I did a little jackrabbit shooting last week with my flintlock Trade Gun. This Trade Gun is a Chief's Grade from North Star West, smooth bore .62 cal / 20 gauge.

I was loading 70 grains of FF Goex black powder under 1 1/8 ounces of #6 shot. The gun is a straight cylinder bore, no choke at all, so I had to be quick on the shots. Those jackrabbits can get out of range in about three jumps.



I had not been drinking, my cheeks are red because it was 13 degrees with a wind chill reported at -2 degrees Saturday. That white stuff on the ground was sleet!

Smoked rabbit!

Nice prairie dog!

Nice gun and accouterments too!

I heard Matt makes a top quality trade gun.

How does it do with round balls?

Qtip
Soli Deo Gloria!

At 50 yards.



Matt does good work. Can't go wrong with one of his guns.

Nice!!
I have the NSW Early English that is jugged. Throws a wicked pattern for Turkey but I haven't dialed it in for roundballs.

What load? What FPS with the RB?

bucktales,

Any pictures of the NSW Early English?



Nice shooting with round balls there prairie dog!

Qtip
Soli Deo Gloria!

Qtip,
My Early English is "antiqued" and has a 36" barrel.

Very Nice!!

The loads I am shooting are 70 grains FF Goex, .015 ticking patches, and a cast .600 round ball.

The shot loads are 70 grains FF Goex, over powder card, lubed wad torn into four or five layers and re-stacked, 1 1/8 ounces # 6 shot, over shot card with a hole poked through the center with the vent pick.

The gun will shoot heavier powder charges well but it doesn't seem to need more than 70 grains to pattern / group well.

Kills jackrabbits just fine too.

Nice bird Qtip. I hope to get one with my Chief's Gun this spring.

I'm going to load # 7 1/2 shot for that application.

bucktales,

Nice gobbler! Nice gun too!

Qtip
Soli Deo Gloria!

NICE job. well done on the hunt , nothing like it . cold crisp air and then you add the BP smoke from a flintlock . just cant beat that kind of day

Good to see other rocklock shooters out there. I hunt almost exclusively with a Lancaster county style .50 cal flintlock. 65 grains of 3f, ticking patch with olive oil/ bees wax lube, and a .490 ball. Puts deer in the truck.