MUZZLELOADER Magazine    The Campfire: Main Forum List  Hop To Forum Categories  The Campfire Discussion Forums  Hop To Forums  Firearms    ballistic smoothbore question
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
ballistic smoothbore question
 Login/Join
 
Greenhorn
posted
can someone tell me the difference........if i load 75grs of black and 1 oz of shot in both a 20 ga and a 10 ga. what would be the actual difference in performance? thanks
 
Posts: 27 | Location: southwest pa | Registered: 09 February 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of roundball
posted Hide Post
With everything else equal, the first main difference should be lower velocity in the 10ga.
It's much larger bore / larger bore volume would result in lower pressures.
And as finicky as smoothbores can be I personally couldn't / wouldn't speculate what else might be different.


Flintlock Rifles & Smoothbores
Hunt Like The Settlers
 
Posts: 1867 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 28 January 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
posted Hide Post
I used the logic that in a muzzleloader you could pretty much load whatever load you wanted (within reason), so I dropped in 3 drams of powder and 1-1/4" of shot into a 20 bore. This is a pretty much standard 12 gauge load and the thinking was that the extra shot might compensate for the lack of choke.

After one shot I decided then and there that I will not do that again. That combination was a killer on both ends of the gun, and I'm sure continued use would have killed the gun also.
 
Posts: 332 | Location: South Coast (MS) | Registered: 16 September 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of roundball
posted Hide Post
Kind of surprised to hear that...what you listed seems to be a pretty routine 20ga hunting load among hunters I've talked with...and my turkey load has an even larger shot charge.
Is it possible gun fit or gun weight might enter in your situation?
My 20 is a 38" D-weight barrel in an Early Virginia rifle style architecture, weighs about 8.5 lbs...made several range trips with it doing pattern testing 2-3 dozen shots per trip.
Not trying to be bravado or make a big deal out of that by itself, only trying to say given my experiences I was surprised at your experience.


Flintlock Rifles & Smoothbores
Hunt Like The Settlers
 
Posts: 1867 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 28 January 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
posted Hide Post
i posted the question because i am considering my next build. i have a .54/28ga smoothrifle and a 20ga/62cal with a 24in barrel. from what ive read on these forums few shooters load more than 1 and a quarter to 1 and a half oz of shot even in a 10 ga. my load, as stated, is 1 and a quarter oz of #6 and 75 gr of 3f, with very good patterns at 30 yds. (i rarely hunt waterfowl) so, all that said, do i need a 10ga? i think i have settled on a jim chambers left handed .62 smoothrifle flint, 36 in barrel.
 
Posts: 27 | Location: southwest pa | Registered: 09 February 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of roundball
posted Hide Post
Not an authority on smoothbores.
I do have 28ga & 20ga Early Virginias with my main hobby interest being hunting.
Don't hunt waterfowl either but every year take deer, doves, squirrels, turkey with them, never felt I needed anything bigger.
If I hunted a lot of flushing upland birds and waterfowl I might want a larger bore to throw a pattern for flying game.
But except for the occasional dove hunt, the game I hunt are basically stationary targets and I've found that a little extra shot and long shot string out of the 28 or 20ga actually seems to be beneficial.
Following the old adage: "Load powder, more lead, shoots far, kills dead"...I bump up the shot charge, and back the powder charge down to eliminate any concerns over pressure.
At any rate, that's what I hunt, and what I hunt with...couldn't be more pleased with their results.
PS:
Unless you're married to the idea of a 36" barrel, while I can't explain it, the longer smoothbore barrels seem to pattern better...so you might consider a 38", 40", 42" barrel.
For example, my 42" 28ga barrel throws an incredible pattern for such a modest gauge.
Maybe others can chime in with their longer barrel experiences as well.


Flintlock Rifles & Smoothbores
Hunt Like The Settlers
 
Posts: 1867 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 28 January 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
posted Hide Post
the chambers kit comes with a 42 inch barrel. all my guns so far have 36 in barrels. does the length of your guns make them awkward in heavy brush? i dont take snap shots or shoot at running deer. my 36in barrel havent been a problem. i see this next build as my mystical one gun. irishtoo
 
Posts: 27 | Location: southwest pa | Registered: 09 February 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of roundball
posted Hide Post
I initially had the same questions about transitioning from years of T/C Hawkens with 32" TC and GM barrels in them, to long guns with 38" and 42" barrels...turns out its not a problem at all. (Also have a 42" .50cal).

One thing I came to realize is that I was envisioning all that extra length being out front when walking through the woods, etc...but what I found was given the overall longer length, the balance point for the hand while walking is a little further forward.

This tends to split the overall extra length of the long gun...the butt of the stock is a few inches further out behind, the muzzle is a few inches further out front.

To satisfy myself before making the purchase decision, I temporarily taped a piece of PVC pipe to the front of one of my Hawkens to simulate a 42" barrel, filled it with birdshot for added weight, and went squirrel hunting for a morning...found it was not a problem.




Flintlock Rifles & Smoothbores
Hunt Like The Settlers
 
Posts: 1867 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 28 January 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
posted Hide Post
ill order the kit as is, with the 42 in barrel. if it proves awkward i can always shorten it and rebuild the gun. ill give it a try.
 
Posts: 27 | Location: southwest pa | Registered: 09 February 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of roundball
posted Hide Post
I think what you'll find is that it's just great after all and you won't want to shorten it.
Another yardstick to measure this thought process by is the fact that we don't hear of people buying 42" barrel guns then shortening them because they're too long, etc.

Good luck with your build...I wish I had the time, space, tools, knowhow, skills, and patience to build one myself but after 67 years I know myself...I'll tear down / rebuild a car engine no problem...but fine work with pretty wood is not my thing, LOL


Flintlock Rifles & Smoothbores
Hunt Like The Settlers
 
Posts: 1867 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 28 January 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
posted Hide Post
I wish I had the time, space, tools, knowhow, skills, and patience to build one myself but after 67 years I know myself...I'll tear down / rebuild a car engine no problem...but fine work with pretty wood is not my thing, LOL


X2 Roundball. Tho I'll only be 66 this year:-)
TC
 
Posts: 138 | Location: Cedar Valley, Travis Co., TX | Registered: 24 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Hanshi
posted Hide Post
Well, I like slightly shorter barrels, around 38", and have one that's 36". Still, the only problem I had with my 42" rifle was getting it into the truck. In the woods, no problem.


*Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.*
 
Posts: 3560 | Location: Maine (by way of Georgia then Va.) | Registered: 26 January 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 

MUZZLELOADER Magazine    The Campfire: Main Forum List  Hop To Forum Categories  The Campfire Discussion Forums  Hop To Forums  Firearms    ballistic smoothbore question

2014 Historical Enterprises, LLC