Shotgun games with blackpowder

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Packman

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Howdy howdy, THR.

So, I had a small chuckle today. I normally shoot trap with an 870 Express. I often get some looks from the "by the book" guys shooting high dollar over/under and single shot break actions. They don't like "punk kids" like me shooting my "loud ammo." (Side note...I once had a guy complain to the RSO that my ammo was too loud. I was shooting 3 dram federals at the time. Factory ammo. teehee.) (Second side note: I may be a kid, but I'm no punk.)

So, after shooting my 1858 remington today, and seeing it throw enormous clouds of smoke, I happened to think of all the commotion it would cause among all the stodgy old codgers at the range if I were ever to light off a BP shotgun on the trap field.:evil:

Now, don't get me wrong, I have no intent of doing such a thing. I don't even have a BP longarm. I'm aware it would probably be a fairly rude thing to do. But the thought of their reactions makes me chuckle.:what::neener:

Anyone ever shot any of the various shotgun games with a blackpowder firearm?
 
Packman,

Not long ago I was shooting smokeless loads in my .45 Colt SAA at my gun club. I had a half box of black powder loads (35 grains of FFFg) which I wanted to shoot up so I could clean the brass. After I touched off the first round the folks nearby asked if I was OK. When I emptied the cylinder, the husband came over to tell me to stop as my ammo was "overloaded." I assured him this was normal and he went back to shooting with his wife. After the second 5 rounds he announced that I was crazy and he and is wife were leaving the range because they were sure I was about to be injured in an explosion and they didn't want to see it. They reported me to the RSO who came over and told me to knock it off or leave. No amount of explanation would suffice for those who think they know everything. I have a lot of work to do teaching the "experts" about black powder.
 
HAHAHAHA!!!!! That is pretty funny!!! So how do the guys test cowboy action loads at the range? Just the other day I was talking to a friend that shoots skeet, he was telling me how they had slipped a BP reload into one of his shooting partners box. I guess the results were pretty spectacular, shut the range down temporarily, and just about gave the guy a heart attack. I think the worst part was that they had to clean his shotgun after that little prank.
 
Just Load up a few Shells with 2 F Black Powder...and, fire them in your usual Shotgun.


Uncrimp and empty out any usual Shell you would have on hand, and, replace the Powder Volume for Volume with the BP, and, replace the other elements neatly, and recrimp.


If anyone says anything about the enormous Smoke Cloud, let alone, the lowish resounding "BOOM!", just turn a little, and say "You talkin' to me?" - You know, kinda like Travis was doing, in 'Taxi Driver' when practicing in front of the Mirror...( with safe, approved Muzzle direction, maintained, of course...)


Lol...


There is never anyone else at the Range I go to, for any one to ever comment on anything!


The indoor Range here does not allow BP to be used, far as I recall.

The Trap and Skeet Club I used to shoot at, I have no idea where they are at far as BP Loads in Shotgun.

I will find out sometime.

Kinda hard to imagine they'd care one way or the other, long as they knew everything was safe and alright and that the smoke and report are going to be a little different.
 
I have used a double 12 bp muzzleloading shotgun for 5 stand sporting clays a few times. The only down side is the length of time it takes to reload; they 5 stand throwers typically want the shooter to be ready in 30 seconds or less after each round is fired. As long as I don't do it every weekend, however, they're all pretty tolerant of the reloading time, especially as it always draws a crowd and they get a few more shooters for the next event.

I have 3 double 12 muzzleloaders:
CVA kit gun I built in 1980:
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Pietta/Navy Arms:
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Pedersoli:
P1150090.jpg
 
Azyogi...You, sir, have a wild imagination. I like it. :D I get yelled at enough with my lowly pump gun, I'd LOVE to take a howda out there! :evil:(This would imply that I HAD a howda...which'd rock!)

