Smootbore round ball loads

[Brokennock]

Jack will make a smooth rifle, but I'm not sure they existed.

What?
Not sure what existed?
All the guns in countless period advertising described as smoothrifles?

 

[Brokennock]

Lots of smooth-bore arms going back centuries. They are NOT rifles.

Then why are they described as such in period advertising?

Once one puts a rifle architecture stock and front and rear rifle type sights, in combination with a rifle profile barrel that happens to be smooth inside,,,, it certainly isn't a shotgun or fowling piece anymore.

 

[wattlebuster]

I get my best groups with ball or best patterns with shot by using Fg powder in my 12 ga smooth rifles. The ball load is 100 gr of Fg pushing a beargreased thick pillowtick patched 690 self cast ball. I get fist sized groups to about 60 yds which is farther than 99% of my shots in the thickets around home

 

[Bushfire]

I get my best groups with ball or best patterns with shot by using Fg powder in my 12 ga smooth rifles. The ball load is 100 gr of Fg pushing a beargreased thick pillowtick patched 690 self cast ball. I get fist sized groups to about 60 yds which is farther than 99% of my shots in the thickets around home

That's exactly what I'm after in terms of accuracy.

That's a beautiful gun too by the way!

 

[hanshi]

That is a very good looking gun, and yes it is quite accurate with your loads. Your gun is special, my .62 smoothbore is a standard gun with a rear sight. It does very well with patched ball and 60 to 75 grains of 3F. At the range I only shoot 3-shot groups with it unlike the 5+ shot groups with rifles. I get groups similar to yours at 50 yards.
Here are two 50 yd. targets, the left one was fired with my bare ball load. The one on the right was fired with my prb load; the same load I used on deer. Bottom photo is with a deer & smoothbore.

 

[bud in pa]

If I could post pictures I would show you a picture of an original Tulle rear sight. I have a book by Kevin Gladyzs and he shows a drawing of a Tulle with a brass rear sight. If you look up Clay Smith's web sight he use to sell them, but has been out of stock for some time. He may still have picture of them. The have a wide v shape almost like when a butterfly brings his wings up. I have seen sight like this used on European double rifles meant for wild boar hunting. If you see a picture of one they are easy to file out of brass, they are made for close fast shooting.

 

[Bushfire]

If I could post pictures I would show you a picture of an original Tulle rear sight. I have a book by Kevin Gladyzs and he shows a drawing of a Tulle with a brass rear sight. If you look up Clay Smith's web sight he use to sell them, but has been out of stock for some time. He may still have picture of them. The have a wide v shape almost like when a butterfly brings his wings up. I have seen sight like this used on European double rifles meant for wild boar hunting. If you see a picture of one they are easy to file out of brass, they are made for close fast shooting.

In the non muzzleloading world we call them express sights. My brother has them on his 9.3x62.

I'm not opposed to a rear sight, I just wouldn't want it affecting my bird shooting.

 

[Coinneach]

Lots of smooth-bore arms going back centuries. They are NOT rifles. Smooth bore guns were often fitted with rear sights. Information from archaeologists' (The Missouri Archaeologist?) publication mentioned that a significant number of the trade guns found have rear sights. The Old Boys wern't dumb, and rear sights helped fill the stew pots. The usual definition of a 'trade gun' for competion forbids rear sights. If you have a rear sight, you get to shoot with the rifles; up to about 75 yard, it doesn't make much difference, but get that ball going as fast as you can! My guess is that only after the ball starts to slow down, the cushion of compressed air it is pushing breaks down, and small irregularities on the ball will catch the air, and cause the ball to stray. Much like a pitched baseball will go straight, then suddenly veer part way to the plate.

That notch would be a rear sight. And, unfortunately, disqualify your gun from most organized smoothie competitions.
You asked about loads. My Brown Bess (of course) was a smoothie. I am a proponent of moderate loads if they work. I used 50 to 70 gr in it. With my 20 ga. fowler I used same loads.
On another forum, a feller wrote that he brings down buffler with his 20 ga., round ball and 90 gr. real bp. Do wat works for you.

Recommending any BP grain measured charge needs a Powder grade with it, ffg ... fff g etc.
Not meant to be a criticism, its just that I take notes on Loads and often try them myself.

 

[Coinneach]

I get my best groups with ball or best patterns with shot by using Fg powder in my 12 ga smooth rifles. The ball load is 100 gr of Fg pushing a beargreased thick pillowtick patched 690 self cast ball. I get fist sized groups to about 60 yds which is farther than 99% of my shots in the thickets around home

An impressive weapon that.