Have any of you ever blackpowder hunted waterfowl?

219Zipper · Member Joined: Nov 09, 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Minnesota

I repeatedly wanted to buy a blackpowder shotgun a few years back and take waterfowl hunting to a new level...

Have any of you hunted ducks or geese with a bp shotgun and if so, what particular models/make did you use? I would like to read up on them if you have, and any suggestions or thoughts are appreciated.

44marty

I shot clays with a blunderbuss once. That thing was hard to swing, but we had tons of fun.

Pumpkinslinger

Can't help you there but I've been considering trying my repro 1842 Springfield loaded with shot for turkey.

Elvis

just the thought of trying to front stuff another load fast enough to finish a fast swimming mallard is enough to put me off. I changed from a s/s to a pump to finish of wounded birds easier, watching your dog swimming further and further out into a lake after a lightly winged duck is hard on the blood pressure not to mention the voice box.maybe on a pond???

Aloysius

I would suggest to reload some shotshells using BP or Pyrodex. Same volume BP as shot and or you pick up some wads at the local claypigeonrange, or put 3 or 4 pieces of (unused!) toiletpaper between powder and shot. An over-powder-chart will help. You even can make wads out of news-paper with the right punch.
Don't use toiletpaper wadding (or other burning stuff) in dry nature, you easely make a 1-shot Chrismasstree...
Better not use BP when it's dark, the red sparks blind you even more than the smoke during daytime Smile

Always shoot twice and check what you hit afterwards when the smoke has gone...
Don't forget to wash your barrel with soapy hot water afterwards.

This way you can try it out real cheap and don't loose that much time in the field (as with a frontloader).

Don't forget: in the days I was still smoking, I had lots of respect for blackpowder! I stopped smoking several years ago, but I still have great respect for blackpowder!

I think you can find some interesting data in the little Hodgdon/LEE manual that comes together with the Lee-Load-All (or used to come...)

Ominivision1

Excellent advice Aloysius,

60 grains of ffg or any of the equivalents on the market is about right for
a lite one ounce load. Don't use P grade pyrodex although 60 grains isn't
dangerous it will usually blow your pattern. The standard 12 ga loading
was 89 grains of ffg blackpowder and 11/4 oz of shot. Here is a link to
an excellent page on BP shotgun loading.

BP Shotgun Loading

Elvis

Omni that sounds like a fun idea. you get to try its effectiveness get the sights n sounds and still have the quick back up shot capability.

219Zipper · Member Joined: Nov 09, 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Minnesota

Interesting idea there, Aloysius. I do think my hunting partner downwind will be amused the first time I pull it off without telling him, too. lol

Aloysius

it's even more funny when you lent him a few so-prepared cartridges and he's shooting them without expecting these effects Smile

But don't be mistaken, blackpowder is very good for the cal 12. Till now I never used it in another shotshellcaliber. (but f.e. a full case of BP and a lead bullet in the 7 mm Mauser would also performs better than expected. I myself used a 165 grs copper plated RN)
That's the funny thing about reloading: you never know it all.

Ominivision1

Yup, 3 years ago I went duck hunting with a buddy and took my some of my 12g handloads of bp loaded to 1 1/8oz. I think you can see the evil in me. Very Happy

When the ducks flew in close and I shot, I just about busted a gut LOL and my shooting buddy got all nervous and wondered if I blew up my H&R pump.

I told him no, BP makes lots of smoke, Laughing

and yes I did get 3 ducks with the BP load.

219Zipper · Member Joined: Nov 09, 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Minnesota

lol, thats a heavy load.

my buddy was ALWAYS threatening to load my heavy waterfowl loads with confetti.

That would be pretty darned amusing to take a bead, pull, expect to see a duck falling from the sky and instead a whole sky full of confetti. He never did pull it on me but I was really!!! hesitant borrowing shells from him. Smile