Tried the .62 caliber Smoothbore today

[cayugad]

I had a chance to try out my new .62 caliber smoothbore Green Mountain Barrel today. I was only shooting 70 grains out of it with a pillow tick patch and a round ball. I was shooting at 25 yards, and these holes, three with 70 grains and three with 80 grains show that rifle shoots low... But for the first six out of the barrel I was happy.

I then tried some other targets at 25 yards. I also loaded 70 grains of Pyrodex RS, over the powder card, fiber card, a 70 grain measure of #4 shot (22 BB's)then an over the shot card. I did not have and shotgun wads yet. I tried some pop cans at 25 yards and some at 35 yards. At 25 yards it would put six pellets in the can. Again, the shotgun was shooting low as indicated by marks in the snow.

Here are my questions.... Would an over the powder card help tighten the roundball pattern or should I just keep playing with the powder charge? Also, would a 20 gauge wad fit in this shotgun? Reason I ask is my friend reloads 20 gauge and I would borrow some...

 

[roundball]

IMO, I'm a firm believer in over powder wads in everything I shoot because of performance benefits like that, so my answer is yes.

Yes, the .62cal is a .20ga...in fact, in literature, you often see it expressed as .62cal/.20ga or .62cal(.20ga).

.20ga wads will work...however, .20ga wads are smaller than the amount of shot you'll want to use...ie: a good .62cal turkey load is 1+5/8oz #6's...but the max .20ga shotgun wad is only 1oz...it's really hard to make comparisons between a modern .20ga shotgun, and a .62cal smoothbore with no choke...really two different animals, two different environments.

The trick in ML smoothbores is to ensure you have enough of a fire wall over the powder to prevent the fire storm from getting through and affecting the wad, be it plastic or paper, and blowing it and the pattern apart.

If you do go plastic, take a razor blade and cut the base of the wad off and discard it so you just have the 'shot cup' part of the shotgun wad left over.

Set your three wonderwads down on the powder, then slide the 'shot cup' into the bore about an inch, pour in your shot, set the 'over shot card' in the bore, and GENTLY seat the wad + shot + OS card down all at once.

I got outstanding tight, long range patterns using paper shot cups made out of "Post-it Notes" to hold 1+5/8oz #6's

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Good shooting I would be happy with that also.You will need some 20 ga. wads to shoot shot,and experment with your round ball shooting.Most gun shops have them.The wonder wads are the easyist you may want to try them too. Rocky /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[cayugad]

Roundball, I read your information about making the paper shot cups. I noticed when I was shooting #4 out of it, there must be a good seal because it was moving the "over the shot card" like a plunger into a tight air proof bottle until I got it seated. I even thought about punching a small pin hole in the card so it would not act like a gasket over the shot but then thought it might effect the barrel pressures.

Thanks for the information on the wad on the charge, I will try the roundballs that way next time. Also I have no small measure to mark out and ounce and a half or an ounce and a eighth. Do you know of a chart where there is a comparison for ounces VS grains. What I mean is, could I set a powder measure at say 70 grains and be somewhat sure I was getting an ounce and say a half of shot? I thought I saw one once but perhaps I was mistaken.

Thanks again for the information. I will get some of the plastic wads like you all suggested and give them a try...

 

[Deadeye]

Re, shooting low. Doesn't that barrel have an ajustable rear sight? For shot, we use a 24 ga. cushion wad, wrapped in a typing paper tube with 1 1/8 oz. shot( you could put more) and sealed. This will be a snug fit in the bore. Put a hard 20 ga.over powder card over powder and push in your tube of wad and shot. Gives good patterns and is easy to carry
a few in your bag. Mark on outside what shot and how much.
I've also recently begun to use a hard card over powder under my patched round ball, seems to be more accurate.

 

[riarcher]

Cayugad,
Think you'll find your Gr. / dr. / oz. conversion just a little bit down on this list;
http://members.aye.net/~bspen/math.html
Glad you're having fun with that thing and the groups don't look bad at all for just starting to work up a load. ::
Enjoy.

 

[cayugad]

Handy shotgun data for the new smooth bore shooter...

BLACK POWDER DRAM TO GRAIN CONVERSION
DRAM MEASURE-------GRAIN EQUIVALENT
2

 

[roundball]

POWDER MEASURE SETTINGS TO THROW OUNCES OF BIRD SHOT:
50 grain setting = 3/4 ounce of shot
60 grain setting = 7/8 ounce of shot
70 grain setting = 1 once of shot
80 grain setting = 1 1/8 ounce of shot
90 grain setting = 1 1/4 ounce of shot
100 grain setting = 1 3/8 ounce of shot
110 grain setting = 1 1/2 ounce of shot
120 grain setting = 1 5/8 ounce of shot

 

WHOOOOOOOAH! You are using #4 BUCK by the sound of it, not #4 shot. 20 to 22 in a 75gr. measure should give you very near 437gr. DO NOT load 135 of those #4 Buck in that .62. it will kick a bit more than you're used to. Mihgt even produce enough pressure to ring the barrel at that deep dovetail. (used to be .28" for #4 buck and a 20guage 2 3/4" magnum load of buck was 28 pellets.) #4 shot is DUCK not BUCK shot.
Daryl

 

[cayugad]

Daryl I believe you are correct... I told them to send me some #4 shot and this is what they sent. Looking at the box now, it says #4 Buckshot. I guess I will have to get some different shot. It was a good stout load with 70 grains of powder and 20 of them pellets. Excellent penetration also to the cans.

Would it hurt to keep shooting the stuff off as long as I do not go over the 20 pellets per charge? It is kind of neat to watch the cans go flying.

I will pick up some #6 shot next time I am in town... I will use Roundball's formula and try those loads. I went to town this afternoon and got three packs of sticky notes, and a wood dowel, so we will start to really have some fun.

Although my .58 caliber will be here tomorrow. Sounds like a good day not to work and just play outdoors ... :haha: (Of course any day is a good day for that)

 

No problem - you could even go to 28 balls as that was loaded in 20 bore shotshells. This will increase the recoil a bit. I would leave the powder charge the same for an initial test as this will shoot closer (tighter patterns) The velocity loss won't be great, if any.
: Hope you enjoy your 'new' gun.
Daryl

 

[cayugad]

Thanks much Daryl. I will just shoot this stuff off. Maybe make it into squirrel loads. That should surprise the snot out of them when they get hit with that....

 

At close range, called-in coyotes or fox would also be worthy game, but aball will handle them better out to about 75yds.
Daryl