Hi folks I have a 1795 Springfield musket that my FIL found in the wall of an old farmhouse he was remodeling. It has been converted to percussion and 11" cutoff the barrel the middle band has been removed and the end one moved back. Online research tells me that the percussion conversion was common back in the day and that the confederates often did it during the civil war. Research also tells that many of these guns were shortened and used as shotguns buy farmers and hunters after the war. The stock is stamped USTATES under neath just behind the trigger guard and US on the right side as well as on the lock, the gun is fairly clean although rusty brown but very little pitting. I would like to shoot this gun but with shot not a ball and I would first like to shoot with just a light powder load behind a wad of paper. How do reannacters do it? I do shoot black powder quite often both percussion and flint long rifles as well as 1851 navy 36 cal. so I am not totally new but never a smooth bore. I was thinking first try would be 50 gr fff behind a wad of news paper. then go from there. Full length pictures said to large to upload.