28 gauge double shot load

[garra]

I bought this a few months ago and plan on trying it this weekend. I bought some #9 shot for it to try, what is a good load for target shooting. Our rendezvous next month has some contests where I get to try using birdshot in it. I have wad and over card, just want to get an idea of the powder. Bought a neat vintage shot dispenser, has two setting 1 1/2 oz and 1 1/4 oz, thinking they may be too much for this caliber. The 1 1/2 oz comes out to about 90 my powder measurer. I was thinking of a load about 60-70 area.

thanks all,

gg

 

[Loyalist Dave]

55 - 60 grains of powder, and 3/4 ounce of shot...this would be the equivalent of many of the modern 28 gauge shells today though they are used in slightly choked barrels.

LD

 

[longfowler]

Well that is basically a .56 caliber, and the standard size ball for that in a rifle would weigh 265 grains. that is approximately about .6 of an ounce, or a little bit less than 5/8 oz. Thompson center loading data for the .56 smoothbore rifle states 7/8 oz. is max for that gun, and their barrels are probably much thicker than yours. So I would stay near the 5/8 as the upper range in that gun.

 

[longfowler]

this may help: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/195339/

 

[garra]

Thanks for adding that chart, I kept that in my muzzle loading information page. What I did initially was match the powder and shot based on volume, which I guess is incorrect. I had seen that formula (for lack of a better word) as what the load should be. It turns out by gns what I had loaded was 365 gn, which is in the neighborhood of between 3/4 and 7/8 oz. I pulled apart my preloaded carriers and redid them to 274 gns of pellets around the 5/8 mark.

Sure glad I asked,

regards,

gg

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use a 28 gauge on rabbits and my load is 55 grain FF and 7/8 ounce shot. I load powder, two 1/4 leather wads ( I get leather free ), and a shot paper cartridge made by rolling three thickness of news print around a 1/2 dowel, tie one end with kite string, fill with shot, twist over and tie shut.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

I agree with 55 to 60 grains and 7/8 oz shot will make a nice load.

Let us know how it shoots.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Bought a neat vintage shot dispenser, has two setting 1 1/2 oz and 1 1/4 oz, thinking they may be too much for this caliber.

This sounds like what is usually termed an "English" measure - a tube with three slots and a spring-loaded rocking lever moving two gates. You can reduce the capacity to this more suitable by inserting something in the tube to take up some of the volume. For my 16ga, I decided to reduce one of these down to 1oz and 1.1/4oz. I cut out a rectangle of file-folder (business cards are about the same thickness) with a length of the distance between the pouch-end slot and the first of the two measuring slots and width to roll up into an almost-complete circle inside the tube. (The width does not have to be enough to form a complete circle necessarily, but has to form enough of a circle that the insert cannot slip past the gates, unless you want to glue or otherwise fix it in place.) With the measuring gate in the near slot, this full length insert initially reduced the charge too much, so I kept shortening the length 'til I got the 1oz charge. The difference between the measuring gate positions is still 1/4oz, so the heavy load is now 1.1/4oz. I hope this is clear enough without pictures.

Regards,
Joel

 

[garra]

Joel,

That is it exactly. Really a neat shot measurer, great condition, I was happy to win the auction. I like your idea of how to fix the measure, the problem would be how to keep it from moving. Cardboard may work, maybe a piece of rubber hose to take up space. I am stuck using the front gate as when I move the front gate to the next position back the spring tension not touching the lever and the front gate doesn't close tight.
Right now I am using old rifle brass to carry premeasured shot loads and that may be OK for the amount I will be shooting pellets.

regards,

gg

 

[Lorne Johnson]

I use 68 grains of FFg under 3/4 ounce of 8.5 shot for most of my target loads, usually 20 gauge and 13 gauge.

3/4 ounce and 2 1/2 drams equivalent is pretty typical in 28 gauge for targets and grouse or woodcock in cartridge 28 gauge guns, and that is where I would start.

