TVM Flintlock Fowler part 1 Loading with Round Ball

[@MarshalBasset]

And always with the adequate attire, Mr Beliveau. My Kentucky, my Hawken and I never miss your excellent, highly instructive presentations. Thank you so much!

[@sleeperno1215]

Mike, this video saved me hours. Turns out, I have this exact firearm. Bought it second hand for $150.00. I started out with .585 patched balls over 60 grains of 2FG. I was slowly playing with components. Short story. Yesterday, I was working up to higher and higher loads. After a couple of test shots at 75, 85 and 90 grains patch and .60 caliber ball, I used the .60 over 100 grains of my own 3F over a lubed felt wad and tow. Bullseye!!!! At 40 yds. Rinse and repeat. Next weekend, Im returning to the range, to see if my results are repeatable. Will probably shoot through the rest of my .60s then switch the .61s which I will order today. Thank you for this hard work. You make a difference in this sport.

[@bmanowske]

That was great! Love your expertice. Keep it up Mike!

[@michaelpriest6242]

That's a hard hit! Thanks for another informative, entertaining video.

[@SergeiMosin]

That tears it... I'm going to go buy a fowler now. I think I'm starting to nurture a muzzle loading addiction because of this channel...

[@MormonAll]

Very enjoyable. Very informative. Thank you.

[@FrenziedTanates]

Your videos are my favorite. Very informative and fun. I even purchased a fowler kit from TVM based off this video. Sadly the directions are vague. But I've built some of the mass produced kits so I have a good idea of what I'm doing. Plus I've watched this video dozens of times paying close attention to the fowler's details and your other build videos so I'm confident I'll figure it out. I'm eager to get started on it. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@duelist1954]

Various places. The round ball bag I bought at the Ft Fredrick 18th century market fair a couple of years ago. The shot bag I got from Track of the Wolf. The canvas bags I make myself. I got the little leather pouch at some event...can't remember where.

[@northwoodstrapper8778]

Ole Roy got a hitch in his giddy up. Great video and shooting

[@duelist1954]

I use that sight on my original Remington Rolling block rifle...great sight.

[@oldschooUSA]

Very nice smootbore. That is a kickin load to rock you back like that.. Thanks for the video.

[@lmomechtech7709]

Nice job! You had me wondering with the gallon jug...knocked it good though!

[@duelist1954]

Btw, the reply about patching was really meant for Terril...don't know how I tacked it to your comment.

[@233NATOMAN]

Excellent video and a lot of fun. I've seen chaps pour a measure of powder down their muzzles using a copper tube with a small funnel built into the end of the tube.Apparently works well with Enfield 1851 rifles here in the UK Graham

[@davefellhoelter1343]

Watched a Bunch of your stuff! Always have loved cap n ball now Flint! Just found a 50 musket and it's on the way! I'm IN!

[@duelist1954]

Welcome to the world of flintlocks!

[@angiefav1847]

We love your videos great info and as usual lots of useful hint thank you

[@duelist1954]

Probably from a subtler at the Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair...Big Pool, MD in late April each year.

[@ThreeSpeedBikes]

Good video on an under appreciated style of gun. The fowlers may be the ultimate history nut's gun for the colonial period because they never get the press/glamor the rifles and military muskets get, but the people really into history know they were probably among the most common arms. I come to appreciate just how hard it is to dial in a load with these- I've been working with a 12 gauge flintlock for about a year now.

[@G-man45444]

That was some good tips. I have been having a hard time getting consistent accuracy. I’ll try some ball size and load size tweaking and see where I get

[@johnstonestreet1]

The best BP explanation video on the net!

[@62forged]

Beautiful gun. Your channel has been a great learning experience. Thanks

[@folday6169]

Mike, you have made me a convert to using tow...3-1/2” groups at 50-yards with my Pedersoli Trade Gun, plus my barrel gets automatically swabbed every time I load!

[@bgurtek]

Mike, you're work is AWESOME!!!!

[@duelist1954]

Obrigado. Estou feliz que você gostou do vídeo.

[@1historian]

Very cool! I had heard of using two wads...one over the powder , the other over the ball...but the tow does seem more authentic!

[@docwilkey]

I'm a smooth bore flintlock fan. Thought I have been using a repro 69 cal. Charleville military musket for all my hunting and shooting the last 30 years. Mostly for small game hunting with shot.