(Note-no one actually yells at me at the range. That wouldn't be tolerated by me or anyone else. I'm being mildly sarcastic in this thread.):p

Curator, I'll tell you what, when I lit off the first shot today, some heads sure enough WHIPPED around to see just what the heck had happened. :what: It was quite fun. No one said anything to me, but the RSO was standing pretty close to me.

Oyeboten and 45fan, I was on the trap field a little while back and the guy next to me goes "PULL!" and then I hear "BLAM!" and all I see is confetti from the line clear to the house. One of his buddies slipped a reload with confetti instead of shot into his bag. It was quite amusing. Apparently, a bunch of guys had been waiting all day for him to shoot that particular box and were all clustered around watching.:evil:
 
Mykeal,
I like your guns!

I'm itching something fierce for a SxS shotgun. I want something I can shoot modern shells out of though, since I'd really like to get into Cowboy Action. I'm hoping to go check out the nearest club next month, but it looks like I might not be able to make it and will have to wait until October.
 
The 10ga pedersoli is a bit heavy to swing on the trap range,but once you get it ,dust em w/1 1/4oz and 100gr ffg!
The 20 ga is wonderful for phesant and chuckers,1 oz w/75gr ffg or fffg,will smoke birds in field or range.
I love to take out Elsie for a trip,tight choked 12LC Smith,1oz and 75gr ffg w/fiber wads either a miss or dust.Plastic hulls only stand about two loadings,but they're free if you use the cheapies and you should. Track of the Wolf,or Ballistic Products will have what you need.
 
Did someone say HOWDAH?

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I have not tried to shoot skeet with her, yet, but this thread does indeed give me some very good ideas and I do plan on trying that.
 
Blacknet,

Please try shooting skeet with your howda! I'd love to hear how it works out.

If nothing else, it'll be a heck of a conversation starter at the skeet field!

Sure is a nice looking gun. Someday, someday...
 
some of those stodgy old codgers may be taking their favorite game seriously, and are enjoying shooting a fine single barrel trap gun that they worked hard to afford.
One of the reasons those guys appear to be "by the book" is that there is a book....one with rules in it. The rules apply to the type of ammo that can be used for the sport. Some of those guys have probably read "the book" and know the rules. If you wish to break the rules....you may be asked to leave.
No offence intended....just fact.

When there are five guys standing only a few feet away, maybe a puller and a scorer too.....they tend to get uneasy feelings when someone is shooting weird loads.
 
I shoot both a muzzle loading shotgun and black powder cartridges on both the trap and skeet fields pretty regularly. A group of us get together and shoot muzzle loading trap about once a month at the Aurora Gun Club near Denver. The vast majority of other trap shooters seem to get a kick out of watching us. However, I am not sure how they would feel about one of us joining their squad.

Last Tuesday was the last day of my summer skeet league and the scores did not count towards the overall results. I shot my Remington 1900 SxS with black powder cartridges. Everyone, including the Class AAA shooters enjoyed seeing the clouds of smoke coming out of my gun. In fact one of the better shooters put his $10K Perazzi in the rack and shot a round with my Remington SxS. He shot 25 straight with the SxS and black powder cartridges.

The better shooters would probably have slightly different view if the scores counted and there was money on the line. However, I have always thought that those guys take things a little too seriously. I started shooting to have fun. If I am not having fun, it is time to stop shooting.


The only time that I have been run off a range was at Colorado Clays which is just north of Denver. The Range Office was afraid that my muzzle loader was going to ignite the dry grass on the skeet field. I doubt that there was much danger of starting a fire, but I guess it is better to be safe than sorry.
 
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Now, don't get me wrong, I have no intent of doing such a thing. I don't even have a BP longarm. I'm aware it would probably be a fairly rude thing to do.
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Bailey, for your convenience, I've reproduced the second to last line of my original post.

