Muzzleloading shotgun

Joe Boleo · Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:31 am Post subject: Muzzleloading shotgun

I read a previous post by Gil Martin about getting a flintlock shotgun and was eager to get one for myself. I found a Lyman Trade Rifle in .50 flintlock that had a frosted bore with some rusting and pitting in the bore. The local gunsmith assures me that he can ream the barrel out to .54 caliber. That will remove the rust and pitts and allow the use of 28 gauge plastic shotgun wads. The barrel goes to the 'smith tomorrow. I prefer the Lyman Trade Rifle as the basis for a shotgun because it has a single trigger. Take care...
Joe

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:36 am Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

I've given some thought to trying my repro 1842 Springfield, .69 cal smoothbore, for turkey hunting. NC is shotgun-only for turkey. Anyone have any suggestions?

Gil Martin · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Joe,
Let us know how that project works out. All the best...
Gil

roundball · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:47 am Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Pumpkinslinger wrote:

I've given some thought to trying my repro 1842 Springfield, .69 cal smoothbore, for turkey hunting. NC is shotgun-only for turkey. Anyone have any suggestions?

I don't know anything about your particular .69cal ML, but as some related info, I got a .62cal GM
Flint smoothbore drop-in barrel for a TC Hawken / Renegade, sent it to Lowell Tennyson in Iowa
to Jug Choke it 'Full' for me, filled both my turkey tags with it here in NC back in April...those 2 with
a Flintlock smoothbore mean more to me than 100 would with a Remington 1187...

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 3:52 pm Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Roundball! That is pretty neat! What kind of load did you use in yours?

My .69 is a reproduction of the 1842 Springfield musket, made by ArmiSport. I bought it for Civil War reenacting but think it would be fun to hunt with if I can come up with a suitable load.

Where in NC are you? Not far from Winston-Salem here.

Gil Martin · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Very nice pictures. Thanks for sharing. All the best...
Gil

roklok · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 6:51 pm Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Roundball, nice hearing from you again. I have a Green Mountain .62 smoothbore flintlock barrel on a single trigger renegade. I was wondering about cost and contact information for Lowell Tennyson. How much improvement in pattern did the jug choke provide?

roundball · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Pumpkinslinger wrote:

"...What kind of load did you use in yours?..."

North of Raleigh

I found Bob Spencer's article very valuable:
members.aye.net/~bspen...Loads.html

I use his turkey load in the "Full" Jug Choked GM .62cal smoothbore.

80grns Goex 3F
Oxyoke prelubed wonderwad
1+5/8oz magnum #6's
Circle Fly OS card

Averages 16 #6's in a 3.5" circle at 40 yds...the load dropped that big pretty 'Jake' in his tracks
at 40yds, and the Tom was at 30yds...very pleased with the outcome of all the planning,
patterning, etc...sure would be nice if I could do it again in April / May '08.

roundball · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

roklok wrote:

Roundball, nice hearing from you again. I have a Green Mountain .62 smoothbore flintlock barrel on a single trigger renegade. I was wondering about cost and contact information for Lowell Tennyson. How much improvement in pattern did the jug choke provide?

The best turkey head size killing pattern I could 100% count on with the factory cylinder bore
was 22-25 yards...but with the 'Full' Jug Choke, it averages 16 #6 pellets in a 3.5" circle at 40 yards.

I got a small bag of "copper plated" #6's to try this year...hope to extend that 40yd pattern
out another 5-7 yards.

Lowell Tennyson charged me $75 which included the return UPS shipping back to me...best $75
I've spent on muzzleloading in a long time...makes a terrific long range turkey barrel, tall tree top
squirrel barrel, and good for shooting trap targets.

Lowell Tennyson
209 E Lotte St.
Blue Grass IA. 52726
563-381-3711
Kb0ba @ att.net

Now, first I want to say I do not have "money".....my kids are grown and gone and this is my only
hobby...I was so impressed with the Jug Choke effectiveness and enjoy shooting Flintlock
smoothbores so much, I bought another GM .62cal Flint barrel on sale and had Lowell
Jug it to "Imp. Cyl. Plus"...(halfway between Improved Cylinder & Modified)...for general purpose
use on crow shoots, rabbits, skeet, etc.

Lastly, GM right now has them on clearance sale for a flat $100.

roklok · Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:24 am Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Thanks roundball, I intend to give him a call. I shot some squirrels with mine on a recent trip to PA, but wished the pattern was a little tighter. For my longer range loads I use 20 guage plastic shot cups, they give a slight improvement in pattern tightness.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 11:24 am Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Thanks Roundball! Once again the folks on Huntingnut come through with good info.

roundball · Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 11:30 am Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

roklok wrote:

Thanks roundball, I intend to give him a call. I shot some squirrels with mine on a recent trip to PA, but wished the pattern was a little tighter. For my longer range loads I use 20 guage plastic shot cups, they give a slight improvement in pattern tightness.

To me, that's the beauty of the Jug Choke...can shoot it like the settlers did without modern wads.
Just load powder, cushion wad, shot, and OS card.

Gigmaster · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:39 am Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

I have a Navy Arms 12 ga. S x S. It doesn't have a choke. You adjust the pattern by the amount of powder and shot. More powder=tighter pattern. More shot=wider pattern. I've found that my shot gun performs best when the volume of Triple 7 is equal the volume of shot. I normally shoot 90 grains of Triple 7 with an equal volume of shot. That usually gives me a great tight pattern at around 40 yards.

If you want to really destroy a target, shoot some 00 Buckshot out of one of these! At 30 yards, the 6 or 7 balls all hit within 2" of each other.

I do better with my muzleloader than I do with a modern shotgun for some reason. And for real fun, sometimes I shoot .72 cal. patched balls. They are plenty accurate out to about 75 yards.

One of these days, I'm gonna have Green Mountian make me a pair of .72 cal. rifled barrels as drop ins. That will be awesome!

Oooouuh Rah!

roundball · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

Gigmaster wrote:

"...You adjust the pattern by the amount of powder and shot. More powder=tighter pattern. More shot=wider pattern..."

I've always had just the opposite results...

Gigmaster · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:53 am Post subject: Re: Muzzleloading shotgun

roundball wrote:

Gigmaster wrote:

"...You adjust the pattern by the amount of powder and shot. More powder=tighter pattern. More shot=wider pattern..."

I've always had just the opposite results...

Yep! You're right. I typed it backwards.

It should've been: More Powder=larger spread. More shot= tighter group.

Sorry. That's what happens when I try to do things before I've had enough coffee.