20 gauge ball

[evan9201]

what size round ball would fit a 20 gauge smoothbore?

thanks

 

[Rebel]

Mic your bore, but either a .595 or .600 should work.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use a inside caliper to measure the bore diameter of your barrel. Its critical to choosing the correct diameter of Round ball for it. If you don't have a caliper, borrow one, or take the barrel to a local machine shop and ask them to measure it for you. Nominally, a 20 gauge barrel should be .615-.620". However, your barrel may be smaller , or larger in diameter. A .620" diameter bore can handle a .600" diameter RB, with a .020" lubed patch. Some guns can do well with a slightly smaller, .018" patch, and others will do just fine with a .015" patch. Mostly, the .015" patch is used during hunts to speed loading time, for a second, finishing shot. It doesn't give quite as good accuracy as the tighter patch will, but its close enough for a follow up shot. With a PRB, these smoothbores are good to from 50-70 yards. If you want to shoot these caliber RBs at longer ranges with accuracy, you need a rifled barrel.

 

Like Paul said you need to mic your bore's inside diameter. They vary alot in my experience. A .595 ball was tight in one I had. It also depends on whether you plan on using a patched ball or bare ball and wadding [more historically correct load]. Some guns like one better than the other. Most folks who use wadding and bare ball like a bore-size ball. With patching, of course, you use a slightly undersize ball. Come to think of it, I need to mic my fusil, hmmmm...

 

[shortbow]

Mike, when using bare ball and wadding, wouldn't bore leading be a concern? Or do you use a hardened ball?

Haven't done it that way yet, so am just wondering.

 

[Leonredbeard]

Shortbow,
You can also pour you powder, ram a hunk of flax tow to within a couple of inches of your powder column, drop your ball onto it and ram the rest of the way. As the ball pushes, the tow wraps the ball much the way a patch does, centering the ball and holding it in place. Some guys shoot very accurately that way. The ball diameter is not as critical that way. Although, I would think that a ball too close to the bore diameter would not be wrapped as well as a smaller one.
volatpluvia

 

[Rod Lassey]

I've been shooting a .570 ball in my 24 guage (.580) Northwest gun. The .001 difference lets the ball slide down easily. I use blanket wads between powder and ball and over the ball--I can document them historically, which is why I've been fooling around with them. Accuracy isn't too bad, I've even suprised myself a couple of times. One thing I found out, I have to use dead soft lead, or accuracy will suffer. Made some balls out of lead that was just slightly hard, and they didn't perform well at all. I suspect the ball obturates to fill the bore when fired, and I need the really soft lead to do that properly. No leading that I've noticed, but I usually lube up the wad between the powder and ball. Makes loading many rounds a breeze-I can shoot all day without cleaning if need be, and cleanup is easier as well.

 

Mike, when using bare ball and wadding, wouldn't bore leading be a concern? Or do you use a hardened ball?

Haven't done it that way yet, so am just wondering.

I have not shot enough bare ball loads to see any problem yet, and have not heard of any. There is no rifling to cut into the ball, but I suppose some lead could scrape off over time--all I know is that this was a common way to do it in the old days...bare shot loads are/were the norm,too, despite the modern use of shot cups...

 

[shortbow]

Thanks for the info Mike. Experimentation shall ensue.

As to shot cups, since I quit drinking, I have no use for them. :rotf:

Seriously, I tried them in BP cartridge shotguns, and found that as the fouling built up, it caused the plastic to extrude onto the bore, causing constriction and a build up of pressures. Also, hellaciously hard to clean. And in addition, since it appears that I am what would be termed a PC Nazi, they shall not see the light of day in my shooting pouch. Nay, never.

 

[evan9201]

im planning on using them with a patch, what size patch should i use for the ball?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Depending on the size of the bore, and size of the ball, you want to use at least a .015" patch, and as much as a .024" patch around the ball, well lubricated with wonderlube, or Moose Snot, of course. The thicker patch holds more lube, and that helps to keep the patch from burning, or gbeing cut by gases. The tighter the patch is, the better the accuracy, and the more efficient the powder burns, leaving less residue.