I went and did it ......

[cayugad]

It's all the fault of you posters here. I was happy shooting my sidelocks and in lines pounding hole after hole through paper targets and hunting creatures of the fields and woods with them.

Then I had to read about smoothbores. I had to read about how accurate they were and how much fun they are. I had to read how you can hunt both fur and fowl. So I ordered a drop in barrel from Green Mountain in .62 caliber smoothbore 32" in length. I also ordered #10 pounds of #4 shot (turkey hunting), over the powder cards, felt wads, over the shot cards, cleaning jags, and two boxes of .600 ball.

What would be a good starting load for the round ball? I will have to take it out and shoot it the second it gets here. As you might be able to tell, I am a little excited about it. It is in the mail... :: ::

 

[riarcher]

Cayugad! Good for you!
That's about a 20 ga. right?
Standard load for a 20 is usually 2-2 3/4 drams (55-75 gr) with 5/8 -1 oz shot.
However, with all that steel you shouldbe able to do an "express" load (I would think).
I'm sure there are other and better qualified on this than I so I'll leave it to them.
With the RB's, it's probably whatever you hit the best with, anything I'd say would be a quess (and I'd rather not ).
Look forward to hearing of your "pleasures". ::
I'll be ordering my .75 in 2-3 weeks (gotta get momma "softened" up first :no
Enjoy,
Gary

 

[TwoShadows]

Start with about 50 grains of 2F and an ounce of shot. 50 grains of 2F aint a bad starting place for round ball either. For turkey I jack my powder up to 70-80 grains. You will run out of pattern long before you run out of penetration I betcha. Keep in mind that I also shoot longer barrels, so 3F might be worth the experiments. My smoothie barrels range from 41 to 48 inches. I calls the longest one Rachel Belle....Rachel is the daughter of the builder and the Belle comes from MA Bell ( I am an old telephone man).....for years The Bell System's motto was "reach out and touch someone..."

 

[cayugad]

Thanks guys, sounds like good starting points.

 

[roundball]

An outstanding long range turkey load in my Grn. Mt. .62cal smoothbore drop-in flint barrel is:

80grns FFg
3 OxYoke .20ga prelubed OP wads
Paper shot cup
1+5/8 #6's
OS card

29 pellets in a 4" tuna can at 30yds

 

[cayugad]

Well the barrel came today. I am not as impressed as I thought I would be with it. When I was dealing on it they assurred me it was a 32" and it turns out to be 28" in length. Also when I set it in the stock the wedge pin is very loose, so I will go out to the shop and build another one that I can put a slight bend in to see if I can make it a tighter fit. I was wondering, can a person maybe dent the wedge pin slot on the barrel a little to make it fit tighter? This is the first time this has happened to me.

I also learned my .58 caliber is in the mail also. Was mailed out last night and should be here monday. So I have a lot of things to play with this coming week.

I will be trying some of the loads you suggested. If you have any other ideas for the barrel or loads, let me know...

thanks

 

[roundball]

If it was me and I wanted a 32" and got a 28" instead, I'd call them immediately, tell them they screwed up, tell them to send a prepaid UPS pickup label, and send me the correct barrel...once you fire it or start tinkering with that wedge pin tenon, you won't be able to return it.

But yes, I've had a couple barrels that allowed the wedge pin to be a little loose...all I did was lay the barrel upside down on a carpeted bench, and with a hammer & punch just tapped the middle of the tenon so it began to get the slightest "bow" in it...put it back in the stock and see if the wedge pin had tightened up enough...if not, a couple more light taps, etc

 

[cayugad]

I did call them and tell that about the problem... seems Green Mountian only makes the .62 caliber in 28" length now they claim. I do not know if that is true. So they told me I could send it back for a refund, but then I have no barrel for turkey season coming up.

It is posted at the Green Mountain site that the .62 caliber is now 28" the problem is no one told Track of the Wolf. I wonder if this will still hold a tight enough group for turkey hunting? I am sure it would be fine for bunny and squirrel, but I really wanted to hunt turkey with it this year...

 

[buckknife]

Cayugad the brown truck came in eh.Let us know how she comes out, shooten that is ::Might get one for the gpr someday.
Tapen the tenon in a little works good.Them little wedges can be a hard to find if they get away from ya and dont bend too easy neither

Buckknife/propredator

 

[roundball]

Mine is a 28" and it puts 29 #6 pellets in a 4" tuna can at 30 yards (see load above)

 

[musketman]

I did call them and tell that about the problem... seems Green Mountian only makes the .62 caliber in 28" length now they claim.

Since the barrel is 4 inches shorter, it should have cost less, right? :winking:

It is best to bend the tenon and not the pin, with the tenon adjusted, you should be able to use the existing wedge pin...

Are you going to keep it?

 

[cayugad]

musketman yes I am going to keep it... I will bend the tenon like you suggested. I figure put it on a padded surface and just give it a short tap with a punch should be all it needs.

My worry was that it might not have range with the shot pattern but from what the others have said it sounds like it is going to be fine.

Then Monday I get my .58 caliber barrel... this will be a good month. ::

 

[musketman]

On the plus side, a shorter barrel will swing faster than a longer barrel, also there is less weight and less shiney barrel to spook those keen-eyed turkeys...

A longer barrel does not mean a tighter group, it's still a true bore with no choke, the pattern will basicly be thrown the same, be it 28 inches or 32 inches...
(read the post: 7 1/2 Foot Long Shotgun, in this smoothbore section)

I guess you could always weld a 4 inch pipe on the end of your new barrel to being it up to 32 inches, but I apt to use the handyman's secret weapon, DUCT TAPE...

Course, then your ramrod would be 4 inches to short and the game warden would arrest you for fixing a silencer on the barrel... :winking: :haha: :bull:

 

[cayugad]

maybe besides duct taping a chunk of pipe on the end of the barrel, I could duct tape s pencil on the end of the ram rod and be legal... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Or I could just leave it as is and play with it.

All joking aside, I am interested in seeing how well it will shoot round ball. I am going to start it out at 70 grains of FFg and then climb from there. I will use pillow tick as patch and mink oil as lube. It should be an interesting day....

 

[Zonie]

Ahm a thinen that with yer 28 inch barrel, iffen ye wants the same pattern ye would have had iffen ye had got the 32 inch barrel ye will jus hav ta stand about 4 inches closer ta the turkey bird.
Wal, that about does it fer now. Ma head is a hurtin from doin all o that cipherin'. ::

 

good one - but it says it all & it's so true.
Daryl