1760 Using Shot

[RAEDWALD]

Two excerpts from 'The Compleat Sportsman' of Thomas Fairfax Esq.of 1760. Published in London 1760 and shamelessly copied thereafter.

They cover many issues I have seen discussed here but as actually done in the 18th century. I would imagine that Thomas Fairfax learned his practices about 1720 to 1740 as a young man.

 

[tenngun]

A sixteenth century man was charged in court and made to pay for accidentally shooting a ‘handsome Whore’ with her own wheelock pistol, that he was playing with.
Gun safety was recognized early. And so to useing the gun so as to get best prefomance. Two old instructions on shooting from seventeenth and eighteenth century are little different from the stuff we write today.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Two old instructions on shooting from seventeenth and eighteenth century are little different from the stuff we write today.

That's true but I bet you could ask ten men from the seventeenth and eighteenth century how much powder, wad thickness, lube, ball and shot size and all the other questions we ask here and there would be 10 different answer's and each guy would think he had the only correct answer.

 

[tenngun]

And so it goes. No doubt Ugh argued with Goot over ash vs elm for spears 30000 years ago.

 

[Britsmoothy]

And so it goes. No doubt Ugh argued with Goot over ash vs elm for spears 30000 years ago.

Ash everytime

 

[tenngun]

Ash everytime

Well ash is tough and light, elm heavier and you can’t throw it as far. But it’s so much tougher. You get a wooly rhino on the end of your spear you sure do want it to break.
Just a joke, I don’t know if they made spears out of elm.

 

[Rat]

A spear is a thrusting weapon. Only a fool would throw their weapon away. I'm thinking elm...and that's no joke!

 

[tenngun]

Yet most of us play throwing our tommy hawks.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Yet most of us play throwing our tommy hawks.

Yeah, throw your hawk first. Next bodge the wooly rhino with your spear but hold on and enjoy the ride. After about 30 seconds you'll be glad the ash spear breaks!

 

[Rat]

Got a point there. I'm switching back to ash.

 

[Feltwad]

The early lead shot was not complete round most were pear shape with a lead tail and known has pear or swan shot .I do remember some time ago I restored and early flintlock fowling gun this had been left with charge in on drawing this charge the shot was flat lead sheet cut into 1/8 inch square pieces . I wonder what type of pattern that would throw
Feltwad

 

[Britsmoothy]

The early lead shot was not complete round most were pear shape with a lead tail and known has pear or swan shot .I do remember some time ago I restored and early flintlock fowling gun this had been left with charge in on drawing this charge the shot was flat lead sheet cut into 1/8 inch square pieces . I wonder what type of pattern that would throw
Feltwad

It I imagine is quite a lethal shape on game.
Browning in the 90's loaded some ammunition with square shot.
Never tried any.

 

[tenngun]

The early lead shot was not complete round most were pear shape with a lead tail and known has pear or swan shot .I do remember some time ago I restored and early flintlock fowling gun this had been left with charge in on drawing this charge the shot was flat lead sheet cut into 1/8 inch square pieces . I wonder what type of pattern that would throw
Feltwad

Oh no !!! Not the dreaded swan shot discussion again

 

[Feltwad]

Oh no !!! Not the dreaded swan shot discussion again

Sorry I mentioned swan shot
Feltwad

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I found his ration of 1:2 for powder and shot, IF he is using volume, interesting, and wonder when the square load became so well accepted. So if you shot 55 grains of powder, you'd be launching about 1½ ounces of lead shot. I know that Mike Beliveau has tried 2 oz. of shot from his smoothbore.


LD

 

[Britsmoothy]

The square load as I understand it is maximum powder to shot ratio or no more powder volume wise than shot.
Nothing to do with safety but efficiency and practical useage.
I have no issues dumping 2oz in my Bess (except for cost) 1&1/2 in the 12g and 20g and 3/4oz in the 45.
I also have no issue using less shot in the same guns.
Powder wise I use a little less volume wise except for greedy Bessy. She has a large vent and loses some umph from it!

 

[Feltwad]

Volume loads depends a lot on what quarry you intend to shoot and the gun bore size . For the 12 bore the standard volume load is 2.3/4 drms of FFG to 1-1/8 oz of shot for those that use grain measure 1 drm equals 27.5 grains.This load will take game from a pheasant down to a snipe .For a 16 bore 2drms of FFg to 1 oz shot.
For shooting duck and geese from a 12 bore the volume load would increase to 3drms to 1-1/4 oz shot for ducks and 3-1/4 drms to 1-3/8 oz of shot for geese higher loads are better in the next higher bore size such has a 11bore or more so a 10bore . These loads have served me well now for many decades it does not always demands a large load to do the job it too me is a waste of powder and shot .
Feltwad