The "feathered" ball in a smoothbore

[paul harm]

If the Wadlock is so great for patterns, why don't any SCs or trap shooters today use it ? Or is only good for fiber wads. I don't think Hastings would invest a lot of money just for fiber wad shooters. I shoot a lot of modern clay target games and have never heard of straight rifling helping patterns. I think it's just some advertising hype. The reason I say this - what is going to make the wad or shot start to spin in the first place ? Nothing. It doesn't.

 

[paul harm]

It seems to me if someone wanted 7 to 10% more shot in the pattern they'd just go to a tighter choke. About the only time you'd need it is for long range shooting.

 

[JeffG]

For my .54 smoothbore, I use wraps of butcher paper around my shot. Tied off like old fashioned candy, I tear off the muzzle end and ram over a fiber wad, an over shot card over that The more stout the paper, the tighter the choke effect. Newspaper for upland loads. Turkeys loose their heads over it.

On the subject of chewed balls,(or feathered) I have found them only as a way to keep them from rolling out of the barrel. Patched balls or chewed the all seem to group for me around 3-4 inches at 50 yards. Long barrel long sight radius? I seat the ball over a beeswax soaked fiber wad. My thinking is less deformation and obduration in the barrel. The trick is to find a load and stick to it. Trying to push the ball too fast opens up the groups, fast.

 

[Seedy Character]

It seems to me if someone wanted 7 to 10% more shot in the pattern they'd just go to a tighter choke. About the only time you'd need it is for long range shooting.

If you need more pellets in the pattern, you get shells with more pellets with more pellets. Instead 1 oz, get 1 1/8 or 1 1/4, or 1 3/8, 1 1/2, etc.

A tighter choke will put those pellets in a smaller pattern. Choke is defined as a 30" circle at ??? yards. Full is 40 yards, Mod is 35 yards. Imp Cyl is 30 yards. Skeet is 25 yards.

Poly wads can affect dispersion and or deformation of pellets.

Patterning your gun to specific loads is the best way to determine your needs.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I seat the ball over a beeswax soaked fiber wad.

And I thought that I was the only one who did that. I think it works very well. I have found that bee's wax seems to have pretty good lubricating properties in pure form, and does not really require any type of oil or lard. Or course if you need a more pliable "product" for other reasons, then oil/lard/tallow etc. would be required. I also dip the ball end of my paper cartridges (ball and powder) in straight bee's wax. They slide down the bore really nice after multiple shots.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Here's another dead Turk!

 

[Seedy Character]

Big bird!

 

[JeffG]

View attachment 1052944
Here's another dead Turk!

Very nice bird!