Osage Roost

All Hunting => The Ol' Skinnin' Shack => Topic started by: Old Geezer on April 25, 2012, 07:22:13 AM

Title: Iowa
Post by: Old Geezer on April 25, 2012, 07:22:13 AM
An old hen gave me a good lesson in calling.  I heard her soft yelping behind me and decided to try and wind her up with cutts and aggressive yelping on my pill bottle call.  She came back just as agressively.  We went back and forth for about five minutes.  The commotion had it's effect.  As she was walking off, three gobblers came out of the timber and I took the closest one at 19 yards with my muzzle loader.  The two year old had a 10" beard and 1" spurs.

Ralph

(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k273/yelper_2006/2012-04-18093728.jpg)
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: AlabamaDave on April 25, 2012, 08:04:00 AM
Sounds like you had A blast!..Congrats with that smoke pole!
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: charlieparrish on April 25, 2012, 08:09:40 AM
Great picture,Ralph...and a nice bird!....what kind of load are you stuffing down that fine double?
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: Silverspur on April 25, 2012, 08:15:11 AM
Ralph, Congrats on a fine hunt and gobbler!  *up*
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: Old Geezer on April 25, 2012, 11:13:30 AM
Great picture,Ralph...and a nice bird!....what kind of load are you stuffing down that fine double?

What I finally settled on for a good load in my vitage muzzleloader is, 1 1/4 oz, #7 nickel plated shot with equal volume of 2F blackpowder or 85 grains.  Both barrels in my percussion gun I shoot are cylinder bored 12 ga .730 twist steel barrels.  On top of the powder goes an 1/8 over powder card, a 1/2 cushion wad.  A Ballistics Products BP12 shot cup, cut down to hold the 1 1/4oz of shot, and having four 5/8" slits, is dropped in the barrel and then shot poured in.  An over shot card cut from an egg crate, with an old choke tube goes last.

The componets all have their purpose and work together to make a good killing pattern at 25yds max. Over powder wad acts as a gas seal.  The cushion wad helps to seal gases too but also keeps the fire from melting the plastic shot cup.  BP12 cups are low friction cups due to the 16 or so raised ribs on their exterior.  You have to custom cut them to suit your needs.  I still want to experiment with modifying the cups.  You know you have gone to far when the cup does not separate from the shot in flight.  My patterns are 26" wide at 25 yds. and when you are sighting down a plain rib of an old gun that is about right to get the job done.  
Muzzle loading SxS guns are really versitile.  You can load a plain lead ball with over shot card or patched ball and all sizes and types of buckshot and bird shot. The most important part of loading is consistency there are so many variables in the loading process.  

Ralph
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: Rockfish on April 25, 2012, 11:25:35 AM
Congratulations Ralph. Fine work indeed.

Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: AlanKrow on April 25, 2012, 02:20:14 PM
Congrats Ralph,
nice gobbler with a smoke pole.. *cheers*
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: Shadetree Callers on April 25, 2012, 02:29:00 PM
Congrats on smokin' a good gobbler Ralph !
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: GR8CALLS on April 25, 2012, 03:04:47 PM
 Nice gobbler, Ralph! Congrats on the smoke pole harvest!  *up* *up* *up* *up*

Bill
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: Ferguson on April 25, 2012, 03:16:41 PM
That is really something. *cheers*
congratulations
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: hunter22 on April 25, 2012, 05:50:53 PM
Congrats on the fine gobbler with the muzzle loader. That would be a challenge for sure.
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: ncturkey on April 26, 2012, 06:11:10 AM
Nice looking smokepole gobbler. Congrat's
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: ncturkey on April 26, 2012, 06:16:38 AM
Sounds like you have great load for success. At 25 yards or 19 yards in this case is very up close and personnal with an old gobbler. I bet you were pretty pumped to take one with that old smoothbore smokepole.
Great picture,Ralph...and a nice bird!....what kind of load are you stuffing down that fine double?

What I finally settled on for a good load in my vitage muzzleloader is, 1 1/4 oz, #7 nickel plated shot with equal volume of 2F blackpowder or 85 grains.  Both barrels in my percussion gun I shoot are cylinder bored 12 ga .730 twist steel barrels.  On top of the powder goes an 1/8 over powder card, a 1/2 cushion wad.  A Ballistics Products BP12 shot cup, cut down to hold the 1 1/4oz of shot, and having four 5/8" slits, is dropped in the barrel and then shot poured in.  An over shot card cut from an egg crate, with an old choke tube goes last.

The componets all have their purpose and work together to make a good killing pattern at 25yds max. Over powder wad acts as a gas seal.  The cushion wad helps to seal gases too but also keeps the fire from melting the plastic shot cup.  BP12 cups are low friction cups due to the 16 or so raised ribs on their exterior.  You have to custom cut them to suit your needs.  I still want to experiment with modifying the cups.  You know you have gone to far when the cup does not separate from the shot in flight.  My patterns are 26" wide at 25 yds. and when you are sighting down a plain rib of an old gun that is about right to get the job done.  
Muzzle loading SxS guns are really versitile.  You can load a plain lead ball with over shot card or patched ball and all sizes and types of buckshot and bird shot. The most important part of loading is consistency there are so many variables in the loading process.  

Ralph
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: jmck on April 26, 2012, 10:12:37 AM
Congrats RaLPH
Thats a neat way to do battle with a gobbler
Title: Re: Iowa
Post by: Zumer on April 26, 2012, 02:19:42 PM
Congrats on the smokepole gobbler, Ralph..

     I'll be sure to let Snozz know of your success....