60 grs of powder might well pattern better in 28 gauge.

 

[garra]

Joel,

Went out to garage and cut off a bit of 3/8 fuel line. it was too big on OD, split down center and widened gap it until I got good flow, trimmed excess length and it drops about 314 gns each time.

Stays in position really well. Now I have a method to control charges, so I can play with some more hose inserts, easy fix. I was really inconsistent in charges as they were all over the place when I placed each one on a gns scale, have to really give a snap to get the pellets loaded down to the gate consistently..

thanks again for the method,

regards

 

[awebbersr]

28 gauge is a 54 cal ball & patch. :v

 

[BrownBear]

I have a 40+ year history with 28 gauge cartridge guns, zip with muzzleloaders.

BUT, I regularly drop down into the 5/8- ounce 3/4-ounce shot charge range with both 12 gauge and 20 gauge muzzleloaders for closer range shooting.

Here's some insights gleaned from all that: A 5/8-oz shot charge from CYL bores is easily a 20-25 yard load when you've done your pattern work. Get a nice, smooth pattern, then adjust your shot size for the game at hand, considering both game size and penetration needed for killing.

If forced to go to a heavier charge, I always lean toward a little larger shot size, in order to increase the density of the pattern while also adding a little more mass to the pellets for penetration at the extra range you're trying to achieve.

The largest shot I'll use with those light loads (and in my cartridge guns) is #6. If there's one all-around shot size for the 28, it would have to be 7 1/2's in my uses.

I always get better patterns when using a little less powder by volume than shot.

Hardened or plated shot is worth the price of admission for better patterns.

When using a double muzzleloader, don't get too all-fired hurried to get off that second shot. The smoke cloud pretty well obscures straight-away targets, so I'm generally saving the second shot for a follow-up unless the game is crossing.

Now, for the important part.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR 28 GAUGE DOUBLE!!!!! :bow:

 

[bpd303]

Like the old adage says...
Less powder, more lead, shoots far, kills dead.

 

[George]

garra, I shoot an original smooth rifle in 28 gauge, and have good luck out to 25-30 yards on squirrels using 55 gr. FFg Goex and equal volume, ~3/4 oz., #5 shot.

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

Goex has load data on their website, click on muzzleloading shotguns
http://www.goexpowder.com/load-chart.html

 

[Britsmoothy]

Think I used 1oz for this 30yd varmint.

.58" bore.

B.

 

[vulture]

Ok, this is totally off topic but I've got tell this story, the magpie on the fence reminded me of it. For many years I was a field gauger for Chevron here in the oil fields in Northeastern Utah. One day I pulled onto a location and there on the fence that ran around this particular location hung a nice fat prairie dog. He was hooked by one of the barbs on the barb wire fence. I first thought he was dead, but when I unhooked him I found that he was still breathing, with a little working of his chest he finally started to come too. What was of interest what, how did he get up on that fence in the first place, and it was the top wire to boot. There was a whole town of the little boogers in the field next to the location, but still, how does a critter get stuck by his foot, if I remember correctly, on the top wire of a barbed wire fence in the middle of nowhere? Again, sorry to get off topic but your bird brought that back to me, funny little critters.

 

[Zonie]

A bird of pray like a very large hawk could have snagged him and lifted him up to the top wire as he was toting him away.

If he was lucky(?) and got shagged by the fence barb it could have pulled him free from the bird, only to leave him dangling there. :hmm:

I've been known to have bad days like that. :grin:

 

[BrownBear]

I have another theory based on sod poodles on our place in the Southwest. We have an irrigation ditch about 6' wide, too wide to jump when full, yet completely passable when dry. P'dogs apparently don't like to swim. But they solved the water problem at a barbed wire fence spanning the ditch. They climb the wooden post and "rope walk" the wire to the other side. Dunno what was going on in the vicinity of the fence in question, but my bet is the guy was trying a little rope walking of his own.