Pattern testing...revisited

[roundball]

Had a well deserved day off yesterday and since I'd added a fringed leather butt cuff to my Flintlock turkey gun I wanted to shoot it to see what, if any, adjustments I might have to make due to the change in stock dimensions.

Also wanted to experiment with some other combinations of power charges and wads...90 grns 3F, 100grns 2F, various numbers of Oxyoke 1/8" wool wads, 1/4" cardboard OP cards, 1/2" cushion wads, etc, etc, etc...and using nickel plated shot I got for turkey season this spring.

It took a few hours, changing and marking up 30 target sheets for 30 different shots, completely returning the bore to its original clean cold condition after every shot...and when it was all over I was back at the same load combination I've used for two years in this 'Full' jug choked .20ga:
80grns Goex 3F
Two 1/8" Oxyoke lubed wads
1+5/8oz #6's (nickel plated this year)
OS card

Anyhow, it was good to get out and shoot for any reason...cloudy, cool, & drizzly which is probably why I never saw another soul...never had a slow fire, never had to touch the flint...just went through 30 pattern test cycles like shooting a .30-30...a great morning at the range.

Two weeks til Turkey time!

[Adam Helmer]

roundball,

I like shot loads in smoothbores. My two favorites are the .50 Hawken flint and 12 gauge single barrel on the .54 Renegade. Our turkey season opens next month and I will carry one or the other arms afield.

Adam

[Johnny Reb]

I'm gonna have to get me a smoothbore for turkey hunting. So much more fun hunting with muzzleloaders.

[roundball]

Right you are...I've taken two with this Flintlock so far and wouldn't trade them for 100 with a Remington 1187 and super duper 3.5" shells and high dollar chokes...did it like the settlers did it...I no longer care about the "how many", just the "how".