Anyone hunt with a black powder scatter gun?

[brewer12345]

I hunt a lot with a modern shotgun: birds, waterfowl, small game, etc. It occurs to me that it might be fun to do this with a black powder shotgun at least part of the time. Anyone use a BP shotgun to hunt? Aside from slower reloading, what is different vs. using a modern cartridge 12 gauge?

[LAGS]

I use to hunt Dove and Quail with a Mowrey 12 ga single shot.
It was lots of fun , and worked very well.
It sure did put the Sport back into hunting.

[smoked turkey]

I really enjoy turkey hunting with my single barrel TC muzzleloader in lieu of my Remington 870 Special Purpose Turkey. The muzzleloader only gives me one chance rather than 3. The Remington is mostly a slam dunk as it has an extra full turkey choke and will take a bird at 50 yards if I desire. I just think the muzzleloader is more fun and actually one shot is usually all it takes to get the job done. When using the black powder I usually don't risk anything and only take "sure" shots. I think it makes me a better turkey hunter.

[GregLaROCHE]

Lots of people hunt with them. You can even load your shot shells with BP. I have. Just be sure to give your gun an appropriate BP cleaning afterwards.

[sharps4590]

Yes, and have since the 70's. I've not spent one second in a waterfowl blind so all my shotgunning has been for upland game. Differences? Well, you will learn to "duck and look", unless it's windy. How well your gun patterns will be entirely incumbent on you and how much work you put into load development. Traditional wad columns and a "one for one" powder/shot ratio still work as good as anything and better than most. You won't give up any performance over 2 3/4 standard loads and, one can always work up heavier loads....which is actually completely unnecessary.

My first BP double gun was an unknown American original, 12 bore, from probably the 1860's-70's. Then I used a flint fowler 20 bore for about 10 years. Tried a Pedersoli double in 12 bore and it sucked. These days I use an original, authentic Manton in 16 bore. Best one I've ever had. I would recommend spending the money and getting a good original. Nothing else will compare in fit AND pattern performance. Others will have different opinions I'm sure. The above is simply my experience.

[brewer12345]

Sharps, what didn't you like about the pedersol?

[elk hunter]

I've hunted and taken most of our local game birds, no turkey yet, and a big Blacktail buck with ML shotguns over the past 60 + years. This lovely Frasur 15 bore is a real delight to hunt with and is sure death if I do my part. I shoot mostly 2 1/2 drahm 1 oz loads and can take birds cleanly out to 30 yards or so.

255654

[kens]

I used to shoot trap & skeet at Friendship, In.
yes, those shotguns are lot of fun.
Some guns could accept standard plastic wads, made loading a breeze.

[KCSO]

Most everything since 1970. Deer, turkey,pheasant, ducks you name it. Currently using a trade gun and an old modified 1842 musket.

[waksupi]

I've taken a lot of small game and turkey with them. Just determine your maximum range. A friend who did shot testing for the arms companies years ago said that a 10 bore black powder shotgun would outreach any other gun for ducks and geese.

[Beerd]

any caveats about using "non-toxic" shot?
..

[LAGS]

Yes.
It is lighter , and you get more shot per once.
Makes a good compensation for the shotguns with out a choke like mine was.

[kens]

when I shot the skeet & trap with muzzle loader, we could regulate pattern (choke) with powder charge.
Less powder (velocity) held a tighter pattern.
Higher velocity opened up the pattern
And shot charge could go pretty big

[Dimner]

I hunt a lot with a modern shotgun: birds, waterfowl, small game, etc. It occurs to me that it might be fun to do this with a black powder shotgun at least part of the time. Anyone use a BP shotgun to hunt? Aside from slower reloading, what is different vs. using a modern cartridge 12 gauge?

