shot gun muzzle loader

BIGJACK · December 4, 2005, 10:19 PM

Where can I get info on loading my muzzle loader, which is a rifled barrel, for shooting shot. I want to try it on turkey this spring. Will it damage the barrel to shoot shot in it???

Remington kid · December 4, 2005, 10:32 PM

Well, I have never shot any lead shot outof any of my muzzle loading rifles so Im not sure if it would hurt them at all. I would question how tight the pattern would be. As the lead spins down the riffled barrel it would really scatter once it left the muzzle.You would also need some kind of a wad to hold the lead shot in and a card board wad over the powder. It may not be easy to make a heavy wad follow the rifleing as you try to plung it down the rifleing.If you tried to use a wonder patch you would loose all the gasses out the sides and have very limited range or power.
I could be totally wrong here and Im just thinking out loud. I have a 14 gage muzzle loading shotgun so I know a little about what makes them work right.
I do shoot snake loads out of my Remington .44 with no problems but past
10' it looses its pattern real fast.

**4V50 Gary** · December 4, 2005, 11:05 PM

Never tried myself it but I'd use a modern wad to try to hold the shot together longer.

Steve499 · December 6, 2005, 11:23 AM

I used to shoot shot out of an old Spanish 12.5 mm reproduction horse pistol I had back in the 60s. I rolled newspaper around a dowel rod, folded and tied the bottom and filled the tube with shot. They were easy to load but weren't effective past about 20 yards and it was a smoothbore. I don't think any damage would result to the rifling but, like Mike said, the pattern is going to be spread by the rifling. Unless your rifle is .58 or larger, I would be afraid it wouldn't hold a large enough shot charge to be effective on turkeys and even then only at really close range.

Steve

December 4, 2005, 10:19 PM	#1
BIGJACK Junior member Join Date: October 8, 2005 Location: Pell City, Alabama Posts: 287	shot gun muzzle loader Where can I get info on loading my muzzle loader, which is a rifled barrel, for shooting shot. I want to try it on turkey this spring. Will it damage the barrel to shoot shot in it???

December 4, 2005, 11:05 PM	#3
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 22,301	Never tried myself it but I'd use a modern wad to try to hold the shot together longer. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 4, 2005, 10:32 PM	#2
Remington kid Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: South Central West Virginia Posts: 611	Well, I have never shot any lead shot outof any of my muzzle loading rifles so Im not sure if it would hurt them at all. I would question how tight the pattern would be. As the lead spins down the riffled barrel it would really scatter once it left the muzzle.You would also need some kind of a wad to hold the lead shot in and a card board wad over the powder. It may not be easy to make a heavy wad follow the rifleing as you try to plung it down the rifleing.If you tried to use a wonder patch you would loose all the gasses out the sides and have very limited range or power. I could be totally wrong here and Im just thinking out loud. I have a 14 gage muzzle loading shotgun so I know a little about what makes them work right. I do shoot snake loads out of my Remington .44 with no problems but past 10' it looses its pattern real fast.

December 6, 2005, 11:23 AM	#4
Steve499 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Central Missouri Posts: 533	I used to shoot shot out of an old Spanish 12.5 mm reproduction horse pistol I had back in the 60s. I rolled newspaper around a dowel rod, folded and tied the bottom and filled the tube with shot. They were easy to load but weren't effective past about 20 yards and it was a smoothbore. I don't think any damage would result to the rifling but, like Mike said, the pattern is going to be spread by the rifling. Unless your rifle is .58 or larger, I would be afraid it wouldn't hold a large enough shot charge to be effective on turkeys and even then only at really close range. Steve