# STUPID blackpowder question!!



## muckdog (Jan 25, 2008)

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!!


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## potsticker (Jan 25, 2008)

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.


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## rayjay (Jan 25, 2008)

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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## quigleysharps4570 (Jan 25, 2008)

I'd get another barrel.


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## redneckcamo (Jan 25, 2008)

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


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## Nicodemus (Jan 25, 2008)

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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## turky93 (Jan 25, 2008)

id look into buying the knight TK2000. specially for turkeys


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## pfharris1965 (Jan 25, 2008)

*...*



nicodemus said:


> 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?


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## muckdog (Jan 25, 2008)

*thanks*

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


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## leoparddog (Jan 25, 2008)

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.


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## Outdoorsnole (Jan 25, 2008)

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.


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## Doyle (Jan 25, 2008)

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.


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## leoparddog (Jan 25, 2008)

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


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## Outdoorsnole (Jan 25, 2008)

Doyle said:


> 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.



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.


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## Dewey3 (Jan 25, 2008)

*#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!


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## HandgunHTR (Jan 25, 2008)

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.


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## Sutallee (Jan 25, 2008)

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 (Jan 25, 2008)

*o k wit me !*



leoparddog9 said:


> 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 !!


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## quigleysharps4570 (Jan 26, 2008)

HandgunHTR said:


> 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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