recommend muzzle loading shotgun?

[Jackrabbit1957]

I guess I am opinionated, I always preferred a s x s over a stack barrel. I shot my brothers Ithaca SKB and just could not feel the love.

 

[paul harm]

I had one. Traded it to a friend. They were only made one year as a anniversary gun. They had a problem with some where it leaked around the breech plug, but I believe Beretta fixed them. When someone ask them about the breech plugs they said they didn't think anyone was really going to shoot them. Guess they didn't know us Americans very well. I like mine and could probably get it back if I wanted to bad enough. My friend doesn't like cleaning guns - never did figure out why he agreed to the trade in the first place - I got two TC Contenders from him with 5 barrels.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

I heard of leaky breech plugs as well but this was on a Harpers Ferry pistol. Fellow had bought it new and was getting sprayed from the top of the pistol. He was sorely disappointed.

 

[Ironhand54]

The same guns were also imported as kits IIRC. I never heard of any breach problems but I did know a Canadian gunsmith that liked them for building custom trap guns.

IronHand

 

[paul harm]

When I said leaky breech I meant the joint between the breech plugs and barrels would show moisture after a number of firings. I have a 10ga Navy Arms SxS I'd part with if the OP is interested. I did brown the barrels - didn't like the blued ones.

 

[ThomasT]

OP where are you located that you have so many game birds to hunt? We used to have lots of quail here in Tx but it seems like the fire ants have wiped them out in my area. At least I think that what did it. Go further west out towards Abilene and there abouts and you will see them.

I always regretted not buying one of the CVA single shot 12ga guns shown in the Cabelas catalog. Or even one of the T/C New Englander guns with two barrels. I look for them on Auction Arms and Gunbroker but never see them for sale. I don't know how well they work for a shotgun but I see the T/C Renegade .56 caliber smooth bores for sale on GB fairly often.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Any flintlock muskets short and light enough?

I have one of these, and they hunt well. Pedersoli Indian Trade Gun kit https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...3/product_name/FK3370+INDIAN+TRADE+MUSKET+KIT These are cylinder bore so good for quail, but you will need to learn the ins and outs of trade gun shooting. It's not hard; mostly learning how to tailor loads due to the lack of any choke. For upland birds I like a Pedersoli 20 gauge, caplock SxS... https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sc...-by-side-shotgun-classic-standard-cal-20.html which is one barrel with a modified choke, and one cylinder bore, so that will let you go after deer (round ball in cylinder bore barrel) or turkey (modified choke barrel) as well as upland birds.

BUT..., you should also consider an original. Seriously, you can find them for less than a new repro, and in good shooting condition. They are better made in many cases than a repro, and sometimes you find them for about half the price of a new repro. Check gunbroker a few times a week.

LD

 

[midland man]

I have one of these, and they hunt well. Pedersoli Indian Trade Gun kit https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...3/product_name/FK3370+INDIAN+TRADE+MUSKET+KIT These are cylinder bore so good for quail, but you will need to learn the ins and outs of trade gun shooting. It's not hard; mostly learning how to tailor loads due to the lack of any choke. For upland birds I like a Pedersoli 20 gauge, caplock SxS... https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sc...-by-side-shotgun-classic-standard-cal-20.html which is one barrel with a modified choke, and one cylinder bore, so that will let you go after deer (round ball in cylinder bore barrel) or turkey (modified choke barrel) as well as upland birds.

BUT..., you should also consider an original. Seriously, you can find them for less than a new repro, and in good shooting condition. They are better made in many cases than a repro, and sometimes you find them for about half the price of a new repro. Check gunbroker a few times a week.

LD

dave if I may ask, as I too want a bp shotgun and I personally want a 12 gauge so I wonder why everyone wants the 20g over the 12g??

 

[paul harm]

Years ago during the live pigeon shoots, any gauge gun could be used but only a 1 1/4oz load. Many used a 8ga and the second barrel was loaded at less velocity and shot for tighter patterns. This was before chokes were invented. With less shot there was a shorter shot column which meant less shot was pushing against the bottom layers of shot. That and reduced powder charge meant less set back from a reduced " shock " when the charge first went off meant more of the shot stayed round and filled the pattern better. I shoot just old Damascus barreled SxS's and use just 3/4oz in the 12ga and 1oz in the 10. There's hardly any recoil and I get great patterns out to 35 or 40 yards with IC chokes. You could also buy a 10ga and no one says it has to be stoked up. In my Navy Arms 10 I've shot everything from 7/8oz to 1 7/8oz. The bigger the gauge, the more options you have.

 

[midland man]

Years ago during the live pigeon shoots, any gauge gun could be used but only a 1 1/4oz load. Many used a 8ga and the second barrel was loaded at less velocity and shot for tighter patterns. This was before chokes were invented. With less shot there was a shorter shot column which meant less shot was pushing against the bottom layers of shot. That and reduced powder charge meant less set back from a reduced " shock " when the charge first went off meant more of the shot stayed round and filled the pattern better. I shoot just old Damascus barreled SxS's and use just 3/4oz in the 12ga and 1oz in the 10. There's hardly any recoil and I get great patterns out to 35 or 40 yards with IC chokes. You could also buy a 10ga and no one says it has to be stoked up. In my Navy Arms 10 I've shot everything from 7/8oz to 1 7/8oz. The bigger the gauge, the more options you have.

yep in fact I personally rather have at lest a 12g but to 10g is super versatile and I like the bigger gauges!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

dave if I may ask, as I too want a bp shotgun and I personally want a 12 gauge so I wonder why everyone wants the 20g over the 12g??

I don't know that they do..., at least in my case it was a used caplock shotgun for a great price. I wasn't looking to do any waterfowl, so a 20 gauge was fine for me. In some cases, since a LOT of the flintlock, single shot, smooth bores are also in 20 gauge, guys are simply keeping things simple, eh?

NOW if you look on Gunbroker, it's about $75 less for the 12 gauge over the 20, new..., and you can find 12 gauges sometimes even less when used. Since both come in Modified/Cylinder you get a choked barrel and an unchoked barrel, a 12 gauge would work even for waterfowl (using bismuth). The round ball for deer from the right barrel wouldn't be extra recoil, since it's about an ounce of lead, and you'll be used to shooting an ounce to an ounce and a half of shot, so as long as you can figure out the point of aim, a 12 would be good for everything for deer and smaller, flying or not.

LD