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

You're on the wrong of this argument Homeless. And you're on the wrong end of the gun when you're giving it a Lewinsky. Maybe changing "Homeless" to "Hopeless" would be appropriate. A few old-timers still do it occasionally, including one of the top shotgun shooters in the NMLRA whose initials are BC. However, it's still dangerous, still stupid and still against the NMLRA rules. The 10 Commandments of Gun Safety include "always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction"(it doesn't say it's OK after it's just been fired-BOOM, DUH) Give it up. You're deadly wrong.

Jim you keep popping your caps and BC and I will keep blowing through our muzzle loaders after each shot.

BC is called down on it, when he does it at Phoenix. You also conveniently left out the important part of that quote. Here it is again: It's still dangerous, still stupid, and still against NMLRA rules. What you do in the hills of TN is your business, just don't try to convince anyone here it's within the bounds of proper gun safety habits, anywhere.

Gosh, if I guy blew down his barrel and dropped his chew down the barrel, would it plug his flame bath? Of course it would. I can say I have heard it all when it comes to the need to want to blow down the barrel. Some say, it is to soften the fouling, some say to make sure the gun is clear. Well, if your breath is that moist to soften the fouling, I am pretty sure you will get the bore way to wet for the next load of powder. If you just shot the gun, what would make you think that it is now plugged? If you couldn't blow smoke out the nipple/vent, did it just prove you put a lip lock on a loaded gun? The D. Boone or Davy Crockett shows made it look cool and the thought of it never died away. Just like the old movie gun fighters that used to blow the smoke off of the muzzle of his six shooter, did he do it for a real reason, or just to be cool?

For sure it's not safe to chew tabacco and blow down your barrel.

I don't recall ever seeing D. Boone or Davy Crockett blow down their barrels in a movie didn't they like to wet their front site ?

V.M. Starr liked to spit and blOw down his muzzleloading shotgun barrels....not a very safe practice. I guess he should've used a tube or a small section of garden hose.

http://members.aye.net/~bspen/starr.html

Check out the link above....carefull V.M. Starr was very unsafe and evidently knew nothing about muzzle loading shotguns.
Lifes a gamble.

Jim that Starr fellow needed a course in safety for sure.

HomelessjOe, you are probably right, but he is no longer with us.

How did Mr.Starr die....

did he 'blow' his head off while spitting or blowing though the barrel of his muzzle loading shotgun ?

I see that VM Starr was against using FFFg in anything larger than the 28 ga. I happen to have a pound of it laying around. WOuld it be okay to load in 16 gauge shells, in moderate amounts?

V. M. Starr is one of my heroes for several reasons but putting his spitter in-line with the muzzle of his loaded shotgun was not one of them. He was here and gone before my time but we disagree about 3f, too. Bill C. is also a hero of mine and a personal friend but I disagree with his sometimes blowing down the barrel. I expect the NMLRAs rule against blowing down the barrel is a relatively recent rule. Recent in the history of muzzle loading guns. The fact remains it is an unnecessary and dangerous habit. If you really want to help assure that nothing is still glowing inside the barrel before pouring the next powder charge down, wipe the bores with a damp patch. That's what I do, after every shot. Makes it load like a clean barrel, as well. You don't need the wet fiber cleaning wad then. This is an extra operation, an extra component to buy and carry, it adds a small amount to recoil and sometimes messes up the center of the pattern. One thing Mr. Starr and I DO agree on. You only need a cardboard wad over the powder and the thin one over the shot.