PDA

View Full Version : 3F smoothbore load



Gordon Bailey
04-10-2008, 08:19 AM
Anybody have experience with a 3F load in a 69 caliber smoothbore. I've been using 70 gr of 2F in my 3 band Potsdam & 1842, but find that load leaves a lot of unburned powder exiting with the ball when used in my wifes Macon conversion having a 30 inch barrel.

Gordon Bailey

MR. GADGET
04-10-2008, 08:50 AM
I use FF all the time in mine 42 and have not tried FFF, you would need to back off the load a little I would think. Also is the ball maybe a little small and maybe just not building the pressure to burn the powder in the gun.
I had that on one of my guns. Was not a smoothbore but the minie would not seal and had a lot of powder flash out the barrel, same with the 42 when I started. I did not run the balls on a file and use the correct lube. They would not seal and had a lot of flash, lots more powder burning out the barrel then it should. Big change now that the ball fits better and good lube.
I hope to get a Macon at nationals looking at the 30" or 34" so maybe I will find out what you are talking about..

S Myers
04-10-2008, 10:06 AM
Gordon-

My 30 inch Macon shoots very well at 25 yards with 42 grains of 2F. No recoil and no unburned powder.

Hope this helps!

Sherry Myers

Lee Hoffecker
04-12-2008, 01:07 AM
I have used 65 gr. FFFg with tin foil covered round balls in the past. I got the information on load prepration from Brooks Dawson a former team member.
I must say that those 70 gr. loads we were shooting last weekend were a bit much.
I did find the web site of Argon Masking and ordered 500 of those .678x1.5 vynil tubes, which are comming from California. The price
including shipping has now risen to nearly $60.00.

Brad4Ky
04-12-2008, 04:06 PM
Mr. Bailey, I have been shooting 68 grains of 3f out of my Whitacre barrel, on my original 42 since I bought it. And the gun has never missed, only I miss. So give it a shot.
Brad Schuler 4th Kentucky Cavalry

Walt Magee
04-14-2008, 07:38 AM
I never had any accuracy at fifty yards until I upped the charge to 70 grains; then I took a Gold at the Nationals.
Walt
PS
I now shoot 70 at both 25 and 50

Chuck Garvey 11311
04-15-2008, 08:39 PM
Hello Brad and Walt,

How far under bore diameter do you go for the ball when shooting 3F powder? Is your preference for 3F Goex or Swiss?

Thanks.

Walt Magee
04-16-2008, 06:07 PM
678

Brad4Ky
04-16-2008, 07:15 PM
Goex, swiss is waste of money for smoothbore, but great for rifle stuff.
Brad Schuler 4th Kentucky Cavalry

macvcallsign
04-16-2008, 09:32 PM
Brad shoots a Lyman 678 ball that he rasps for a slightly snug fit. This usually takes a little practice to perfect the amount of rasping, if it is too heavy it will not go down the bore easily! He files off the sprug with a fine file first.
One of the guys on our team has developed a sprug cutter that really works great. Gave one to each of us on the team to use-makes the ball nice and round.
I have a Pedersoli mold that drops a 682 ball with no sprug which really works nice. We both use Goex 3F and both shoot 68 Grains.
Hope everything works out.

Brad's Dad.

Gordon Bailey
04-17-2008, 10:06 AM
Thanks to all. It really helps to have some benchmarks .

Johnny Hatfield 11984
04-20-2008, 10:33 PM
I'am New with the smooth bore.I have a H&P 42 tried everything from 40 to 70 grains of ff. and found that the gun likes 45 fff. It's great at 25 YD. but still trying to get it to work at 50 Yd. I used a 682 ball :roll:

Phil Spaugy, 3475V
04-21-2008, 07:18 AM
Johnny,

No 42's were converted by H and P.

You have a Harpers Ferry, M1842, with a nice early 1844 date.

I will call you today.

Philo

WV SCROUNGER
05-28-2008, 10:57 PM
As a rule...I will drop the charge down 10% when changing from 2 FF to
3 FFf......

OLD CHIEF
06-01-2008, 09:15 AM
I am lucky enough to have plenty of room to shoot at my home and a shooting bench to test my loads. Which is good since my offhand shooting is erratic at best.
My 24 inch Richmond 42 mod. Shoots best at 25 yards with 50 grains of 3f German powder, but at 50 yards however nothing works for me with this gun.
My Potsdam likes 70 grains of 3f German at 50 yards.
Some of the good smoothbore shooters I know use large charges of 3f Swiss. However I find that heavy of a load to be real hard on my old shoulders.
My advice would be to take the gun somewhere you can shoot it off a rest and work up a load for it like you would a rifle. I would not worry about how much powder was unburned just look for the best group, you will probably have a few unexplained flyers but that seems to be normal in the wonderful world of the smoothbore.

Good Luck
Bill Hicks