Post by spence on May 26, 2020 10:13:18 GMT -7
Working up my post on cleaning with tow got me thinking about my experience using it as wadding for shooting my smoothbores, and I thought any hunters on the forum might be interested to hear that. I’ve fiddled with it quite a bit, so there will be too many photos. All these patterns or groups have been fired several times to prove they are repeatable, the photos are representative examples, not one-offs.
Thomas Page mentioned tow as wadding for shot loads when writing in 1767, so we know they used it that way.
For charges with shot using just tow wadding, I load powder, enough tow to compact to 1/2-inch, shot and then a smaller tow to hold the charge in place.
Flintlock smoothbore, 20 gauge, 70 gr. 2F, equal volume #6 at 20 yards:
Flintlock pistol, 20 gauge, 35 gr. 3F, equal volume #6 shot, 10 yards
I felt pressures might be low using just tow from gasses blowing through the tow, so I tried adding a historically correct folded brown paper wad over powder and then the same tow as usual.
Test for pattern with this combination, using a 20 gauge flintlock double, 70 gr. 2F, equal volume #6 shot, 25 yards:
Test with the same gun, 70 gr. 2F, 1 oz. #5 shot at 25 yards for penetration:
There is also evidence that tow was used for both buckshot and ball loads. The requirements for Massachusetts militia in 1775: “...A Hundred Buck Shot/ A Jack Knife & Tow for Wadding/ Six flints/ one Pound of Powder/ forty Leaden Balls fitted to the Gun…”
Flintlock smoothbore 20 gauge, test with ball, loaded 85 gr. 3F, paper wad, tow, bare .600” ball, tow, at 25 yards:
Flintlock smoothbore 20 gauge, 80 gr. 3F, brown paper, tow, patched .600” ball, 50 yards:
Flintlock smoothbore 20 gauge, test with buck and ball. Loaded 70 gr. 2F, tow, 3 swan shot, bare .600 ball, tow, 20 yards:
Flintlock smoothbore, 20 gauge, test of buckshot load. Loaded 70 gr. 2F, tow, 12 swan shot, tow, 20 yards:
Tow was amazingly versatile material for the hunter in the day, and works as well as any modern components for me in my shooting.
Spence
Thomas Page mentioned tow as wadding for shot loads when writing in 1767, so we know they used it that way.
For charges with shot using just tow wadding, I load powder, enough tow to compact to 1/2-inch, shot and then a smaller tow to hold the charge in place.
Flintlock smoothbore, 20 gauge, 70 gr. 2F, equal volume #6 at 20 yards:
Flintlock pistol, 20 gauge, 35 gr. 3F, equal volume #6 shot, 10 yards
I felt pressures might be low using just tow from gasses blowing through the tow, so I tried adding a historically correct folded brown paper wad over powder and then the same tow as usual.
Test for pattern with this combination, using a 20 gauge flintlock double, 70 gr. 2F, equal volume #6 shot, 25 yards:
Test with the same gun, 70 gr. 2F, 1 oz. #5 shot at 25 yards for penetration:
There is also evidence that tow was used for both buckshot and ball loads. The requirements for Massachusetts militia in 1775: “...A Hundred Buck Shot/ A Jack Knife & Tow for Wadding/ Six flints/ one Pound of Powder/ forty Leaden Balls fitted to the Gun…”
Flintlock smoothbore 20 gauge, test with ball, loaded 85 gr. 3F, paper wad, tow, bare .600” ball, tow, at 25 yards:
Flintlock smoothbore 20 gauge, 80 gr. 3F, brown paper, tow, patched .600” ball, 50 yards:
Flintlock smoothbore 20 gauge, test with buck and ball. Loaded 70 gr. 2F, tow, 3 swan shot, bare .600 ball, tow, 20 yards:
Flintlock smoothbore, 20 gauge, test of buckshot load. Loaded 70 gr. 2F, tow, 12 swan shot, tow, 20 yards:
Tow was amazingly versatile material for the hunter in the day, and works as well as any modern components for me in my shooting.
Spence
