Search results

Yes, steel absolutely creates higher pressures. And on top of that, 1 1/2 oz of lead shot was a definitive proof load in the 1800's for a smooth bore 20. You are shooting over proof loads every single shot. It's no wonder everything has warning labels on it nowadays.

I wouldn't be so sure. Even with blackpowder, a 1 1/2 oz load in a 20 gauge has to have sky high pressures, I'm sure north of 10,000 psi. It is insane that people lambasted me for wanting to shoot 1 5/8 oz and 1 3/4 oz loads in my 10 gauge, which probably only run 4,000-5,000 psi. Muzzleloaders...

It is ok to have the flint offset in the jaws so it doesn't hit the barrel. There is no reason it has to be centered, and a lot of "good" locks are purposefully made this way. I doubt the L&R lock is what you are going to want, they are designed to be semi-fits. They are not bigger. If you want...

Bare steel shot, and you are shooting 1 1/2 ounces in a 20 gauge? You are one daring individual.

Have you tried simply using larger flints in the lock you have? If you are currently using 5/8" by 5/8", try a 3/4" by 3/4". You might have to cut a small hole in the leather to get the flint back far enough, but it's worth a shot.

I would never want to limit myself to just one shot size. That kind of defeats the multi-purpose ability of a shotgun. For the bulk of my hunting small game like rabbits, squirrel, pheasant, and anything like that, a #5 lead is my choice. For very small birds like dove and woodcock, it's a #8...

I swear every day I learn of a new model Thompson Center has made. I really want that to come back. The past 20 years TC has laid a creative egg.

Bending a barrel is not my first choice, but on a single barrel, thin wall barrel, it's pretty much the best option if sights cant fix it reasonably. I've done both. I've bent barrels, and I've filed the muzzle. Both are valid ways to go, and both are reversible. You loose a tiny bit of the...

@Britsmoothy, maybe I should have elaborated. You have to bend on a barrel a lot to get it to move. I'm pretty sure those jig bend a barrel .200" before it will spring back and actually take a bend about .005" from original. So yes, you do have to bend them a ways, but it doesn't end up being...

No, it is not that much bending. I've only seen it done to shotgun barrels, which are relatively short compared to this, but it isn't much. Of the people who build bending jigs, it doesn't take much. I don't know the exact math, but it is not like adjusting sights. Bending a barrel .005" makes a...

No you wont. Bending the barrel will send the ball out straight. It would be no different than Britsmoothy's muzzle method. It will hit in line at every distance, and elevation will not be effected unless you bend it that that way. I've never tried to bend a barrel on a full stocked...

It appears Hodgdon and Alliant have a distribution agreement. That's something different, and only makes sense considering Hodgdon's main purpose is as a distributor. It is bizzare that Hodgdon owns as many brands as they do. They are a distributor, not a giant corporation like Vista outdoors...

No they are not. Alliant is owned by Vista Outdoors, and has nothing at all to do with Hodgdon.

Mr. 16 gauge basically said what I'm trying to. I've spent most of my life reloading shotgun, and like anyone, narrowed it down to handful of the best. Hodgdon in just a few years took away every single one except 700x, which I wouldn't be surprised if that goes too now. Components come and go...

You can definitely kill turkeys with body shots. BB, T, and 4 buck used to be a lot more common. BB would be my choice. Almost nobody wing shoots turkeys anymore, and a lot of states don't allow shot bigger than #4 or #2. For a 54 caliber smoothbore, a #7 or #7.5 is the only shot sizes you...

Unlike muzzleloading and blackpowder, smokeless has a reletively narrow window of usage. Real blackpowder is idiot proof. You can load a 10 gauge shotgun with FFFFg or Fg, even cannon grade, it all goes bang. If you take a look a powder burn chart, it may appear there are a crazy number of...

800x was a double based powder. It was such a unique powder, there truly are no powders even close to replacing it. Now we just have to make something else pull double duty somehow. There's other powders that can be used for low pressure 16, 12, and 10 gauge loads, but nothing is as good as...

I'm trying to read this whole thread, but it just seems odd. I can't believe that many people are arguing this. 12L14 is a poor material for making a muzzleloader barrel. You can argue it until you are blue in the face, but it is true. The best barrel makers do not use it. This is coming from...

Closest in quality is Swiss. Goex did not rate their grades the same as Europe, so their performance can't be compared. You can compare velocities, but they use different grades, and different wood/charcoal at the very least. I'm mostly a shotgun shooter, and I love Goex Fg, both regular and...

800x is discontinued? Oh for pete's sakes! They are simply going down the list of powders that can not be replaced, and getting rid of them. I've got the choice of about 6 IMR's, 6 Hodgdon's, and a couple Winchester powder for any single rifle cartridge, 308 Winchester in this case. Why not...