Muzzleloading shotgun questions

[dochunter]

I have a caplock doublebarrel muzzleloading shotgun with Damascus twists barrels that I want to try to use for turkey hunting this spring. According to information in the Dixie Gun Works catalog, this gun should be safe with up to about 82 grains of FFg black powder. I would like to use size 4, 5, or 6 shot and would like some advice about how to maximize the density of the shot pattern and the best loads to try for such a gun. Both barrels measure 0.714 inch. at the muzzle, which, I think, corresponds to cylinder bore. I would also like to use Shockey Gold black powder substitute from American Pioneer Powder instead of black powder for the benefit of less fouling and easier cleanup. This product is supposed to be able to be substituted in equal volumes for black powder, and I think develops less pressure than an equal volume of black powder and would therefore be a safe substitute if I am correct. I want to try some loads and pattern this gun as soon as the weather here permits, so any advice on loads would be appreciated.

[twomoons]

So who has checked the gun over. Are the barrels pitted, do they ring right are the breech plugs rusted? How about the locks, are the hammers ok with their full sheilds in place? Now that we KNOW the gun is safe, what is the gauge, .714 all the way down? Choked? You do know not to use plastic wads right?

After you have considered all that then you can start working up a load. First off if the niples are original replace them as they will probably be shot out. Start with equal volumnes of powder and shot, say 75 grains and the same measure of shot and work up to whare you can penetrate both sides of a tin can or penetrate and severly dent at your intended hunting distance. If the gun is cylinder you will be looking at a turkey range of 25 yards or so, you want 9-11 shot in the head at your hunting range with #4 or #6 and with #6 I would want 11-14. If the gun is in good condition and has been proofed then you could work up to that *2 or a little more. I can offer no advise for B/P substitutes as If I wanted to shoot that stuff i would buy and 870 and just shoot smokeless. If you are having problems cleaning B/P you are not doing it right as it takes NO longer to claen B/P than smokless. Once you have a load in the ball park with equal volumns then try slowly incleasing the shot and see if you pattern better or worse. Start with a hard card over the shot and a 1/2 cushion wad and work the cushion wad up and down to see if you can increase the pattern all the while lookng for holes in the pattern. Yo don't want clupming and holes even is the best. In my gun I am shooting 80 grains of FFg and 1 1/4 Oz. of shot and using a hard card, 1/2" cushion glued to the card and a cork over shot wad. This will let me kill a turkey at about 30 yards with my load of #4 and #6 mixed. In brass shot shells for my B/P double I use 75 grains of FFg and 1 1/4 oz of shot and a hard card and 3/8 cushion wad. I top this with a over shot wad cut from thin cardboard. The breechloader is choked so it is good to 35-40 yards. Plastic will melt at B/P temps and unless you like to clean you should never use a all plastic wad. You can however cut off the bottom of the wad and use the petals to protect the shot with only a little extra cleaning effort. Bill had some old Herter's wads that were un split and he cut off the bases and made a load that didn't open up, it shot like a rifled slug to 20 yard or more. I don't know if he ever used it on a turkey or not.

Now for the bottom line, a tight choke isn't necessary unless yo are a poor hunter. A good hunter should be able to get a spring turkey under 20 yards easy and I know that D/D has kiled more than one at under 10 yards. That is hunting! I know that D/D killed one turkey with a Spanish 28 ga. shotgun at 15 yards or so so get a good even load and then call your bird in.