My first Brown Bess

[bowfish]

I have bought a used bess from a fellow who saw my post on the price jump on the pedersoli. Was wondering what kind of groups you can get at 50 yards with a 2nd model pedersoli bess. Was wanting to use this for turkey hunting also. Can not wait to shot it I have been wanting one for a long time. Just not for sure where to start on the loads for her any help for a round ball load for deer 50 yards is max and for turkey 30 yards is my max.And any other tips or tricks a guy should know about the brown bess. :thumbsup:

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. Bowfish,
If you would not mind my asking, who made your Brown Bess?
Best Wishes

 

Brother, that Bessie of yours is a first rate turkey killer, I garauntee. 80gr of FFG, ounce and a half of #6, and you're talking meat on the table. They're great for anything, really...small game, upland birds, wabbits. And for deer, yeah, I would definitely take a deer at 50 yards with a Bess. All it takes is practice.

Say, you're from Illinois, you ought to come out to the Rondy in October and put that Bess to some good use! Get in on the pheasant shoot and the squirrel hunt, make some meat! And who knows, maybe you'll even win one of the deer hunts...we'll find out how well that Bessie works!

Bess is a good choice, but not terribly economical on powder and lead, as you'll find out. Still a lot of fun, though. As far as tricks go, just remember to keep your head up and point, not aim; you'll have a lot more success, I think. Put it on the bench and SIGHT IT IN! Figure out where your "rear sight" is (I start by lining up on the tang bolt, fire three rounds, and go from there).

 

[Rat]

Been playing with a Brown Bess carbine for 'bout three years now, here's what I know.

With a .735" ball in my .750" bore, loaded sprue down, a .010 patch, and a wonder wad over 110 grains of ffg Swiss, I can get 3" groups at 50 yards on a good day. Also on a good day, I can keep all my shots on a paper plate at about 70 yards. I have a rear sight on mine, and a fine copper blade sight up front. On my worst day I can certainly drop a deer, black bear or Elk at 50 yards.

That's a tight combination and it's good for about three-four shots before wiping the bore. I kind of think a .725-.730" ball with .018" patch would be more ideal. Oh yeah lube is Wonder Lube 1000+.

My Pedersoli Bess shoots shot loads great...Turkey killing patterns out to 30 yards no problem. I do use plastic shot cups with a paper wrap though...a self-contained shot cartridge. Load my Turk loads over the same 110 grains of swiss, and my grouse loads over 100 grains of fg Goex.

Have fun. The sun never sets on Bloody Bess.

Rat

 

[bowfish]

The bess is a pedersoli . Rat I want one of the short trade gun style. But this come up at such a sweet deal I could not say no. I have thought about makeing it a trade gun myself with the help of a local gun builder but I do not know if I would have the heart to cut her down. I wonder if the short barrel would be better for round ball over the full length. Or how the turkey loads would be from both barrels. What did you use for your rear sight on bloody bess rat? And Buff tell me more about that rondy you go to. :redthumb:

 

[mike alexandre]

I've had my Ped Bess for 3 years now and have used her for re enactment mainly. I taught myself to stop flinching over the winter and I'm now grouping within 8 inches at 50 yards. I'm using 90g of proof house with a 020 patch and a .720 ball. Lube is moose snot and I dont clean between shots. We had to spill bore the barrel as it was waisted when I first got it. You dont need sights on a Bess, just look down the top of the barrel like you would a shotgun. The bayonette lug may be off set so be carefull about using it as a front sight.

 

[Rat]

If you want a shorter musket I would not feel too bad about cutting a replica down, especially if the job was well done.

If you do, I'd go 35" instead of the 30 or 31" of the carbines. Mine is just a tiny-hair-teeny-tiny-itty-bitty bit butt heavy, and a teeny bit muzzle light, with the 31" barrel. To balence it when carrying, my hand is right up against the lock. 35" would still be a short gun, but I believe it would have perfect balence.

If I had it to do over, that's what I would do, start with a full length Bess and take her down to 35", or 34" at the very shortest.

Barrel length will make no difference how the gun shoots with ball or shot. A little more muzzle velocity with a longer barrel, but no measureable difference in accuracy due to the longer sight radius. In other words neither short or long barrel would be "better" for ball or shot.

I used a full buckhorn rear sight, patterned after an original Hawken sight, from TOW. Just had to round the bottome of it to match my round barrel. Easy to do with a half-round file.

Then I cut a notch/slot in the bayonet lug, and silver soldered a blade into it that I made from a copper penny. It all looks very much at home on the musket, not unusual or out of place looking at all.

I love my Bess carbine, and 'till death do us part, but again I think 34-35" is actually the PERFECT carbine length for a Brown Bess Carbine.

Rat

 

[big bore 75]

Well lets see I have two bess's a regular long land and a bess idian gun both are pedersoli's the long one likes 90 grains of 3fg and a 715 rapine bag mould and woderlube 25diam patch, the short pain in the foot only functions well with a lyman 715 and wonder lube rubbed in 20 diam pillow tickin the long one does excellent 5 shotsinto a pie plate, and the pain isstill in the works seems so like a heathy dose of 90 grains of 2f goex, believe some of the problem can be solved a change in flash hole it is way too big i'm burning a bunch before it heads out the muzzle.
kevin

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

FYI, Loyalist Arms has a "ranger model" Bess with a 36" barrel. Looks pretty good, anybody know who makes them?

Thanks
Gene

 

[Rebel]

If it is like the rest of theirs it is made in India. Their Sea Service musket comes with a 36" barrel if i recall right.

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

Thanks, Rebel. I think I would be concerned about the quality, if they are the same as the knives I've seen from over there.

 

[Rebel]

Yea, from what i have heard and read, it is kind of a manure shoot when it comes to the India guns. I hav e afriend that has one of Loyalist Arms 1740's carbines in .62cal/.20ga. and he loves it. It is a real nice looking gun, and appears to be well built. He has fired it with no problems, so i guess some of them are ok. Might just be the Bess's that they have problems with.

 

[Honeyman]

If you want a shorter musket I would not feel too bad about cutting a replica down, especially if the job was well done.

Rat, can you or ayone else give me any tips on cutting one of these down?

 

[Rat]

Not I...would have to have it in my hot little paws.

One other thing though, I'd cut it so the wood and nose cap were closer to the muzzle, than with the stock Brown Bess, I think it would look better.

At any rate, you probably want some help from someone who has done it before, or knows how to stock a full stock muzzle loader.

Rat

 

[JackAubrey]

Hello Bowfish,I have a Pedersoli BrownBess aswell.I cast .735 ball from a lyman mould.My methods and results are quite similiar to rat's, save I don'tuse plastic,I use paper.I have a full length Bess.If HRM King George the third had wished me to shoulder a shorter musket he would have issued such.But that's just my opinion! :winking:You may use the bayonet lug as an aiming aid,if you will,remembering your eye is the rear[url] sight.In[/url] order to maintain consistancy from one shot to the next,I borrowed the idea of an anchor point from archery.Having shouldered the musket comfortably and obtained the "sight picture" I was pleased with,I marked the spot were the corner of my mouth met the stock.I drilled a small hole( smaller than the diameter the tacks' shaft)and having dipped the tacks' shaft in gorilla glue, gently tapped a brass tack into the stock.Now I have an anchor point.Congradulations on adopting Bess,you won't be sorry.Jack