Makin' "Punkin' Ball" loads in Magtechs w/BP

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I'm gonna try it/them!

Thanks, Rob!

[Delmonico]

OK, did some scougin' through some notes, did some cipherin' on my telly-phone so I didn't have to plug my 1975 model digital calculator in since I don't have a 9 volt battery. (Never throw it away if it works. )

Rond ball out of pure lead, figger the weight by this to come up with grs.  I think I stole this from General Hatcher out of his book.

Diameter in inches³ X 0.5236 X 2873.5  The 0.69 comes out 494 grs. rounded to the nearest gr or 1.13 oz, since it is a 14 gauge ball rather than the 16 gauge I said earlier, sounds right.  Gauge beeing how many pure lead balls of bore dia. you can get per pound.

Buckshot is 115 per pound which makes nine of them 548 grs rounded or 1.24 oz,

A right heavy weight load, no wonder it recoils a bit.   Would be a right nice load for the guy on the right side of the stage coach.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I git ta ride shotgun! 

Slim

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Slim,

Whut size round ball would yer 10ga be throwin'?  I know I kin load up 15 OO buck in 3-1/2" hulls for mine.

DD-DLoS

[Delmonico]

Dick, with a full choke a 10 should be able to shoot a 0.730-0.735 safely, as for weight that comes out 585 grs or 1.33 oz and a true diameter ball comes out 700 gr or 1.6 oz.  Round ball weight adds up fast as they get bigger.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Thanks, Glen!

1.13 oz. - sounds like a wiener!  An ounce, or 1 1/8 oz. of powder (vol.) ought ta do jes fine!  To keep it near the square load formula.

Now, buck'n'ball .... 

[Delmonico]

I think any solid ball loaded should have one dropped in the bore/bores before loading to make shure it will slid through the choke ok.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Ho Slim,

Whut size round ball would yer 10ga be throwin'?  I know I kin load up 15 OO buck in 3-1/2" hulls for mine.

DD-DLoS

Dick, with a full choke a 10 should be able to shoot a 0.730-0.735 safely, as for weight that comes out 585 grs or 1.33 oz and a true diameter ball comes out 700 gr or 1.6 oz.  Round ball weight adds up fast as they get bigger.

I just measured 'em with my electronic calipers. BTW, they are full choke fer geese. They came to .740"-.744". So, Del's recommendation sounds about right.

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

I just checked Lee's website. They have a .690" mould but no .730"-735". 

Slim

[Delmonico]

Sounds about right Slim, the guns for modern loads use about 0,030 constriction for full choke, the older onnes for card wads use about 0.040. 

[Grapeshot]

Many years ago, when I was stationed in Germany, I read in one of the Gun Magazines of an individual who took to shooting pumkin balls out of his shotgun.  He used a round ball that slipped throu the chokes with little to no resistance and then drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the ball, just deep enough to stuff three to six strands of yarn in it.  Yarn was about 8 - 12 inches in length.

When he fired these round balls down range, the yarn acted like the tail of a shuttle cock and kept the ball on track for about 100 yards.  YMMV.

Don't remember much else, except that he stated that the synthetic yarn had a tendency to melt under the heat and pres

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I wouldn't be surprised if that yarn didn't ignite or smolder its' way downrange!  Might be pretty cool to watch!

[litl rooster]

Steelhorse,   I am curious why would you want such a load?

[Silver Creek Slim]

He's goin' deer huntin'. 

Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Hey Roo!  How's the new job?

Steelhorse,   I am curious why would you want such a load?

Well, I covered my reason for workin' up this load somewhat in my original post.  Our SMVS shoots have a "woodswalk" feature added which proved to be lots of fun!  It's a hunting scenario, more than anything.  We have a stream bed that runs along the border of the shooting area.  Targets are set out from 35-80 (and now that we've done one, out to 100 or a bit more) yards and the "hunter" (and group) move along the stream bed.  There are wooden stakes at each "station" and you have from 1 to 3 targets to #a) find, and #b) engage and hit.  Only one shot per target and no timer involved.  When we get this going, the shooters will go in pairs or even singly, so that you DO actually have to FIND the target. 

The reason I want a punkin' ball load fer my shoot-gun?  Just 'cause!  Most used their pistol caliber rifles - I used my Sharps.  It was FUN!!!  I simply want to try different things.  I'll probably use my '66 or '92 most times, but I thought that if I could work up a ball load for my shotgun, it ought to work for 75-100 yards - pretty much like the old Brown Bess and other smoothbore guns (of similar caliber) could do.  Variety is the spice of life! 


And yes, Vaughn - there exists a SLIGHT hunting possibility, now that Indiana has added a pistol-caliber rifle season.  I'm thinkin' 45 Colt BP ...

Part of the membership bennies of this new club INCLUDE a legal hunting area - and a darn nice cabin to stay in, ta boot.  (see SMVS website/range photos, 5th photo down: http://smvsposse.home.insightbb.com/photos.htm)

[Silver Creek Slim]

And yes, Vaughn - there exists a SLIGHT hunting possibility, now that Indiana has added a pistol-caliber rifle season.  I'm thinkin' 45 Colt BP ...

Part of the membership bennies of this new club INCLUDE a legal hunting area - and a darn nice cabin to stay in, ta boot.  (see SMVS website/range photos, 5th photo down: http://smvsposse.home.insightbb.com/photos.htm)

That's great. Ya should try yer punkin loads too. 

Slim

[Delmonico]

One must also remember that with the exception of Elepahnt, Cape Buffalo, Rino and Hippos, a 12 gauge BP douple loaded with round ball was considered one of the best things for work up close on dangerous game.

[litl rooster]

One must also remember that with the exception of Elepahnt, Cape Buffalo, Rino and Hippos, a 12 gauge BP douple loaded with round ball was considered one of the best things for work up close on dangerous game.

  I forgot about the elousive Indiana Rhino's

[Steel Horse Bailey]

An' lions 'n tigers 'n bears - oh my!  Them Indiianner rhino are darn crafty, I tell ya!

[Delmonico]

If'n Dorthy would a had a smooth bore double with ball loads she wouldn't a had to whine about "Lions and tigers and Bears, she would have been ready.