doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Anyone Hunt with a muzzle loading shotgun?

Hi All,

Wondering if you must use BP or is there a good non corrosive replacement that we create low pressures needed with damascus barreled guns?

Tha nks, jeff G.

Hi Jeff,
I have hunted on a few occasions with my muzzle loader. Why would you even want to use anything but real black powder? The gun will need to be cleaned at the end of the shooting day anyway. You can use Pyrodex of course but most of the so-called BP substitutes cost 3-4 times what BP costs. Why not use the real thing? JMO

I do 95% of my shotgun hunting with a Ml'ing shotgun. All I use is BP and once you become used to it's ways, you won't even think about the cleaning. It is easy. I also like hunting with the ML'ers, because I don't have to pick up my hulls. Also, there are no plastic wads laying around. Learn to hunt with one and you will enjoy it alot!

Thanks Jim & Dave,

I guess if I purchase this shotgun BP it will be.
How do you unload it at the end of the day? Probably a not so smart question.

Jeff G.

Jeff:

The easiest way to unload at the end of the day is pull the triggers. It is the safest way, as well. On the other hand, you can uncap and draw the charge, but frankly , that makes me uncomfortable. There are also whiz-golly "unloaders" which you screw into the nipple seat. I believe they use compressed gas to blow out the charge.

As I said - easiest is to pull the triggers.

Regards

GKT

Jeff:

The easiest way to unload at the end of the day is pull the triggers. It is the safest way, as well. On the other hand, you can uncap and draw the charge, but frankly , that makes me uncomfortable. There are also whiz-golly "unloaders" which you screw into the nipple seat. I believe they use compressed gas to blow out the charge.

As I said - easiest is to pull the triggers.

Regards

GKT

Usually I just shoot out the last load. However, sometimes it is
more convenient to use a "worm" and pull the overshot wad and empty the shot particularly if it is Bismuth. You can do the same with the wad ,but it is more convenient if you are on the way home and not gonna hunt tomorrow to shoot it and then clean it. BP is the way to go. No ignition probs and traditional.

Jeff:

I know not of MLs except that I notice a lot of shooters DO have trouble with ignition over bags at the range. Most of these are traditional and not inlines with shotgun primers; maybe it's the subs like Pyrodex that create this appearance of unreliability? I want to start loading a few bp shells for cartridge shotgun and have found that Goex is certainly cheaper per lb. locally.

jack

FF Goex...I can't keep this one going long enough to hunt with it. Hopefully it's ready now.

I acquired a ML shotgun about 40 yrs ago & have hunted with it quite a bit over the years. There are two secrets to one going off with Black Powder when the cap fires. 1st is that the channel is clear & the cap flame actually gets to the charge. 2nd is that the powder is dry. Many tell you to snap a cap on the niple to blow out the passage before loading, I "Never" do this as I don't want to take the chance of cap residue plugging it up. When I know I'm going to take it out hunting the night before I swab all the oil out of the bore with alcohol or acetone, then set the bbls muzzles down to drain. If I decide to shoot it without prior planning I use a patch & swab as best as I can, then load & shoot a full charge without letting it set. This will normally burn off any remaining oil. In either case as swabing I simply make sure air is blowing through the nipple. "If" a black powder gun fails to fire either the flame didn't get to the powder or the powder was wet. Some of the Subs are harder to ignite & require hotter caps. After about 2 misfires I figured out what the problems were & have had no trouble since.