[@jtgall1]

Earlier this year I was thinking of ordering a fowler, but I got over the urge to spend the bucks. Now its back!

[@tomcurran1538]

I'm thinking of getting a Zouave SMOOTHBORE, which would be 24 gauge/58 caliber. Kinda intrigues me to have a shotgun and a round ball gun. My Lyman GPR 54 caliber loves that 2F 110 grain load.

[@mausercal65]

Great video , been wanting one of those guns for twenty years !!

[@BulletShogun]

nice vid. you're always very authentic with your video and costumes

[@kuriboh635]

All I have to say about the bottle's and jugs is, that's about a rough size of vittles . It's perfectly good to use as a target, especially on a muzzleloader and for a man that with eyes that may not be perfectly 20/20. like myself being near sighted even with irons on an ar15 that's starts being hard to hit at 100 yards.

[@duelist1954]

Durofelt. The info is in my video on making revolver wads

[@TheGrenadier97]

Excelente vídeo amigo! Estou ansioso pela parte 2. Continue assim amigo, com vídeos de excelente qualidade e com muita informação! :D Até mais e grande abraço! (portuguese)

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very interesting and enjoyable! Thank you.

[@duelist1954]

Well tuned flintlocks are fast.Don't pile the priming powder too high and they'll fire quickly.

[@confederate8417]

Mike thanks for the vids. I'm getting ready to order the tvm fowler but I'm debating making it a smooth rifle with that rear sight. To your knowledge how frequent were smooth rifles on the 1700s frontier.

[@duelist1954]

I think most people load with patched ball these days, but I've been talking to the historically accurate crowd for the last year researching this and no one can find any period references for patching smoothbore balls.

[@mr.thickey3959]

Yes BIG MIKE, even though this video is pretty OLD, I needs ta make comment! What “turns me on” about your beautiful gun is its SIMPLICITY & lack of brass trim!!! The “smooth bore” is great for its “versatility”! One can shoot most anything out of it, even “gravel” if need be! The gun AND loads are wonderful “simplicity” at its finest! At 81, I may never get to shoot my muzzleloaders again, but I’d still love to own a smoothbore such as yours, just to HOLD & dream!!! God made hands to HOLD guns like these! A “bird in the hand is better than two in the bush”, but a “gun in the hand” is better! “Gesundheit”!

[@duelist1954]

A good friend made it for me.

[@jaysmith7769]

It may not have been recorded, but I'm sure folks patched their roundball, for a smoothbore, just like a rifle. I like all of your methods!

[@tobiaswildenhoff9392]

Love your channel and love how you dress as the guns century. You definitely deserves a subscribe and like😃😃😃

[@nakoawarrior3186]

try a 20ga rifled deer slug, foster slugs immulate hollow point bullets and shoot like a rifle they run .612-.625, im going to try them in my navy arms inline 11/12 ga I have already used lee drive key slugs they are good for 60 yards. mabe a AQ slug from ballistic products would work, or perhaps lee precision could make a hollow based rifled slug mold for you

[@1957Shep]

Great video.

[@Niemand101010]

Thanks for the great video. Fowlers rock!

[@kentwilliams3326]

I really wanted to try a ball bearing in lieu of a lead ball. Since there is no rifling there should be no problem. I put my thoughts on a BP forum and got flamed, a lot. One brave fellow stated that for long range competition he used ball bearing with good success. 😀

[@L33CHW33D]

Hi Mike, @8:10 you ram flax tow down the barrel on top of the ball. This keeps the ball down on the wad. Is the ball no sufficiently tight enough (being un-patched) to always stay down on itself? You said it's not necessarily historically accurate to ram a patched ball down one of these guns, but is it historical taboo to do? You said you've done it yourself correct? Thank you.

[@duelist1954]

xvonline No. the ball would move in the bore without the tow wad to hold it down. Most people today use a patched ball, but there is zero documentation for that in the historical record...that doesn't mean it didn't happen, but no one can prove that it did.

[@davidlane7295]

I have ordered one of these Fowler’s myself.

[@davidlangford5383]

great vid ....

[@WhiskeyRiverRifleman]

smoothbore muzzleloaders ROCK! round balls, shot, a hand full of gravel or rusty nails. all around gun!

