shaman
40 Cal
With my 3 lbs of 3F, recently acquired at Friendship, I resolved to get the Brown Bess down to the farm and get some shots off. This was my first time out with 'Bess since early April and the first time at the bench since Chemo. I got tired far too quickly, but I did manage to find out:
1) My .715 balls did about as good as the .69 balls on a deer-sized target at 40 yards. I was not able to get to the .735 balls, but I'm not too worried.
2) I tried the Skychief method with round ball ( olive oil soaked wad) and that seemed to do as good as anything.
3) I also tried the Skychief load with 1 oz of #6 shot. At 25 yards it plastered a cardboard target. No squirrel would have survived.
It will take further shooting to determine the most accurate method, but so far I can say that either .69 ball in a paper cartridge or .715 ball held in a Skychief-like arrangement would take a deer at close range. My first guess is that I will go with the former for the upcoming KY Muzzleloader Season in mid-October. It's got a 300-year track record.
1) My .715 balls did about as good as the .69 balls on a deer-sized target at 40 yards. I was not able to get to the .735 balls, but I'm not too worried.
2) I tried the Skychief method with round ball ( olive oil soaked wad) and that seemed to do as good as anything.
3) I also tried the Skychief load with 1 oz of #6 shot. At 25 yards it plastered a cardboard target. No squirrel would have survived.
It will take further shooting to determine the most accurate method, but so far I can say that either .69 ball in a paper cartridge or .715 ball held in a Skychief-like arrangement would take a deer at close range. My first guess is that I will go with the former for the upcoming KY Muzzleloader Season in mid-October. It's got a 300-year track record.