Relax, I'm rather familiar with the danged ATA rulebook. However, the only rule we're shooting under in the rounds I shoot is safety. I don't shoot regulation matches. I can appreciate going out to enjoy a gun you've worked hard to afford. That is precisely what I'm doing when I go to the range. If it were blackpowder I was shooting, I'd do just that. I'd probably have my fun on field #2, where no one else was shooting.

Moose owner, that's awesome! I'd love to shoot a round with a SxS, much less blackpowder. I'm itching something fierce for a SxS anyway.

I can kinda understand their concern with the dry grass. In my locale right now, however, we don't have much of anything dry...
 
blacknet, that is one purdy Howdah, did you do the carving and browning?
 
My best friend and I like to break out the old CVA 12 ga. SxSs for a few rounds of trap every few months but we only do it when we have a trap field to ourselves. Reloading is just too slow to inconvenience other shooters (although we often get an audience). If you have a ML shotgun, I encourage trying it. It is a lot of fun.

For many years my only "modern" shotgun was an old Higgins 12 ga. bolt action. It got a few sneers from the umpty-thousand dollar gun guys.(BTW, the sneers faded when I outshot them or held my own. :neener: I'm a decent wingshot.) But the older shooters smiled since they often started out with such a gun as youngsters and it brought back a lot of good memories. More than one asked to try it for a few birds (this wasn't a competition, just recreational) and had a great time.

Now to pick up an old SxS or H&R Topper shotgun and load up some black powder shells. That would be fun.

Jeff
 
i reload 12 guage. In fact brings up the fact that i mixed about 40 shells of black powder loads with regular loads. i had a steel ammo can with 12 guage shells i loaded with smokeless. Then a few months later i loaded up a whole mess of black powder shells. I kept them seperate in the closet. Well i came home 1 day from work and the closet was clean. Wife said she put the box of shells in the steel ammo can as it was only 3/4 full. i didnt say anything. Later on went and opened up the ammo can. Yep you cant tell. So i shot probably about 20 rounds out of the can of about 300. So i couldnt tell you how many in there may be black powder or not. I can tell you most of the time people will stop shooting and look over to see what happened. When they see all the smoke especially the smoke coming from my barrel. I had a guy once tell me "dont shoot you just blew up your barrel". its pretty cool though. only problem is you just dont know what round your shooting until you pull the trigger



Talking about trap shooting. I love to take my drop barrel single shot NEF 12 guage to the range. especially when i know which are the bp shells. i will put a lot more shot in the mix so i am guaranteed to hit down clays with it. Jaws pretty much drop when they see me shooting.
 
The better shooters would probably have slightly different view if the scores counted and there was money on the line. However, I have always thought that those guys take things a little too seriously


"The better shooters take things a little too seriously"........hmmmmmmm

I think there is a gem hidden in there somewhere.
 
Packman,
I have no desire to upset or offend anyone here.
I have spent LOTS of time at the trap range. If you want to learn anything about the game those 'ol farts are the ones to watch.

I happened to think of all the commotion it would cause among all the stodgy old codgers at the range if I were ever to light off a BP shotgun on the trap field.
Click to expand...

I'm just standing up for the old codgers. They are probably the ones that cut the grass; haul the targets; load the traps; pick up the empties; sweep the walks; fix the traps; work on the lights; and scrub the urinal every week.
 
Kbbailey,
Don't worry, I'm not offended. The whole point of my thread is jest.

I don't dispute that many of the old guys on the range are excellent wingshots and much can be learned from them. Some of the others, however, are codgers. They come, shoot, BS and then leave.

In terms of club maintenance, that'd be me. There's a reason I'm liked by the RSO's. I'm often one of the last to leave because I stick around to clean up hulls, break down the line, take out the trash and reload the house. I believe firmly in pulling my weight.

So, if the thought of surprising a couple of old guys whom I don't like and who aren't much impressed with skill with a pumpgun strikes me funny, I'd like to let some others in on the fun. Don't get uptight. That's what a codger would do. Come have some fun with all the cool kids.;)
 
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