OP wants to know what your .600 RB load combo works best for accuracy

I see many variations of RB loads to shoot a 62 cal smoothbore. What works best for you to obtain the most accurate shooting?
Thanks in advance
Larry

80 Grains 2F Schuetzen, .600PRB with .015 patch lubed with TOTW Bore Cleaner.

85 grains 3Fg Scheutzen powder, 0.018" cotton (#40 drill cloth) and 1 part water soluble oil to 7 parts water wrapped around a pure lead cast 0.600" ball, 4F pan powder and a very sharp flint in my (Jack Garner probably made by Matt Avance just before the company changed) American fowling gun with a well tuned Siler lock.

Larry (Omaha) said:

I see many variations of RB loads to shoot a 62 cal smoothbore. What works best for you to obtain the most accurate shooting?
Thanks in advance
Larry

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The load I've settled on for my Track of the Wolf fusil de chasse is 2¼ dr. FFg Scheutzen, a thin leather wad, .610" ball, and tow or paper wad, primed with 4fg Goex, powered by a good sharp French flint.

For my Caywood Wilson I use the same 2¼ dr. load, a .015" patch and a .600" ball, same priming, & Tom Fuller English flints.

Two & a quarter drams occupies the same volume as 7/8 oz. of #7 bird shot in case you were wondering.

80 grains 2f, nitro card (1/8 inch thick) .610 ball, overshot card. Shoots to point of aim at 50 yards with a 3 to 4 inch group.

THE ideal load is like the smoothie compared to a woman … ya gotta find out what SHE likes!

But I recommend you use the load development method defined below. As in only 12 shots I was able to terminal a very accurate, low co$t, fantastic target load!

Note one can usually find two more higher powered, heavier charged hunting loads to give you equal accuracy, it is all about finding the node for YOUR gun.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...d-development’-to-find-the-best-group.169960/





FWIW I’ve done this w/ many BP arms and it works slick!

rchas said:

80 grains 2f, nitro card (1/8 inch thick) .610 ball, overshot card. Shoots to point of aim at 50 yards with a 3 to 4 inch group.

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Wow! Good shooting. I'm impressed.

60 gr. 2F , .600 patched round ball , spit patch , .015 cotton patch ...

Cruzatte said:

Wow! Good shooting. I'm impressed

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Thanks, this is off a rest. Sometimes serendipity strikes and you get a really good barrel.

Funny, but I tried the same powder charge with no nitro card and got tighter groups that were a foot low.

60 gr. 2F, .600 ball, .015 ticking and hope. A lot of hope.

595 ball patched with .020 pillow ticking lubed with SPG.

3 to 4 inch groups at 50 yds

We should also include the exact, measured bore dimeter with our loads. So, I guess that I will have to get out my Vernier calipers and start doing some measurements.

Well, my Green River Forge 20ga. NW Trade Gun's bore measures .618" - .619" and can be temperamental. At 25 yd. it can be quite accurate with a patched .597" - .603" patched RB, the latter measurement is from an out of round Lyman mould. Powder charges can be as low as 65gr. FFg, + .014" or 018" pillow ticking patches. My "go to" lube is 1 Ballistol : 6 water. Btw, I had J Tanner cut a bore sized RB mould for me, which I use with OP and OS wads or tow wads fore and aft: It isn't as accurate as the patched RB @ 25 yd. and it needs substantially larger powder charges to get there.

I'm reposting some pics of 25 yd. patched RB results using the Tanner .597" RB (left hand target)and Tanner, Lee Precision (.598"), and Lyman (.600" - .603") RB's. Powder charge was likely 75 -80gr. FFg, but lower charges work well too.

90gn Swiss 2F, bare ball, olive oil soaked patched stuffed over the top.

52 yards

I've gotten good accuracy with several powder charge levels and a .600" lead ball. At 50 yards 60 grains to 75 grains of 3F average 3-shot groups of well under 3" with some groups going as small as 1-3/4". I use a thin patch, around .010" too about .012". Even with my bare-ball load I get palm size (or smaller) groups. The last deer I killed was 75 grains of 3F under a prb. The deer was a large doe running past my stand at a measured 20 yards. The deer went down in it's footprints DRT. My gun's a tight .62 flintlock full stock with front and rear sights.