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  1. G

    Lyman 36 caliber Revolver

    I have one, it shoots very well. It was used by a target shooter who adjusted the trigger pull and filed a bit off the top bar so the sights were aligned to his sight picture. I also shoot a Dixie Gun Works brass framed Navy Colt that I bought in 1969. My wife has put over a thousand round...
  2. G

    Dimpling A Roundball

    Like most smooth bore techniques, dimpled ball work fine one day and mediocre the next and not at all the next time. The idea has been discussed for decades. Comparing a golf ball to a super-sonic lead ball makes absolutely no sense. The biggest clue to dimpled balls is, if they worked, all...
  3. G

    Smoothbore Rear Sighting Groove

    I filed a groove in the rear tang. Yes it is too close to the eye to use as a rear "site". However if you fill it with bright pink chalk, you can align it with the bottom of the front sight. I got this idea from a fellow who inlet a short piece if ivory into the center of his tang. I have...
  4. G

    long range smoothbore shooting

    I seem to recall the max distance for any round ball regardless of caliber is 600 yards. This would seem reasonable since the effective range of a field cannons is about 1000 yards and they are not shoulder fired. How far you can fling a ball is not related to where it will hit.
  5. G

    Rear sight placement?

    I super glued and taped mine where the flats meet the round barrel at the wedding rings. I did not have a curved base sight or I could have moved up the barrel. Remember even if you are halfway up the 42 inch barrel, you still have a longer sigh radius than many half stocks. At my age, beyond...
  6. G

    Best Smoothbore Gauge?

    It all depends on what and how much you are going to shoot. I use my 20 ga for Turkey and my 28 ga for target. I shoot a lot and 22 balls per pound vs 33 balls per pound makes a big difference. If you are only shooting a couple hundred round a year gauge makes little difference. The 20 ga is...
  7. G

    Shotgun wads

    The lubed wads I buy are soaked in peanut oil. It can be messy. I prefer dry wads and soak them in soapy water when skeet shooting, because the wet wad reduces the fouling. For hunting or just a few shots try the dry wads.
  8. G

    Spanish Moss for wadding

    I though about that on my last trip to FL. Historically wadding was anything that worked, news paper, fur, tow, cork, felt etc. From the few descriptions and the x-ray in Hamilton's book, it looks like enough wadding was poked down the barrel so when tamped down, it was about the same...
  9. G

    17 gage

    I have an old double flint in 14 ga. I like to shoot. Unfortunately the locks are cheap and unreliable, so it usually hangs on the wall. I did shoot some round ball and at 25 yards the group would be best described as Minute of Elephant accuracy. :wink: :wink: Virtually any gauge wads are...
  10. G

    Roughing up Barrel?

    One of the reenactment groups I shoot with like to use a traditional trade gun load. (ca. 1730s) The only load in the historic record that I can find is the standard power/wadding/shot or ball/thin wadding. As you mentioned, it shoots well. Interestingly enough tow, sisal rope fibers...
  11. G

    raising pattern

    Cast off or cast on is a nice touch and if you are like me you think nothing of building a jig to heat and bend the stock. However the majority of the folks I shoot skeet with are very good shots with almost any gun or gauge you hand them. A few have adjustable stocks but most do not and they...
  12. G

    raising pattern

    Cheap and easy, tape a slice of pipe insulating tube or other foam rubber to the top if the stock. Add or remove foam thickness to raise or lower the pattern. When you find the thickness you need, order a nice lace on leather pad or one of those cushy clear plastic stick pads by Brenelli. I...
  13. G

    Roughing up Barrel?

    In his book on Flintlocks, Eric Bye mention that a highly polished bore, was though by some to be detrimental to accuracy; and as stated, others claim the bore should be roughed up a bit. Still others feel it makes no difference. In my experience, I have tried patched ball, wad and patched...
  14. G

    Old CVA dbl bl shotgun kit

    I bought a 12 ga CVA from a fellow who moved up to a a high dollar gun. I have shot hundreds of rounds of muzzleloading skeet out of it. Equal volumes of 1 oz. of shot and 2F black powder a hard card, cushion wad and an over shot wad makes a pleasant 12 ga load for skeet. The locks are so-so...
  15. G

    24 vs 20 gauge smoothbore. need advice

    Yes my twenty gauge is .620 and I use a .600 ball. Since I shoot a lot I switched to a 28 gauge with a .540 bore and a .526 ball. That gives me 33 balls to the pound and is the smallest gauge allowed in the National trade gun competition. However for the newcomer I suggest a twenty gauge...
  16. G

    24 vs 20 gauge smoothbore. need advice

    For that kind of money, I would go with a twenty gauge. It is a popular gauge and components are easily availble. You will get 22 balls to the lb of lead and .600 balls are readily available.
  17. G

    Fowler with wedged barrel instead of pins

    Who built it for whom? Hudson Bay Company for the Native trade, most likely pins. Local maker for local customer; whatever the customer wanted.
  18. G

    Overpowder wad and cork

    Newspaper was worked for generations. Unless you are into competitive shooting, I doubt you will ever notice the difference. Historically, the native population was well served with hair, grass and etc. One can spend a lot of time and effort seeking the perfect pattern, only to be disappointed...
  19. G

    10 Bore Pressures?

    No, no, no, it is a ten bore. The British created it so they can get to name it. :wink:
  20. G

    10 Bore Pressures?

    Do not confuse an English shotgun with an English express rifle. The Brits designed a number of elephant and tiger stoppers for their "men of daring do" in Africa and India. A 10 ga. Shot gun will usually do well with a 100 grain load,(about 4 drams) and an equal volume of shot. You can load...
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