STUPID blackpowder question!!

muckdog

Member
Can you shoot birdshot out of a 50cal gun and hit anything.[turkey at 40 yards] If so how? We have a place that is Blackpowder only and has some nice Gobblers on it. Just want to find out do I have to go and get another barrel or not!!:huh:
 
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potsticker

Guest
Im shure the turkeys would love it. On the other hand, you can cut down on your amount of powder and shoot patched round balls. Ive taken sever old ground rakers, those that make you look silly, they fly out into a field at first light and stay till fly up. Just dont let one get within 100yds of me! Good luck.
 

rayjay

Senior Member
Your pattern would be so spread out that I don't think you could get a quick kill. Just shoot a round ball or better yet a .36 cal if you have one.
 
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redneckcamo

Guest
not gonna werk too good dood!! not much shot an no choke ....be like huntin with a 410 with cylinder bore....
 

Nicodemus

The Recluse
Staff member
Nope. Get you a good blackpowder shotgun, or a large caliber smoothbore that will handle either a patched round ball or shot.
 
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Nope. Get you a good blackpowder shotgun, or a large caliber smoothbore that will handle either a patched round ball or shot.

That's what I was thinking is that to shoot shot from it, it should be a smooth bore correct? I had a good friend that had a double barrel black powder shotgun and man that thing was fun to shoot...

Also, a little off topic but for shooting them with patch and round ball, is a 40 cal a good black powder choice for turkey?
 

muckdog

Member
thanks

Thanks Guy's I knew I would get my answer here!!
 

leoparddog

Senior Member
Patched Round Ball - .50, .45, .40 or .36. They're all good for turkey and small game.

My Father-in-Law, a country boy if there ever was one, would load his .50 caplock with just enough powder to seriously thump a squirrel and kill it with a headshot. He'd then pick up the squirrel and recover the lead ball to be remelted or reshot as needed.
 

Outdoorsnole

Senior Member
Muckdog, what place is that? I've hunted Corbitt some whenever my girlfriend and I go visit her family there.

Does your muzzleloader let you buy a different barrel to put on it like the CVA Optimas? If not then I'd go with buying a new shotgun muzzleloader. Flintlock is the way I'd go but many people would rather go with the inline. I had a friend that shot a turkey with his .50 this year and he hit it in the right spot and didn't damage one bit of meat so it works.

Another thing, a patch round ball works too no matter what caliber because you can change the powder loads so much but if you have newer inline with a twist rate like 1:32 then the roundball accuracy will be horrible.
 

Doyle

Senior Member
I think it's funny that when shooting turkey with a rifle is even mentioned, people start crying "unfair" but when it's a blackpower bullet nobody seems to care. :crazy:
 

leoparddog

Senior Member
Doyle, it goes beyond "seeming to care". In GA, it is legal to hunt turkey with a muzzleloader. I think it goes back to "tradition" as well as a more limited range...The recent changes to "in-lines" that have stretched the effective maximum range sorta negate the arguments though.

I wouldn't doubt that the DNRs will alter the regs at some time to limit it to sidelocks and flintlocks and PRBs
 

Outdoorsnole

Senior Member
I think it's funny that when shooting turkey with a rifle is even mentioned, people start crying "unfair" but when it's a blackpower bullet nobody seems to care. :crazy:

It's legal in FL to kill them with a rifle. I wouldn't do it on public land because if that bullet goes a few hundred yards and hits someone then I'm done. On private land though I might give it a shot. Calling in a bird to close range is fun but someone popping one in the head from a long range requires a skilled shot also and I wouldn't look down on anyone for that.
 

Dewey3

Member
#6 from a 50 cal Muzzleloader

Why not try it? Drop in a powder charge suitable for a 385 gr. buffalo bullet, slide in a couple of 50 cal wads, pour in 385 grains of #6, couple more wads to hold the shot in....test the pattern! you may be surprised!
 

HandgunHTR

Steelringin' Mod
385 grains is equal to .88 ounces (about 7/8 ounces) which is a normal load for a 20 gauge 2-3/4" target shotshell. Not many people would use a target load for turkey. Plus, a .50 caliber muzzleloader has a rifled bore. So, the shot column will come out of the end of the barrel spinning. This tends to open up the pattern rather quickly.

So, if you can get them within about 10 yards, you could probably kill them. After that, I would bet that the pattern opens up to much to be certain.
 

Sutallee

Senior Member
HandgunHTR is right. If you shoot #6 shot out of a rifled barrel, your shot pattern is going to look like a big donut and the shot will scatter so fast that your effective range is going to be only a few yards. You need a smooth bore barrel to fire shot.
 
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redneckcamo

Guest
o k wit me !

Doyle, it goes beyond "seeming to care". In GA, it is legal to hunt turkey with a muzzleloader. I think it goes back to "tradition" as well as a more limited range...The recent changes to "in-lines" that have stretched the effective maximum range sorta negate the arguments though.

I wouldn't doubt that the DNRs will alter the regs at some time to limit it to sidelocks and flintlocks and PRBs
that wouldnt bother me none .....but I dont see it happenin soon !!
 

quigleysharps4570

Senior Member
385 grains is equal to .88 ounces (about 7/8 ounces) which is a normal load for a 20 gauge 2-3/4" target shotshell. Not many people would use a target load for turkey. Plus, a .50 caliber muzzleloader has a rifled bore. So, the shot column will come out of the end of the barrel spinning. This tends to open up the pattern rather quickly.

So, if you can get them within about 10 yards, you could probably kill them. After that, I would bet that the pattern opens up to much to be certain.

Tried that once in my little .40 longrifle.
The shot was about 10 yards at a rabbit...opened up so much I didn't kill it. Was trying to make it's get-away to some brush and stopped that with my .36 revolver.
That was the only shot fired with shot out of it...came home and cleaned the rifle to find it had also leaded real bad.
 
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