I used to hunt with a belgian smoothbore flinter, circa 1840's. The real deal, not reproduction. It was a lovely scatter gun for squirrel and grouse. I did not get many shots on grouse, and I missed them all. But I'm nearly as bad with a modern shotgun. Squirrels however, was alot of fun. Good woods snack. The smoothie flinter never let me down. When it misfired, it was my own doing through bad technique. I never used it for duck season. Because we cannot use lead over water, so I didnt want to come up with non-lead loads. Also, duck season is always wet and cold, and I didnt want to submit the 1840's era trade gun to that weather.

So in my experience, the differences are:

I generally only shotgun hunt squirrel when the leaves are still on the trees. I mainly hunted with the smoothie because a modern shotgun was way easy to hunt with. Super fast reloads and very long range if you have the right shot.

I went to the smoothie more for the challenge (but it really wasnt all that much more of a challenge) as well as the fact that I had a cool smoothie to hunt with. Each squirrel hunted was much more exciting over a modern shotgun. Keeping your flinter ready to shoot after trotting around for a mile weaving in and out of brush takes much more attention to detail than modern shotguns. Also, I would take a split second before the shot to ensure my flinter was ready to shoot. A couple of times I found my frizzen a tad raised. (in a capper it would be like your cap is missing preshot) Most common reason for misfires is I forgot to prime the trade gun. <----- dont want to talk about those mistakes ;-)

[megasupermagnum]

My Knight TK2000 is the only shotgun I have ever shot turkey with. I've hunted with other guns, but never got a shot at those times. I still bring a backup, but the TK2000 is the only shotgun I carry any more. It is not a bird gun though. It might make a decent big game gun, especially if you are allowed to use buckshot. It is also my best patterning shotgun. I honestly believe blackpowder is easier on shot, plus a straight tube without a chamber and forcing cone helps.

I'm still trying to get a nice SXS for wingshooting. Lot's of guys use single barrel fowlers too, but they are not as good as a well made SXS. Maybe something with a 30"ish barrel, but the 48"+ barrels and funky longrifle stocks that fowlers used is not conducive to wingshooting. That's only my opinion.

[LAGS]

The drop in the stock on the Mowrey was OK for Wing Shooting , but it was too slow to shoulder for upland game like Rabbits unless you could get a shot when they were sitting still..
Never got a chance to try them on Squirrels in trees

[RU shooter]

One of the differences between the old BP and new shotguns is basically the muzzleloaders have no choke just a cyl bore so your patterns aren't gonna be as tight as a modern gun , but you can get a barrel jug choked if thick enough

[jimb16]

I use a .69 cal Charleville musket with 16 ga. wads and 1 1/8 oz of #6 for squirrels. If I can't see them drop below the smoke, I have to go search for them after the shot. Works well enough. I used to use an original british percussion sxs. First shotgun I ever scored a double on ducks with! Should never have sold it, but the offer was just too good.

[megasupermagnum]

One of the differences between the old BP and new shotguns is basically the muzzleloaders have no choke just a cyl bore so your patterns aren't gonna be as tight as a modern gun , but you can get a barrel jug choked if thick enough

That's a good point I forgot. Traditionally, shotguns did not have choke. That was a late 1800's invention. Jug choking is a fantastic way to go. One problem with common style chokes we see now, is that you can't load the gun from the muzzle through that constriction. You can get away with an IC maybe a modified choke. If wanting to use a full choke, you would need a screw in choke, and you would have to remove it to load. Or you can have it Jug choked, which completely avoids any of these problems. The TK2000 is jug choked.

[jdfoxinc]

A customer of mine bought a SXS ML and all the fixings to go pine squirrel hunting. He found out that he needed to be a little further away from the critter as with his first shot he only found the tail. Not much eaten on just a tail.

[JWFilips]

I have built many Flintlock smooth bores and hunted with many of them. They are a hoot and accurate.
When using flintlock smooth bore load with the "VM Star method"... two Hard cards over the powder and one card over the shot !
Never use a Fiber wad ( that is for modern guns) with flintlock ignition it is too slow of a delay!

A good 18th Century rule : More powder less lead - shoots close more spread! Less powder more lead shoots far kills dead