When I first decided to try shooting roundball from a smoothbore, my 20-gauge Phillips double flintlock, I had no idea how to load them. That was in about 1992, and at that time there were few sources of BP shooting information available, no internet forums to ask questions of or test ideas. You pretty much had to wing it. I had been shooting shot from a couple of percussion doubles for some time, so without giving it much thought I just loaded the balls the same way, just substituting a patched ball for shot and overshot card. I do remember checking the relative weights of balls and shot loads. I loaded powder, 1/8” card, 1/2” cushion wad lubed with Crisco, .600” ball patched with cotton and Wonderlube. I was very surprised and pleased, both barrels shot groups of very near 1 inch at 25 yards from a casual rest.
In the years since those first shots I’ve used that load in my main smoothbore, a 46” barrel 20-gauge flintlock, many times. I’ve shot a lot of other combinations of wadding, both historic and modern, with good success, but that original load has consistently been my most accurate one. That is true from muzzle out to 100 yards and in all three of my 20 gauge smoothbore barrels. The only change I’ve made over the years is the lube, I now use my homemade beeswax-lard lube in place of the Crisco and Wonderlube. If I’m not trying out a historic load, this is still my go-to hunting load after all the years.
Considering why this combination might be my best, I’ve concluded that it does the best job of creating a seal. There’s no such thing as a complete seal, of course, some of the high-pressure gasses alway escape past the wads and patches, but with 1/8” hard card, 1/2” cushion wad and a snuggly-fitting patched ball, the seal on this load has to be pretty good. I think we underestimate the importance of a good seal in our loads. I’ve found that when I use any loose wadding, tow or cedar bark, for instance, accuracy is good but not completely consistent. I suspect that’s because some of the gasses blow through the loose material, more so on some shots than others. If I include a solid barrier over the powder, an overpowder or overshot card or just a folded brown paper wad, velocity/power and recoil increase, and trajectory is more consistent. I think that’s because I’m getting a better, and especially, more consistent seal. Improved consistency is the most important part of that change.
Spence
In the years since those first shots I’ve used that load in my main smoothbore, a 46” barrel 20-gauge flintlock, many times. I’ve shot a lot of other combinations of wadding, both historic and modern, with good success, but that original load has consistently been my most accurate one. That is true from muzzle out to 100 yards and in all three of my 20 gauge smoothbore barrels. The only change I’ve made over the years is the lube, I now use my homemade beeswax-lard lube in place of the Crisco and Wonderlube. If I’m not trying out a historic load, this is still my go-to hunting load after all the years.
Considering why this combination might be my best, I’ve concluded that it does the best job of creating a seal. There’s no such thing as a complete seal, of course, some of the high-pressure gasses alway escape past the wads and patches, but with 1/8” hard card, 1/2” cushion wad and a snuggly-fitting patched ball, the seal on this load has to be pretty good. I think we underestimate the importance of a good seal in our loads. I’ve found that when I use any loose wadding, tow or cedar bark, for instance, accuracy is good but not completely consistent. I suspect that’s because some of the gasses blow through the loose material, more so on some shots than others. If I include a solid barrier over the powder, an overpowder or overshot card or just a folded brown paper wad, velocity/power and recoil increase, and trajectory is more consistent. I think that’s because I’m getting a better, and especially, more consistent seal. Improved consistency is the most important part of that change.
Spence
