[largeman]

Just Scored On A 20 Gauge Howdah Pistol At Cabelas In Connecticut. $462.00
I Want To Shoot Round Balls. Does Anyone Know What Caliber Round Ball I
Should Use?

 

[cayugad]

20 gauge is a .62 caliber. I used to own a .62 caliber smoothbore and loaded a 20 gauge shotcup and then bird shot and then an over the shot card. When I shot roundball out of it I shot .600 or .610 when I could find them. Accuracy was good to 40 steps. With a pistol I would get real close. Other then that I am not sure what yours would take. There must be a manual with it you would think.

 

[flintlock62]

20 gauge is a .62 caliber. I used to own a .62 caliber smoothbore and loaded a 20 gauge shotcup and then bird shot and then an over the shot card. When I shot roundball out of it I shot .600 or .610 when I could find them. Accuracy was good to 40 steps. With a pistol I would get real close. Other then that I am not sure what yours would take. There must be a manual with it you would think.

Ditto. I would purchase a small amount of .600 and .610 balls and see which work best with a .018 pillow ticking patch.

 

[largeman]

thanks for the info
LARGEMAN

 

[Pete D.]

howdah

Go with the .600 if you are going to use 0.018 patches. The smoothbore has no rifling and thus no grooves for the large patch to compress into. A .610 lead ball would be VERY hard to load at .646 total diameter. The .600 will be hard enough.
I use .600 in mine and 0.010 patches to bring it to bore size. It works fine. I use the same load in my 20 ga. Fowler and it will shoot hand sized groups at 50 yards.
Remember - the Howdah was never intended as anything but a very short range weapon; y'know, from here to the tiger crawling up the back of the elephant that you are riding.
Pete

 

[cayugad]

I used to pump powder, put an over the powder card, then the .610 ball with no patch, then an over the shot card and shoot my smooth bore that way.

 

[cayugad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q5opsHjXuA&NR=1

this is a cool video... you might like

 

[largeman]

Hoky Smokes!!! What A Cannon... I Think It Could Double As A Rocket Propeled grenade Launcher

 

[Pete D.]

Particularly interesting to me were the slo-mo shots at 3:50 and 4:20(?) that clearly show that the charge is well clear of the gun before recoil has had any visible effect.
Really would like to have seen some buckshot patterns at 5 yards.
Pete

 

[cowpoke1955]

I agree, Pete. I think the Howdah pistol loaded with #6 or #4 shot would make a great home defense weapon, if you didn't burn your house down from that muzzle blast!

 

[jaguarxk120]

You have to remember how and where this handgun was used. A very special purpose gun used during a close range life and death situation.

 

[@bullseye]

Here's a link to nice original Howdah pistol from James Purdey to look at. I was also looking at a pair of Purdey shotguns at an auction site for $400,000!

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/antique_guns/purdey_howdah/howdah.html

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I agree, Pete. I think the Howdah pistol loaded with #6 or #4 shot would make a great home defense weapon, if you didn't burn your house down from that muzzle blast!

Only if you want a really pissed-off intruder. A fellow once sent me an old original English .54 smoothbore pistol to jug choke for shot. I tested it at 15 yards by firing on an old Goex powder can. Hit it with 8 or 10 number 6 nickle plated shot but not one pellet penetrated the front side of the can. I often use those steel Goex cans to test penetration of birdshot loads and I'd not hunt small game with a load that won't penetrate both sides.
That gun had a 10" barrel and the load was 40 grains of 3f Goex, 28 gauge wads and 3/4 ounce of nickle plated sixes. Recoil was such that I feared any heavier load might break the stock. It was a nice pattern but I'd not shoot anything larger than a sparrow with it.

 

[45-70 Chevroner]

A 54 caliber ball will go in a 20 guage shot cup, nice snug fit. I don't know how well that will fit a Howdah but I drillout a CVA 45 cal. Colonial pistol because the barrell rusted so bad from hanging on the wall ( for about 10 years) so I drilled it out to fit a 20 guage wad. I use the 54 cal. RB with a 20 guage 7/8oz shot cup over about 30gr. of FFG BP with a wad of news print over that. It will shoot to center of body on a man size target at 50 ft.