doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Black Powder SxS shotgunnin' Basics please?

I've been poking around into the world of black powder percussion shotguns and thought i'd post in hopes of getting some basic info.

I'm looking for the basics behind loading and shooting for various patterns at different ranges.

Also looking for info on who makes a good reproduction or if oroginals are ok to use as long as they are in good shape. I'm interested in percussion SxS's

Pedersoli makes some reproductions which are serviceable and reasonably well made. The guns have chokes or can be jug choked much like a modern shotgun. Muzzleloaders perform quite well. You may find the longer reaction time from pulling the trigger until the gun fires a little different.

Good place to start on loading is equal volumes of shot and black powder/pyrodex. Use a volume scoop that will give you the correct shot weight, use the same volume to scoop FFg powder. Put a nitro card on the powder and a cushion wad on top of that , then shot and an over shot card to keep the load together. But you need to learn the clean, and load with proper lubricants procedures to go with it.

Most of all, find a mentor who knows what he is doing to get you started as there is a lot more to safety in muzzleloading than most imagine until they are in trouble.

Suggested reading on the subject.

http://www.huntfish.net/showlink.php?id=40989

Here is more reading for you:
http://www.circlefly.com/html/muzzleloaders.html

This site is about black powder cartridges, but there is a lot of good information and links:
http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html

Pete

I shoot an original shot a round of skeet with it this past Sunday...I had only missed one target up to station 6 then my buddies started working on me...lol
I don't find the ignition on mine much different than my cartridge guns. Mines a W & C Scott and Son 10 gauge with 30 inch barrels and weighs about 7 pounds.
At skeet I shoot 3 & 1/4 drams of FF Blackpowder covered with a Nitro card then a lubed fiber wad, 1 & 1/4 oz of shot topped off with a 9 guage over shot card .

If anyone is interested I have some original black powder accoutrements that I'd be willing to sell,measures,powder flasks etc. as pictured above. If you're interested contact me and if we make a deal I'll make a suitable $ contribution to this site.
Jim

I sent you a pm.

One thing to remember always is that you can never get distracted while loading. Ignore even be rude to people while you are dealing with the business end of that shotgun!!!
Doubles are the worst, especially while you are setting in the overshot wad, keep the barrels leaning away from you at all times. Black powder will ignite in a blink of an eye and you don't want anything you want to lose hanging over that barrel!!!The newer Pedersoli shotguns suck, they're heavy and handle like a two by four, the older Pedersoli shotguns are a dream!!! Check them out at any of the internet auction sites!!!
Good luck and all the best!!!

Lahti!!! There is a few originals on Dixie Gun Work's web-site; the one that really looks good is an unmarked 14 gauge with Birmingham proof marks. There's also a Thomas Bland, a really great name in muzzleloaders, that has been 'kept up' as they say with steel barrels over on, I believe, 'auction arms' Both are originals but both really look good!!!

There is also a Pietta built double over on auctionarms, these were nice and light and more importantly barrels without a choke!!! The quality of Pietta and Pedersoli are about the same.
All the best