skin! NO NEED for horrible recoil loads. Buffalo go don so will anything else living hereabouts!

Congrats
 
Interesting choice of metal. I still have a couple hundred pounds of WWs that I acquired way back in the '70s. They are they real deal unlike what's used today. I use to cast bullets for handguns and they also cast up moderately hard ball for my smoothbore. The .606" WW ball is larger, of course, than the lead ball and about, IIRC, 10 to 15 grains lighter than the lead .600" ball. The .590" WW ball doesn't quite get up to 300 grains.
 
Interesting choice of metal.

More a matter of circumstance than choice. I was given a large amount of parts for model train kits, ca. WWII. They were of this metal. I tried finding a train enthusiast but no takers. Value was nil so they ended up in a melting pot (not the same one I use for soft lead). Got a bunch of bright shiny .600" balls for my smoothie. :grin:
 
I have been shooting a double barrel 12 ga with .690 balls. I attached rifle sights to it a few days ago and shot it bench rest today. I was truly surprised with how it shot. 2 shots each barrel for 4 balls and the group was less than 2 inches at 25 yards. I was using 70 gr. alliant MZ, patch that was easy to load and a fiber wad over powder. I have been curious about round ball in a front loader for quite a few years. i might be wrong bit i think many white settlers opps i meant European settlers to Africa and India used smooth bore for hunting and protection from dangerous game. I am pretty sure this thumper would trun the charge from a lion or tiger. I put the sights on with accu gel as it can be removed with dry ice drilling and tapping was something I didn't want to change the gun permanently. The front and rear sight from a Remington m-700 fit perfectly. i am going to try it next at 50 yards, probably will add a few grains powder and i am sure the group will open up and might be unusable at that range.
 
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