Home Cast .600 ball

[cayugad]

The other day it was raining terrible and I was stuck in the house... bad idea for me. So I went out to the shop and fired up the smelter for casting. I needed to make some .600 diameter ball from my new LEE mold. I also made some .490 ball and some .457 diameter 405 grain (never weighed them) bullets for my sabots.

I took the ball out and shot the .62 smoothie every way you all suggested. I tried it with a tick patch and 85 grains of FFFg Goex. Accuracy out to 35 yards was in a 3" circle. I then tried them with a Nitro Card on top of 85 grains of FFFg Goex with a fiber wad and over the shot card. I tried them spur up and spur down (although I admit with my own home cast there is not much of a spur). Accuracy out to 35 yards was exceptional. I was shooting soda cans as easy with the smoothie as I would with my favorite .22 caliber rifle.

Here is something you experienced smoothie shooters can tell me. When I dropped the powder charge the accuracy went downhill real fast. It seems the higher the charge the better the accuracy. How strong a charge do you think a Green Mountain Barrel could take? I do not want to get the charge too high because the ball is heavy to begin with.

How big a powder charge do you shoot with ball? Is it normal for a smoothie to like a strong charge? I realize that some of you shooting the Bess and the .69 calibers are in a different league, but what kind of charge do you use and if you had a nice broadside shot at a deer, what distance would you feel comfortable to shoot out to with your smoothie?

Your stories and information on this site put this smoothbore bug up my you know what, and I am determined to make this thing work. It seems strange that a patched round ball would be less accurate then a carded round ball... or am I wrong on this point too?

thanks in advance

 

[Stumpkiller]

My .66 seemed to prefer 80 grains. More produced no improvement, and as you noted, less actually fell off. I think part of it is due to a higher trajectory with slower moving balls and the difficulties of judging elevetion without sights.

My rifles, on the other hand, like light loads very much.

 

My 62 likes 70 gr of 2F with a patched ball out to 50 yds I can keep them in a 4" target (benchrest).

 

[No Powder]

Mine likes 60 to 65 grains 2FF .60 ball .015 patch. Mine is not a Green Mountain Ballel. Also be carful when you start shooting shot. To high of a charge will blow the pattern.
No Powder

 

[tg]

I have used 70-90gr of 3f in my .62 guns I think that would be what I consider the upper end for 3f if more umph is needed I would go to higher charges of 2f GM should be able to tell you their recommmended limits on their guns

 

[Flintshooter in Indiana]

I shoot 65grs 3f in my Green Mountain barreled smooth 58. I add an extra 20 for deer and have kilt one out to 70yds with that. .562 ball with .020 pre-cut patch lubed with Lehigh Valley. Wouldn't be afeerd to pop one at 100yds if'n he was a wall hanger and he weren't coming closer. ::

 

Were it mine,. I'd have no problem with up to 140gr. 2F, if the accuracy stayed.
: Due to the very low pressures with 2F compared to the same velocity as lower charges of 3F gives, I'd have no problem with this charge, given PROPER screw-hole depth and shallow dovetails.
: 140gr. 2F will give less than 6,000LUP with that load using a patched ball. Due to the increase of friction using wads, this pressure might be higher than with patched ball.
: For your tests, it appears there is better accuracy with higher charges than with patched ball, and therefore I'd test for accuracy with higher charges. I would NOT increase 3F charges over 80 or 85gr.
: I just taked with Taylor over this and he said to tell you he uses 85gr. 2F in his 10 bore Bess with a .735ball + .030" patch and Mink OIl for hunting and let you decide what you want to use in your gun.
: From that, I'd suggest you use what gives you the best accuracy at 80yds. and not worry about powder charge, within reason, that being 120 to 140gr. max of 2F. I wouldn't try a deer at 100 yds. due to the small kill zone on a deer compared to a moose or elk which could be taken further IF you & your gun are capable.