RANGE REPORT: PRBs through Jug Choked .62cal

[roundball]

PRB TESTS THROUGH A JUG CHOKE
Tested PRBs through a .62cal Flint smoothbore barrel that had been Jug Choked to "Imp.Cyl.Plus".
Shot 50yds from a bench, the constant was .015" Oxyoke precut/prelubed patches, Eddie May .600" balls, and the variables were 80 to 100 grns of 2F and 3F.

Best I could get was a 6" group with just the patch and ball...tried various number of Oxyoke wads, and also tried a Circle Fly cushion wad, and just like the other 'Full' choke barrel, the wads always made the PRB group sizes larger...random, flyer type POIs.

But...80grns Goex 3F with with a load of copper #4s is what I've settled on for crows, rabbits, squirrels, etc, and even as poor as a 6" group of PRBs is at 50yds, it'll be half that at 25yds so if I plan a squirrel hunt early one morning, I can load PRB over 80grs and sit for deer for an hour, then pull the ball and load the shot to walk after squirrels...and the reverse for a late afternoon squirrel hunt...3" group at 25-30yds will be fine for a deer if one happened along...get two different types of hunts with the same equipment on the same ML and powder charge.

WAD TESTS WITH "Imp. Cyl. Plus" JUG CHOKE BARREL
The wad tests were to document their effect on shot patterns in this "Imp Cyl Plus" Jug Choked barrel. Results were that a single 1/8" Oxyoke wad give the expected "Imp Cyl Plus" pattern at 30yds, and a full size 1/2" Circle Fly cushion wad tightened the pattern up significantly to that of a full choke pattern at 30yds.

This was the same experience that I'd had with the Full Jug Choked barrel...where a single Oxyoke wad gave the expected Full choke pattern, and a 1/2" cushion wad tightened it up even more giving a tremendous shot concentration out at 40yds on a small Turkey head size target.

 

[Golfswithwolves]

I may have missed this, how do your round ball groups look now compared to before the choke cutting?

 

[roundball]

I may have missed this, how do your round ball groups look now compared to before the choke cutting?

Doubled in size

 

[Croppy Boy]

Doubled in size

I suspect this is true. I had a 12 bore jug choked to full, it shoots good patterns with shot but PRBs are all over the place.

Have you tried PaulV's idea of loading enough wads to cover the length of the jug choke so that the ball has passed the choke before the last wad has entered it ensuring that gasses do not pass over the patch?

 

[roundball]

CB, the best groups were just the patched ball...a variety of wad types and numbers all made the groups worse

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Considered trying something without the patch?

 

[roundball]

Considered trying something without the patch?

No, didn't consider that I guess because its not something I ever do...was just running those PRB tests (after I finished with my shot/wad tests as I was already at the range) because a few folks here had asked about it...and for before & after test purposes, I did it the same way I had done it before having it jug choked.