RE: Range Report: Flintlock smoothbore Dove / Crow load
I have a CVA trapper in 12 gauge. I tried about a thousand combinations of powder,wad and shot. It is a modified choke and I thought that within about thirty yards that it would be a nice turkey and upland gun. No matter what I did though, it shot doughnut patterns, big hole in the middle. No matter what advice I read or heard I just couldnt make the damn thing pattern. I had thinned the stock down and refinished it. I put a pad on it and really had high hopes for that shotgun. Finally in desperation I tried about 80 gr. of 3f and an ox yoke pre-lubed wool wad as both an over powder and over shot wad. Viola, it patterned beautifully at thirty yards and hit hard. Just goes to show you that sometimes the simple loads are the best.