want schooling on blackpowder shotguns please??

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Well the cap and powder is the same and the shot is the same between gauges, and I cut my own cards, and wads for my 12 gauge. I've also made my own paper shot cups, but prefer not to use a cup after experimenting.
So I don't see a real advantage between bore sizes based on availability.
I'd still recommend the 12 over the 10 if you are planning any small game hunting. Do you really want to be the guy hunting rabbits or squirrels with a 10 gauge?!??!!

 

[noelf2]

I'd still recommend the 12 over the 10 if you are planning any small game hunting. Do you really want to be the guy hunting rabbits or squirrels with a 10 gauge?!??!!

I recommend the 10 gauge over the 12 gauge, mainly because the 10 gauge percussion shotgun can almost achieve modern 12 gauge performance and can reach out to turkeys, ducks, and geese. I have the 10, and keep a turkey load in one barrel and a light squirrel/rabbit load in the other. 10 and 11 gauges have taken lots of small game. Nothing wrong with it IMHO.

I also have a Belgium made .410 double barrel percussion shotgun. It's at least 130 years old, and still in great shape. I can use the same felt wads I use in my percussion .44 revolvers. A hoot to shoot, but have to keep to light loads, and about 25 yards. Here's both my double barrels:

 

[midland man]

View attachment 226813

I recommend the 10 gauge over the 12 gauge, mainly because the 10 gauge percussion shotgun can almost achieve modern 12 gauge performance and can reach out to turkeys, ducks, and geese. I have the 10, and keep a turkey load in one barrel and a light squirrel/rabbit load in the other. 10 and 11 gauges have taken lots of small game. Nothing wrong with it IMHO.

I also have a Belgium made .410 double barrel percussion shotgun. It's at least 130 years old, and still in great shape. I can use the same felt wads I use in my percussion .44 revolvers. A hoot to shoot, but have to keep to light loads, and about 25 yards. Here's both my double barrels:

wow very nice I bet the 410 is a squirrel getter! I like both shotguns you have listed, very nice!!

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

View attachment 226813

...10 gauge percussion shotgun can almost achieve modern 12 gauge performance and can reach out to turkeys, ducks, and geese. I have the 10, and keep a turkey load in one barrel and a light squirrel/rabbit load in the other. 10 and 11 gauges have taken lots of small game. Nothing wrong with it IMHO..:

The beauty of a percussion shotgun is the ability to customize every load, so yes a 10 gauge can definitely be set up for squirrel, but you still might get teased a bit for bringing a 10 gauge to the squirrel hunt. although, I figure most folks shooting BP probably have pretty thick skin, and when you show off your game bag and the squirrels are not blown to smithereens, you can get the last laugh.

Is your barrel rated for steel shot?
How are you dealing with lead free shot on the ducks and geese?

 

[noelf2]

and when you show off your game bag and the squirrels are not blown to smithereens, you can get the last laugh.

That has happened!

The 10 gauge has chrome lined bores, but I still haven't shot any steel through it. It takes choke tubes, and I keep a full turkey choke in the left barrel, a modified in the right. You may also notice in the picture if you look close that I replaced the nipples with 209 primer adapters, but I usually use musket nipples and caps. It came with #11 nipples, and they probably would work fine, but I like a bit more fire in the hole. Haven't been after geese yet, but it's in the works.

 

[noelf2]

Here's my squirrel gitter. 20 gauge fowler.

 

[midland man]

View attachment 226825
Here's my squirrel gitter. 20 gauge fowler.

oh my god! I love flintlocks and Dixie gun works has a singleshot 12g flintlock shotgun it's very expensive for $1495 and I really wished they had it in 10g but that 12g is well makes me want it lol! but I wished they made a 10g version in flintlock but have also been considering a double barrel percussion models! I bet that 20g is sweet!!

 

[Jim Watson]

Although directed to breechloaders, there is a lot of interesting discussion of load balance in 'The Gun and its Development' by W.W. Greener.
Gun trials conducted by periodicals like The Field were popular in England and makers like Holland's and Greener got a lot of advertising mileage out of the results.

Shotguns were tested for pattern and penetration, there being no consumer chronographs in those days. One sneaky move was to use a light load that would shoot tight on the pattern board and a heavy load that would drive pellets through a lot of sheets of cardboard in the penetration box. Greener suggested a fairer comparison would be to put the penetration box or pad in the middle of the pattern board. I don't think his competitors thought much of that.
The "square load" is a light, tight shooting load.

 

[Armored farmer]

I punch my own over powder and over shot cards. I have found that the cardboard punched from a coors light long neck carrier to be superior to any other source. I insist on buying them occasionally for the cardboard.

 

[Armored farmer]

You sxs shooters may already know this...if not take notice....
I fired 3 shots from my left barrel last fall turkey hunting. I didn't realize that the heavy hunting loads had loosened my charge in the right barrel. When I pulled the trigger on the right barrel, trying to anchor a turkey.....i got a squib. I'm not sure that there was any shot left in the barrel.
Now when I reload a barrel...i at least "feel " the other barrel with the ramrod.

 

[midland man]

so is there not a way to maybe go a little tighter with the wads so that the other load in the other barrel won't loosen up??

 

[Armored farmer]

I think that anytime you're shooting 3dram 1 1/4 loads. ..you potentially loosen up the other barrel. Especially multiple times.

Of course the problem is eliminated with a cartridge gun.

 

[Jim Watson]

kb is right, it is or should be standard practice to reseat the unfired barrel when you reload the fired barrel of a double. Of course if you fire both barrels, you will be starting from scratch. The wads should have been tight enough to stand one kick. Should.

 

[midland man]

so guys can someone tell me what the min/max safe loads are for the 10g and 12g bp shotguns? or is there only one fixed safe load for these shotguns??

 

[44-henry]

Lot's of different loads. I remember using 110 grains and 1 1/2 ounce loads in my Pedersoli 10 when hunting goose in North Dakota and took a lot of snow, mallards, and a few honkers with that gun/combo.

I also had a Navy Arms 12 gauge that I used a lot on ducks, shot a few geese with it but generally liked the 10 better for those. Black powder shotguns are a lot of fun. I did use steel in my chrome bore Pedersoli's on occasion, but much preferred shooting bismuth in them for waterfowl.