[@fallenpatriot7917]

I'm curious if you have experimented or know anything about the velocity of smoothbores vs rifles. Comparing the same caliber, barrel length, powder charge, patch etc in each, would a smoothbore have a higher velocity because of the ball having less resistance or would a rifle be faster having more resistance thus building more pressure and speed? A trivial question that has entered my mind on a few occasions. My instinct would be rifles would be faster but I'm not sure. Might be interesting chronographing a smoothbore lol.

[@Pavia1525]

fallenpatriot 79... I would think so. Today's high velocity tank guns are smoothbores firing stabilized sabot rounds. But a roundball out of a smoothbore would have a lot less accuracy at extended ranges compared to the same load fired from a rifle.

[@jean-martindrapeau3286]

Merci mike!! Excellente information!!

[@pointrosey]

I love this gun

[@Nostrildomus]

Gotta admit , don't get no better than this . Thanks

[@sharpie443]

I've wanted a fowler for years.

[@bradleycittel1156]

I have that same exact bag. Bought it from Track of the Wolf

[@duelist1954]

I modified one from Crazy Crow to make the mid-18th century round hat

[@murphysmuskets]

Mike, another great video! Were did you acquire all your different pouches?

[@pointrosey]

nice looking fowler i would love to have one of them if you decide to sell yours give me a jingle on here lol lol been watching all your vids great job waiting forTOW build 11 to see how it turns out and shoot

[@WilliamFrazier1488]

nice shot

[@Ateokhan]

The TVM specs state that the Maximum load for the Fowler is 100 of FFG Goex, how do you know the Max load for the .62cal? Strictly for hunting and academic purposes ofcourse.

[@bradleycittel1156]

That is the exact same bag I use for my .45 Lehigh Valley rifle

[@duelist1954]

OOPs, I guess you mean the felt? Durofelt has a website.

[@hawkenrifles]

Hola Duelist1954. Video muy educativo e ilustrativo de cómo se carga una escopeta de chispa en calibre 20, con bala esférica. Saludos.

[@tommyvinson6]

Beautiful gun

[@MrMKH2010]

Flintlock fowlers were around well into the 19th Century. The Native Americas preferred flintlock flowlers over rifles. The fur traders carried them even after caplocks came along because caps were expensive and did not always fire.

[@mptcrimenews]

this is an awesome video

[@Mozudeep]

Who made your knife?? It's gorgeous

[@deanjjj]

Your videos are very informative. Thanks so much. One question. I inherited a .32 cal smooth bore that my dad used to say was very old. It has the initials J A C stamped in the barrel. Have you run across an old one like that and do you know J A C?

[@duelist1954]

I don't have any 20 ga cartridge shotguns to try it on, but I don't see why you couldn't.

[@pointrosey]

you shoot pretty straight with the fowler sounds like the ball wacks roy pretty hard have youever done a penetration test nice job keep them comeing

[@duelist1954]

The Fowler itself? Yes TVM has a website

[@1guyin10]

You keep this up and I'm going to end up having to get into black powder.

[@AmericanSpecialtyAmmo]

Very nice!

[@Rotten730]

Now I don't know how relevant this is but could you take your load and put it in a shot shell? I've seen many videos on how to load round ball, buck and ball, etc. but I take them with a massive amount of salt. I'd really like some guidance in loading shotshells with round ball from a reputable source. Also on an aside would black powder cause trouble in a mossberg 500?

[@TeamLotus6365]

Mike: I've been shopping the best price for tow (prices run the spectrum). Turkey Foot Trading Co sells it online for $3.25 per quarter pound in a reusable muslin pouch (weight doesn't include the pouch). Compare that to $7.00 per 1/4 pound elsewhere (no pouch either).

[@ellismidkiff6117]

TeamLotus6365 dude just unravel baling twine. It’s free it comes with bales of hay.

[@jamesbrownmiller808]

can you give me any information on the rear sight you chose to use and where you placed it on your smoothbore? Any technical information, sight Heights, sight manufacture/ part number and sight location on the smoothbore would be helpful!

[@duelist1954]

I put mine about 11" from the breech... www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/880/1/RS-AM-16

[@jamesbrownmiller808]

@@duelist1954 How well does this sight work for you?

[@bgbeck55]

Mike, who made the hatchet and knife shown at the opening and ending of this video?

[@JeepSec]

Hi Mr. Beliveau, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get your range rod that you are using in this video? I'd like to get a dedicated range rod but none of the ones I've found are long enough for longrifles (I'm looking for something in the 40"-42" range. Also, thanks for the videos you do, they are truly fantastic.

