BP Shotgun

[higene]

Well I finally picked up a BP double.

Now I have the longest week in my life waiting for the brown truck to show up. I was looking at several guns. You guys twisted my arm and I went with the double.

The seven pound weight ought to keep me from overloading it.

Higene

 

[madcratebuilder]

You dog! I want one of those badly! I have even considered selling one of my good guns to buy one.

Is it a Pedersoli? After doing shot loads in my Howdah and LeMat I got the fever.

 

[Das Jaeger]

Ha ha ha Higene

you converted over to common sence I see
Hard to argue two shots while hunting birds is not better than one huh ? Especailly on a covey of quail !

Good choice , congrats , now tell us more about it you rotten son of a gun !
Don't be postin pictures without a story Pal ...Mmmmm , a good story too by golly .

Jaeger

 

[NobleSniper]

Nice one

 

[Ratdog68]

Most Zestful !!!

Now... quit withholding the details of that bad boy ! A week?!?! That's nuttin'. Try ordering/paying for it in April and finally having it in July. I thought I was gonna develop a perpetual snarl. :banghead:

Congrats on the new toy !! Purdy one, for certain.

 

[higene]

SxS 12

Madcratebuilder, yes, It is a Pedersoli 12 gauge.

It is IC on both tubes (.720). I am going to try patterning it after I get it. All I know is 30 inch circle at 40 yards and do the math. Are there any strings out there that discuss patterning?

Loads people use would be useful too.

higene

 

[Das Jaeger]

What Higene

you don't want uselss information , come now :banghead:

Box loads , equal charge to shot , it works , try it , but what do I know , I like Side by Sides , right

The buttwipe Jaeger

 

[higene]

Shotgun Loading

I get the 1 1/8 volume of powder, over powder wad, 1 1/8 of shot de jure', and an over shot wad. With my Howdah I worked with shot cups, buffered shot cups, and fiber wadding. I came back to BP, over powder wads, .32 (00 Buck), and over shot card loadings.

My question for a hunting 12 gauge load concerns use of fiber wads, if any. I know 6 and 7 1/2 for upland birds. I also like #4 and will probably try some BB. Are there any dictates about never shooting certain loads.

What are the chances of the unfired load shifting under recoil like an incorrectly crimped pistol cartridge?

Are there any beginners mistakes that I should beware of?


Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Higene

 

[Jefferson Herb]

Yes, there is a chance the over the shot wad can move,buy 11ga from track of the wolf or such if you have a problem.
Are you going to hunt waterfowl?The barrels should be chromed,use thick wads over over powder wad [ melted plastic],magnum caps when hunting good idea.buffered loads hold tighter pattern and wooden dowl ramrod around water so you don't lose yours. use felt/cardboard wads w/lead and shorten range 10-20 yds. Shoot trap and learn your gun,Trap shooters will think you're nuts and be surprised if you hit anything.
I own pedersoli 20 ga and 10 ga.

 

[higene]

Shotgun info

Jefferson

Thank you,

Higene

 

[madcratebuilder]

higene, I dug up some old notes I got from a old guy about forty years ago when I first started shooting BP. I recall shooting his old ML shotgun and this is what I had written down for loading.

12ga
hammer at half cock.
3 drams powder - 1 dram=27.5 grs.
use newspaper as wadding, 3/4 inch well tamped down.
1 1/4 oz shot, tamp down.
more newspaper to hold shot in place.
cap and fire.

I had forgotten all about that. This was 1970-71 and this old guy had to be 80 plus. He was a friend of my wife's granddad.

 

[arcticap]

POWDER MEASURE SETTINGS TO THROW OUNCES OF SHOT:

 50 grain setting = 3/4 ounce of shot
 60 grain setting = 7/8 ounce of shot
 70 grain setting = 1 ounce of shot
 80 grain setting = 1 1/8 ounce of shot
 90 grain setting = 1 1/4 ounce of shot
 100 grain setting = 1 3/8 ounce of shot
 110 grain setting = 1 1/2 ounce of shot
 120 grain setting = 1 5/8 ounce of shot

Here are a few equal volume loads:
oz. shot-----Dr. powder-------Grains
3/4-------------2--------------55
7/8-------------2 1/4----------62
1---------------2 1/2----------68
1 1/8-----------2 3/4----------75
1 1/4-----------3--------------82
1 3/8-----------3 1/4----------89
1 1/2-----------3 1/2----------96
1 5/8-----------3 3/4----------102
1 3/4-----------4--------------109
1 7/8-----------4 1/4----------116
2---------------4 1/2----------123
2 1/8-----------4 3/4----------130
2 1/4-----------5--------------137


I agree that firmly compressed newspaper can be used to hold the shot charges in place even if using an overshot wad, and it can also serve as an overpowder wad.
Modern plastic shotshell wads can produce tighter groups especially since BP smoothbores usually pattern at least one choke constriction looser than smokeless guns, and the plastic doesn't usually melt at all.


V.M. Starr on "Muzzle Loading Shotgun Care and Use":
http://members.aye.net/~bspen/starr.html

 

[higene]

Loads

arcticap,

Thank you very much. My shotgun should arrive Thu or Fri this week; next Tue the season opens for bunnies and woodland grouse. I don't have a lot of time to familiarize myself with the weapon.

Higene

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Articap, aren't the shot weights also due to the size of the shot? I have a 70 grain measure, and when I used #6 shot it came out of the measure at 7/8 of an ounce. I have checked the measure, it is non-adjustable and holds the same amount as my adjustable measure set at 70 grains.

Maybe I should try smaller shot and see what happens?

LD

 

[higene]

Loads

As I understand it square loads are the important issue. I'll probably start at 2 1/2 drams and work up to 3. That should do the bunnies in. I'll have to try some clay pigeons later and see how that goes.

I do appreciate the help.

Higene

 

[arcticap]

Table of American Standard Birdshot

Size-Size Diameter-Pellets/10 g Lead
TT 5.84 mm (.230") 8
T 5.59 mm (.220") 10
FF 5.33 mm (.210") 11
F 5.08 mm (.200") 13
BBB 4.83 mm (.190") 15
BB 4.57 mm (.180") 18
B 4.32 mm (.170") 21
1 4.06 mm (.160") 25
2 3.81 mm (.150") 30
3 3.56 mm (.140") 37
4 3.30 mm (.130") 47
5 3.05 mm (.120") 59
6 2.79 mm (.110") 78
7 2.41 mm (.100") 120
8 2.29 mm (.090") 140
9 2.03 mm (.080") 201


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun

There's a specific standard for the diameter of pellets, which determines their weight and the number of pellets per ounce for each shot size. The chart above only provides the number of each size shot per 10 grams which is about 35% of 1 ounce, or 1/3 or 2.95 of an ounce.
So multiply each number for "10 grams of pellets" by 2.95 (or 3 if rounding off) to obtain the approximate number of pellets per ounce for that shot size.

Example:
To determine the number of balls in 1 ounce of #6 shot, multiply
78 X 2.95 = 230.1

Then one can more precisely determine the volume of 1 ounce of that particular shot size to calibrate the volumetric measure for the shot size that they're shooting.
A 1:1 ratio is usually close enough and if in doubt, throw in some more shot because one can never have too much.
The chances are good that it will be needed!