Brown Bess Turkey Loads

[shaman]

As you probably all know by now, I have recently purchased a Pedersoli Brown Bess. My goal is to try and take a turkey, a deer and a squirrel all in the same year. It may not be this year, but I'm at least going to try and get a few rounds out of the barrel before Spring Gobbler Season starts.

Pursuant to that, I've acquired some #6 shot, and I'm going to start working up loads for the turkey. I've read Skychief's recipe and figure I'll start with that. My questions are about these loads.

1) What would you all think would be a good working range for this system. I'm thinking I should be able to make a killing shot at 20 yards, but is 30 yards unreasonable?
2) How much lead? I fling 2 OZ of lead at the birds with my Mossberg 500. However, what would y'all suggest as a starting place for this 11 GA cannon? 1.5 OZ? 1.75 OZ?
3) Powder? 80 grains of FF seems to be a decent start, but I'd like your ideas.

 

[Britsmoothy]

90gns+, 3f and 2oz
30yards plus.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

90gns+, 3f and 2oz
30yards plus.

@Britsmoothy takes a LOT of game with smoothbore black powder. His advice has helped me to be MUCH more successful with my tradegun and small game.

I use 80 grains of BP in my 20 gauge trade gun with 1½ ounces of #4. This works for squirrel at 25 yards AND I plan to try Spring Turkey this year with it.

This is not a square load as the saying goes, so you need to know that you must do different powder settings from powder to throwing shot to get the 2 ounce load with 90 grains of powder. A measure set at 90 grains will give you about 1¼ ounce of #6 shot.


CHART: Powder Measure used for Shot

50 grains = ¾ ounce

60 grains = ⅞ ounce

70 grains = 1 ounce

80 grains = 1⅛ ounce

90 grains = 1¼ ounce

100 grains = 1⅜ ounce

110 grains = 1½ ounce

120 grains = 1⅝ ounce

So what I'd suggest is that you make pre-measured shot cartridges. You get a wooden dowel, and make paper cartridge tubes from newspaper. (newspaper is cheap and if you drop a used cartridge tube it breaks down super fast in the environment) The cartridges don't need to fit the bore, and may be smaller or larger than your bore, since you're going to use the Skychief loading method. You pre-measure out 2 ounces of shot by setting your powder measure to 70 grains, and put two measure loads of shot into each paper cartridge. When loading you merely tear open the shot cartridge when needed, pour it down the bore, and follow that with the Skychief wad soaked in lube as per directions.

This then allows you not to worry about changing back and forth between 90 grains and 70 grains X2. It keeps stuff simple, AND it will work even better for rabbit or squirrel hunting, where you will be getting more than one critter for the pot, and it can get hectic.

You should also double check by patterning the load, and you might find that less shot works better, or just as well, so no need to waste shot.

LD

 

[Rock Home Isle]

90gns+, 3f and 2oz
30yards plus.

This is really close to what I use in my Brown Bess Carbine...shot to shot, I'm getting an average of 9 pellets in the kill zone (Head Area) at 40 yrds.

 

[shaman]

This is really close to what I use in my Brown Bess Carbine...shot to shot, I'm getting an average of 9 pellets in the kill zone (Head Area) at 40 yrds.

Yowzah! I know some 12 GA Trap gun that would be hard pressed to do that.

I'll start with the official Britsmoothy/Rock Home Isle-endorsed load with confidence.
Many thanks to both of you.

 

[TreeMan]

This is really close to what I use in my Brown Bess Carbine...shot to shot, I'm getting an average of 9 pellets in the kill zone (Head Area) at 40 yrds.

What is your method of loading and components to do that?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

What is your method of loading and components to do that?

My load was 95 gr ffg, a heavy over powder nitro card, 2 ozs of 6 shot, and a thin over shot card. At 35 to 40 yrds, I’d have to aim over the top of the target by about 5 to 6 inches, and I’d get a range of around 6 to 14 pellets in the head most times. Usually 9 or 10 hits in the kill zone shooting at turkey silhouette targets….stout load.

Embarrassingly simple load.

 

[toot]

As you probably all know by now, I have recently purchased a Pedersoli Brown Bess. My goal is to try and take a turkey, a deer and a squirrel all in the same year. It may not be this year, but I'm at least going to try and get a few rounds out of the barrel before Spring Gobbler Season starts.

Pursuant to that, I've acquired some #6 shot, and I'm going to start working up loads for the turkey. I've read Skychief's recipe and figure I'll start with that. My questions are about these loads.

1) What would you all think would be a good working range for this system. I'm thinking I should be able to make a killing shot at 20 yards, but is 30 yards unreasonable?
2) How much lead? I fling 2 OZ of lead at the birds with my Mossberg 500. However, what would y'all suggest as a starting place for this 11 GA cannon? 1.5 OZ? 1.75 OZ?
3) Powder? 80 grains of FF seems to be a decent start, but I'd like your ideas.

what about a WABBIT?

 

[shaman]

what about a WABBIT?

Shhhhh! Be Veeewy Vewy quiet.

I'd add them to the list, but there aren't many to be had in my neighborhood. The coyotes generally keep them in tight check. Ditto for groundhog.

 

[toot]

how do you shoot a UNIQUE WABBIT? UNIQUE UP ON EM!!