Slight Relapse

[higene]

I can quit this any time I want- Really! I didn't buy this gun I just traded a shiny gun for a rusty one?? I call this a modern colonial with a Kentucky accent. What say you?

I got this rusty old thing checked out and it goes off real well.

I'm having a little trouble patterning it.

I have been trying 7/8 oz BP and 7/8 oz of 6 & 8 - with and without plastic shot cups.

Any suggestions?

 

[arcticap]

It looks nice and well made!
And it also looks like it has a smaller bore. Is it a 28 gauge?*

IMO 7/8's of an ounce (60 grains) is a small shot load.
I'm not afraid to load up my light weight 28 gauge with 80 - 100 grain loads of powder and shot, a little less powder than shot.

Having some kind of front and/or rear sights to serve as a sighting reference also helps.
Start out at the short range of maybe 15 - 20 yards and gradually work the load up to 80 grains anyway (1 1/8 ozs.) before moving the target farther out to 25 - 30 yards.
The target can't be moved too far away without having a choked barrel and larger shot loads if an effective pattern is desired.
Loading extra shot is always more better in my book even if it overfills the plastic shot cup/wad when loaded. I place a wad behind it anyway.

*If it's a .410 then load less than my .28 ga. loads.

 

[higene]

Fowler

It is a 20 gauge. I have been looking for a hunting BP shotgun for some time and think that I have finally found it. The only markings on the gun when I got it were " J. Brown" on the right side and "ETH" on the left side. I suspect that it is a Jackie Brown gun. I plan to contact him and find out if that is true.

Thanks for helping with the loads. I will let you know how they work.

Higene

 

[arcticap]

I do load my 28 gauge like a modern 20 gauge, and I think that 20's can be loaded up like a modern 12 gauge.
That's because fowlers are not usually choked and their patterns are often looser.
80 - 90 grains of powder and 100 - 110 grains of shot would be a pretty solid load for a 20 gauge. Then adjust it as needed.

POWDER MEASURE SETTINGS TO
MEASURE OUT 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

 

[rio nueces]

There's not too many modern guns I would not trade to have that smoothbore.
it's a beauty.

 

[higene]

JBrown Fowler

Jackie Brown is an interesting person. He has been making Flintlocks for years - Way before the current resurgance of BP repros. He has always made basic guns at reasonable prices. From the ones I have seen they are mostly long barreled flintlocks with beautiful stocks. One statement he made was that he believes that he would rather see someone have three $700 guns than one $2100 gun. I have seen his guns sell for $600 - 800 on the web. He quit taking orders for guns but does have guns for sale. Since he retired (2008-2009) the price is starting to creep up but they are still available pretty reasonably. Enter "Jackie Brown flintlock" in a web browser and check 'em out.



Higene

 

[Noz]

I have found with muzzle loaders and black powder shotgun shells that the powder charge must be reduced somewhat to maintain any sort of a pattern. A minimum of 15-20% below "square load" levels.

I have cut my CAS load to 50% of a "Square Load" under 1 oz of shot. It hits the targets like a 1 x 12.

 

[higene]

Loads

Happy trails! Thank you Articap et al !

I tried a 1 oz shot measure of powder an over powder card, shot cup, 1 1/4 oz of shot, and an over shot card. This combination patterned much better at 50' and 25 yards.

More learning to do but I feel I am on the right path.

 

[higene]

Shooting Balls

For the Forth of July I decided to try shooting some round balls. I ran across a thread that really broke it down and I tried it - I am amazed. I had a great Fourth!

http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html

The two low shots were the first two shots. The next four shots are under 2" outside dimensions. A little over 1 1/4 center to center. The three shot group is 3/4" center to center.

I also shot some patterning.

 

[ElvinWarrior]

I don't see where rifling would improve those groupings much at all. That gun is AMAZING...

WOWSA !!! :ant:::, ::ant:::, ::ant:::, Drool.... )

Great Find !!!

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David, "EW"

 

[higene]

The gun has soul. You can feel it when you hold it and shoot it.



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