Fun with Smoothbores

I used 3M Masking paper as cartridge paper this time, with a .648 ball and a touch of Lanolin gel on the paper around the ball. Also used my new cartridge box, which feels more correct for my percussion 1816 Springfield.

I loaded up 29 cartridges with Olde Eynsford 2f , my "go to" powder and 20 more with OE 1.5f.

29 cartridges went down the pipe and came out , smooth, no issues. No wiping , nothing. Every shot went bang on the first pop. I was putting up softball sized groups at 25 yards with my first 10 shots , fired at another target, groups opened up , pulling shots.....I realized, yeah, 100gr charges were taking a toll on my shoulder and my aim was degrading.

Took a break, popped off 5 from 50 yards and it almost seemed more accurate from 50. I had to walk back to the absolute limit of the little handgun/muzzleloader/.22 pit I was in and shoot from the woods, pretty much. I'd love to have seen myself from the other ranges, just a huge puff of smoke coming out of the woods Last of the Mohicans style

If I were less lazy I could have went to the rifle range and tried 100 yards, but I'm like, I can stay in this spot and shoot or I can drive over to another range and re-set up....nah I'm staying here.

Wiped the bore quick, and fired some of the 1.5f cartridges. They sounded better a deeper, healthier "Boom!" but recoil and accuracy seem the same as 2f. The bore also got very fouled with 1.5f, I feel like I could put 50+ through the pipe with 2f, with 1.5f I made it to about 10 and I could feel "sticky" spots in the bore.

I even tried pouring the powder, dropping the bare ball and using the cartridge as wadding , and the accuracy seemed the same. Also poured in 100 grains of 1.5f with a powder measure , dropped in a ball and used old target paper I found in the trash as wadding, still shot OK at 25.
I saved the 'scrap" 3M paper to use as wadding, too.

I did mess up, my fault, my last shot of the day I wrapped a lead ball in a piece of cartridge paper trying to see if I could "paper patch" it and it got stuck in the bore.....I had to jam the ramrod into a metal target holder to get the ball down. Not doing that again. Thankfully I got it down. Peened up the threads on my ramrod but I can file off the damaged part.

Just run a die over the threads..... If ya dont have one it might be a good idea to get one.... Those metal RR are prone to that sort of thing....

I may also use this as an excuse to get the made in USA hardened steel 1816 rod from Lodgewood and fix the Pedersoli one and keep it as a backup or use it as a range rod for something else.

You had fun. And revealed just how useful a smoothbore is.

Many don't get it at all.

I love it, I think it's more fun, or at least a different level of fun vs. shooting rifled weapons.

Also, for my gun club setup , the rifle range isn't conducive to "set up targets at 100 and start popping rounds" especially if other people are there, and the 25-100 zero range is always in use unless you get lucky.

There are 6 or 7 pistol pits that are maybe 25 yards, some maybe 40 yards, where you are allowed to shoot handguns and muzzleloaders. Shooting rifled muzzleloaders at 25 yards , or even 50 is ok but you invariably want to move out farther. I can shoot my smoothbore for hours at 25 yards and have a lot of fun. Plus I like making and shooting the round ball cartridges.