[@1historian]

Results from a Vermont "Primitive Biathlon" show the top smooth bores scores not that far off the rifle scores...Those are the top shots...the averages of course are lower.

[@nostromo4269]

I have found a muzzle loading rifle in .62 caliber, it says J.P. Henry on the barrel and thats it. Any advice ?

[@undersaill262]

good information,thanks

[@robertrogers2783]

How about a 20 ga. foster slug no patch?

[@hambone307]

Hey mike, have you had any experience with the Marble's Tang Sight for an 1894 Winchester? I can't see the iron sights too good anymore and prefer a peep sight over a tru glo sight. Any insight would be of great help.

[@mr.charlesanderson]

Thanks, I assume that it can be purchased online?

[@stevebuckskinner5482]

Hi Mike It's kind of hard for me to see but how is the in letting on the Siler lock to the stock? My brother said that it didn't look like it was very well done. I can't really tell. Thanks

[@duelist1954]

It was fine. There was a dark spot in the wood that can look like a gap on video.

[@stevebuckskinner5482]

+duelist1954 Thanks Mike! That helps a great deal.

[@stevebuckskinner5482]

duelist1954 Hi Mike will.....My brother and I just ordered a couple of TVM Fowler's. I opted for the 36" barrel with Iron furniture and dark stain. My brother's getting the Super upgrade in the stock with the 42" barrel. We will receive them in 9-10 months. You played a big part in our decision going with TVM. We are both very excited. Many thanks to you!

[@metisman100]

can you shoot buck shot frome this with say 9 or 10 20 cal balls

[@bradconway1163]

Is that someone shooting at a redcoat in the background?

[@emmaj12345678911]

Nice video....How big is that touch hole??? looks to be a tad larger than 1/16.

[@duelist1954]

It was exactly 1/16th

[@emmaj12345678911]

@@duelist1954 ahhh.... must be shadows. Looked like a 1/4 inch! Thanks

[@TheMountainman211]

I noticed yours has a rearsight are do they come from the factory like that

[@357bullfrog]

Ive wanted a fowler for quite awlie and after watching

[@jimg691]

Mike, Thanks for all the great videos, I know this is an older video but is the stock walnut or dark stained maple? Jim

[@jonathonblackburn1949]

First rate video as always! Question I have is would it be a safe and acceptable practice to load powder and wad and wait to see what game shows before loading either ball or shot?

[@duelist1954]

I have never heard of that being done, but there’s always a first time.

[@jamesbrownmiller808]

How about using lambs wool as wadding?

[@duelist1954]

It will work

[@ravendon]

Nice knife and axe. Where did you get them?

[@duelist1954]

The axe is by Cold Steel, I reFinished the metal and the wood. The knife was made by a friend of mine, who recently passed away.

[@matts.1758]

Mike I just got a TVM fowler and I am using the same load you are in this video. Mine is shooting about 6-8" low right at 50 yds. I have no rear sight, is the only way to correct this to file the front sight down? If so do you have a preferred method for doing this? Thank you.

[@duelist1954]

I had to file mine right down to the barrel, which is why I mounted a new front sight and installed a rear sight.

[@matts.1758]

Hopefully I don't have to file mine down that far to get it where I want it! Thank you and love what you do, keep up the good work!

[@Warbeast911]

fast ignition, sweez

[@duelist1954]

I got very poor accuracy with those light charges.

[@mr.charlesanderson]

Hi Mike, I was wondering, where do you get your felt wad material? All the best, MW

[@christopherbennett4559]

Hey Mike you ever shoot chewed balls ? If so your opinion on them and how to load. With patch tow paper etc.

[@duelist1954]

Train Bennett I have not experimented with them.

[@christopherbennett4559]

duelist1954 saw a video on them by woodcraft 76. It was interesting

[@Brabus8297]

are flintlocks prone to hangfires? I was thinking about getting into flintlocks but they seem kinda dangerous

[@jamesbrownmiller808]

In the past 2 or 3 years I have acquired the same flintlock Fowler from TVM, question did your flintlock Fowler come with a rear sight or did you add it later? My Fowler does not have a rear sight!

[@duelist1954]

I added it myself

[@jamesbrownmiller808]

@@duelist1954 can you give me any information on the rear sight you chose to use and where you placed it on your smoothbore? Any technical information, sight Heights, sight manufacture/ part number and sight location on the smoothbore would be helpful!