Turkey guns

[Red leaf 67]

 There have been some interesting discussions about what would be a good ML for turkey. I was lucky to find a 12 ga. Traditions shotgun back around 1990(traded a marlin model 60 & some cash for it) It has a straight English style stock, 28 inch cylinder bore barrel, very light to carry. I have only used it for grouse, rabbits, & trap shooting. Because its cylinder bored I imagine I would have to use some kind of shot cup or wad column & keep shots close maybe 20-25 yds. This gun is just the thing for upland game, but i never experimented with loads or patterned it using wads or shot cups to see how it does for turkey. I'm guessing #4 or #5 shot would be best. I currently shoot it with about 85 grains 3f, heavy fiber wad(about5/8 thick), 1 1/8 oz. shot, two thin overshot cards. There must be other guns out there besides the TC New Englander or custom smoothbores for people wanting a gun for bird/turkey/upland hunting. Oh, the only markings on the Traditions I have is........  CL 12(12 ga.) Ardesa Spain Black powder only ( yeah, it's an import  ). Regards, Red Leaf

[Sabotloader]

Red leaf 67

oneshot12 on this forum might a really good resource for your information.  Might PM him and ask your questions. 

As for myself - I am totally uneducated in this part of ML shooting, although I believe that a Knight TK2000 is a very popular bird getter.



http://www.knightrifles.com/TK2000-Realtree-Muzzleloader-Straight/

From here - I am zero help!

mike

[oneshot12]

       you can give this  a try  this might be of some help working up a turkey load   

                               Working up turkey loads for optimum pattern density.

In reading about recommendations for loading shot in smoothbores, we often come across references to the use of fiber wads, felt wads and heavy over-powder cards.  Far be it from us to pretend that we know it all when it comes to shooting shot loads. However, it seems to be clear and reasonable when you stop and consider this; if the component over the powder is heavier than any individual shot pellet, it is very possible that the heavy component will overtake the shot charge after it leaves the muzzle and hit it. This quite often results in splotchy patterns or donut hole patterns. Sound familiar? If you've suffered this occurrence, here is a loading tip that might help put a longbeard on the table. This pertains to cylinder bore guns, but can be used in choked guns also. We recommend using  only over-shot cards on the POWDER charge, if you want a tight pattern . The reason is that the light cards, say 3 or 4, seal the gases upon ignition and as they exit the muzzle, being light, they don't follow the charge and disturb it. They tend to go to the sides and leave the charge flying straight. If you desire a tight pattern for turkeys, purchase either nickel-plated, copper-plated, bismuth or any other HARD shot (not steel) of your choice. The reason for hard shot is this. If a round pellet stays round, it will fly straight. And by extension, 500 round pellets will fly straight if they stay round. When they get flattened or mis-shaped by the crush of the powder igniting, they will not fly straight and you will get many flyers. Bismuth may be the best because it is almost as dense and heavy as lead shot and almost as hard as steel. So it has the penetration of lead, but stays round for true flight to the target.

The suggested loading procedure for maximum pattern density is this;

Using your shot dipper as a powder measure, pour down a set amount ( example; 1 1/8 oz of volume for a 20 ga.),  then seat 3-4 overshot cards on the powder to pack it and push out any air. Then take a single overshot card and push it down the bore approx. 3 inches. Now, take that same volume of shot, as used for the powder measuring, and drop it down onto the card where it will be visible. Then take a dipper full of cornmeal  muffin mix ( not straight corn meal) and drop onto the shot. Tap the side of the barrel ( keep head and eyes from in front of muzzle!) until the shot works it's way to the top and the cornmeal has worked down into the shot charge. This will provide a buffering element so that when the powder ignites, the shot will push against the meal not the other shot pellets. Then place one overshot card on the shot load and seat it on the powder. The reason to use the muffin mix and not the straight corn meal is that there are sugars and fats added to the mixture that aren't present in the straight corn meal. Apparently, these pack somewhat and allow the charge to be bunched up for short distance from the muzzle, helping to give you a great pattern. We recommend using no. 7 or 7 1/2 size shot for turkeys for the pattern density. These size pellets will penetrate a gobbler's skull at 26-28 yards which is about as far as one should shoot at a turkey with a cylinder bore gun anyway. If this load does not give you a good pattern, try using one less increment of powder as thrown by your shot charger, so that you are using just a little more shot . If you are using choked guns, you can go to the bigger shot sizes. By all means experiment with your gun to see which loads pattern best for THAT PARTICULAR GUN. Sometimes, a gun will throw a better pattern when LESS shot and powder are used. And by using the corn muffin mix when you shoot a turkey, the bird is already smoked and breaded and ready for the frying pan when you pick it up.
Hope this is some help Red  Leaf

[Hangfire]

I have taken turkeys with three different muzzle loaders. The most have been a 12 ga flint cylinder bore. I started out with 90 gr 2-f and over powder card then equal volume of number 6 shot as powder and over shot card. Used this on grouse in my flint and side by side CVA with OK results. Took first turkey with this load. I then heard of the unsloted plastic shot cups. These are a 2 piece shot cup that is a plastic tube with no slots. There is a fitted base to go over the powder. I used this in the flint and killed turkeys to 35 yards. In fact one bird that was hit in neck was almost decapitated. I also missed two birds at under 10 yards as I was holding just above the head. I found in pattering the gun that on occasion the shot never left the shot cup, like shooting a slug. I have been the last few years using a longer  slotted plastic shot cu. I now load  90 gr 2-f a over powder card board card, the shot cup filled with 90 or 100 grain volume equivalent of number 6 or 5 shot and a over  shot card. This works well in both the flint and the CVA but not the New Englander with a imp cylinder choke. I just bought some ox yoke dry treated powder cards but have not tried them. I now empty the shot gun when home from hunting by putting a pop can out at 25 yards just to check I never have under 9 pellets in it more often 12-15. I have only lost 1 bird and that was the New Englander. I will not use it until I experiment more with it.

I have taken some where around 10-12 turkeys with the muzzle loader. Most are under 20 yards.