Seems to be a few here who enjoy hunting with a BP shotgun, I'd like to finally buy a shotgun and begin hunting ducks with it. Does anyone have any thoughts on bird hunting with BP and shotguns that I should consider?

Any shooters using steel loads? Since its required, how does this work with BP? Heres a good article-
http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/dream.html

Any builders out there making double barreled BP guns?


Thanks,

jman

The only common SXS percussions ae mae by Pedersoli (good guns)...Cabala's are made by them. Once were other makers in the field, but none of them currently are available.

Custom amkers will make whatever you can afford...can get very expensive indeed.

Perdersoili are good guns. Current models in 10 and 12ga. have choke tubes and are sold as safe with steel shot.

Mussling loading through a full choke can be very furstating. Violtaes a basic rul of muzzle loading to remove the choke tube, load, then reinstall the tube but the owners seem to ignore that.

Shot a fixed choke 10ga., no problems, but not a full choke gun. Are some tricks to increasing patterns, but this was an older reproduction and i didn't shoot steel. Even with fixed chokes, I'd not have had second thoughts about shooting steel if I used steel shotcups and limited my shots to the weaker choked barrel.

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Very good quality single barrel antiques can usually be had for LESS than the reproduction doubles. Good quality antiqe SXS's aren't far from the $ of the reproductions...but the old guns (1) are not steel shot safe (2) may not be safe at all...you need to go over them with a fine toothed comb (3) force having a custom part made once something breaks.

Just not as much collectors interrest in the muzzle loading single unless it's from a well known house.

Journeyman, I replied to you under the .32 cal post too.

I'll beg to differ with Ribb's comment on pedersoli's being "good". I had quite a number of serious issues with a 10ga/.72 Kodiak. Zero customer support from pedersoli, the dealer I purchased it from and two other pedersoli dealers I contacted in frustration over the months of time I tried to get some resolution. I finally ended up fixing it myself at considerable additional cost. Bores were extremely rough to the point they shredded the wads & patches. Left lock barely had a scratch where the half cock notch should have been, right lock sear was ground to a knife edge and wouldn't trip without excessive trigger pressure like about 20 pounds. Wood to metal fit was disgusting at best, geometry of the RR hole was way off, they simply ground a flat on the RR to clear the bbl wedge and even then it would hang up. Had to rebuild both locks, worked the triggers, had to inlay and re-inlet the locks because of the excessive wood removed at the factory. In the end, it would have been cheaper and easier to just build my own from scratch.

I guess I can't complain too much because after that incident, I bought up many other screwed up pedersoli's from other people and turned a decent profit on every one after fixing them.

Stay away from fixed chokes and choke tubes, more of a pain in the butt than they are worth. If you plan on shooting steel shot, you need to get barrels capable of shooting steel shot or use proper bore protection. You can roll your own shot cups out of paper, takes a little getting used to till you work out a method that works for you but after the first 20 or so, you'll be zipping them out faster than you can shoot them. Done right, home rolled shot cups will extend the range and patterns with all shot loads.

I'd strongly suggest you forget conventional chokes and go with jug choked barrels, no loading issues and they throw better patterns with proper load building than any conventional choked gun. Little FYI, I picked up a moss 500 bbl for free that someone cross threaded the choke tube on, I cut the bbl back behind the choke threads and jugged the cylinder bore. This shortened jugged barrel shoots better patterns than the 28" untouched bbl w/ the full choke tube in it. Jug choked bores are also easy loading too, definitely a plus when hunting in the field.

My honest opinion is, if you are just getting into smoothbore muzzleloader hunting, I'd suggest going with a single barrel first. You can get into one of these for around $900 to $2000 depending on how fancy you want to go. I suggest getting familiar with a single first because it's a whole lot easier, once you get the single figured out, it'll be a whole lot easier transitioning to a double.

Guess I'd count myself luck to have had ne of the eariler versions....not a bit of trouble for the years I onwed it. every maker has a few boo-boos pass theough, but it's the lack of responce that is distrubing....although I've found Cabela's pretty good about returns if the fault is discovered soon after delivery.

Agree about the single barrel, but few hunters seem content with the one shot...shotgunners seem to dream of taking doubles.

Too be truthful, I never cared for plastic shotcups or other modern materials...loaded with card wads and 1/2" fiber wads (and to get a more open pattern, would skip the fiber wad). Guess part of tht is becasue I like the slow pace of muzzle loading...if I were in a hurry, wouldn't have taken the muzzle loader out of the safe.

Markkw & ribbonstone, well that doesn't surprise me about Pedersoli, once a company feels that they have the market kindof locked up when it comes to any competition they just naturally ease off quality control and focus more on increased profit? I think thats good advice about the single barrel and I'll keep that in mind as I am also considering building my own shotgun and have contacted Tennessee Valley Mfg about a barrel and stock.

Would like to consider an English stock with the single barrel. The article link I posted above mentions a builder of BP shotguns in Arkansas Bob Beede, is he still building guns? Any other builders out there for a shotgun? Reasonably priced hunting guns?


jman

I've got a few Long Hammock flower barrels left I could part with, too many bbls and not enough building time. Full size 42" tapered oct-round in .62 (20ga), oct-rnd in strait and a mini tapered oct-rnd 28" or 30" (don't recall exact length) .50 cal.

I know a guy who builds really nice hunting guns including doubles. Don't know how busy he is off hand but can check with him and or put you in contact with him if you'd like. Email me with the spec's on exactly what you want and I'll give him a call. markkw@earthlink.net

I've had a fowler in-work for about two years now, combination of english & jeager styles, no, english & german inspired but my own style.....one of these years I may actually get it finished.....