CVA Side by Side (12 gage)

[Dave Rosenthal]

Thanks to both Paul and fowlonthebrain!

Sounds like some experimentation is in order...these things seem to have a mind of their own, just like the rifles!

This clay bird shoot we're going to tomorrow is being run by club members with one of those simple $25.00 throwers you can get at any sporting goods store. So the birds aren't moving THAT fast, but they do drop quicker than if thrown from a commercial thrower like a Lincoln brand that a few of my friends have.

I figured that since the loading (in the last competition, where I smacked 8 out of 10 birds)in the borrowed 12 gauge was about 65 grains of 2Fg, that I should give the birds some extra lead to compensate for the muzzle velocity drop as compared to even a light 2 3/4 dram "12 gauge light" of Remington manufacture. Those Remmy loads use a full case of shot: 1 1/8 oz. My timing in clay birds is already adjusted to those lighter than usual centerfire loads, so I simply gave the BP scattergun more of a lead AND GOT ON THE BIRD QUICKLY ON IT'S WAY UP! This seemed to do the trick, as most of the birds were "dusted". I did have to remember to try and not look over the stock as I was snapping the trigger, to see if I broke the bird through the big cloud of BP smoke, as this was most probably the reason that I had missed the other two birds :shake:

In speaking with a very good friend of mine that I do upland hunting with for quail and pheasant, I mentioned that I was making the purchase of this 10 gauge and the results of the last competition. I broached the idea of going "afield" with this new scattergun and he mentioned to me that he had heard from one of his older shooting buddies that this buddy actually took a ballpeen hammer to some of the shot before loading it in his BP shotgun, in an attempt to cause a few fliers to widen the pattern even more?

My hunting friend and I discussed the possibility of me bringing the 10 gauge pheasant hunting this next season. I then contemplated whether or not a mixed load of #8 and #6 shot would give a better result: some #8's in there to "soften-up" the up-close devistation of the meat that an ounce and a half of #6 would cause, and the #6's would slightly extend the range of the gun a few slight yards and deliver a little more energy down range. What do you hunters think about that idea?

Oh, and another THANKS to the original poster, as I must apologize for stealing the thread :redface: I will say this though...scatterguns are FUN no matter who makes em, and the advice written into this thread is good for any brand gun! Thanks again to all!

Dave

 

[Lorne Johnson]

FFFg seems a little fine for a ten guage. Pedersoli recommends 95 grs, but that would be Fg or FFg.

1 1/2 oz shot should be adequate for targets.

How is it choked?

 

[paulvallandigham]

I would recommend down loading the 10 gauge to light 12 ga, or 16 gauge loads for shooting close range trap targets. 3 drams of FFg powder, or Fg powder, and 1 oz of shot should be more than sufficient to break targets. I use #8 shot for Trap, both at 16 yard, and Handicap yardages- but switch to #7 1/2 Shot when its windy and gusty.

I do not recommend mixing shot sizes. #6 or #5 will do adequately for all birds. On close flushing birds, either let them get out a ways before slapping the trigger, or shoot to the side of their heads to hit the head with pellets from the side of the pattern. Its not as difficult as it sounds. I had a bird get up from a tall brush pile less than 5 yds for me, and he tried to duck down on the otherside of the pile to put it between the two of us. I shot to the right side of him, broke his right wing, and put 2 pellets into the back of his skull for an instant kill. At my shot, a pheasant on the opposite side of the pile got up, flying towards me. My hunting buddies both fired at the bird and missed. I shot the bird at about 3 feet off the muzzle, holding in front of its beak, so that ONLY 1 pellet hit it in the head, under the chin. It hit the ground at my feet, and I put my left foot on it to hold it down until the rest of the pheasants flushed. I Killed a third bird with my last shot, reloaded, and then attended to the bird under foot that was still flopping around. I was shooting 1 1/8 oz. of #6 shot on that hunt. It was several years later that I made the decision to use #5 shot for shooting birds, other than dove.

The true benefit of having such a large gauge gun is that you can load it both DOWN and up, when needed. I occasionally load some light 20 gauge loads in my 12 ga MLer, and they are a dream to shoot at clays. I am talking 3/4 oz. of shot, and 2-2 1/4 drams of powder. ( 55-62 grains).

No matter what load you shoot using BP, or granule size, you are going to get a wonderful ROAR, lots of SMOKE, and a pretty good streak of FLAME, out that muzzle, that will amaze, scare and then delight the folks who hunt with you that are shooting modern guns with smokeless shotshells.

As mush as shooting a flintlock is a MAGNET to get shooters interested in MLers, there is NOTHING that compares to the reactions you get from other shooters when they see and hear a BP load from a shotgun take a clay target, or kill a bird in front of them.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

:thumbsup: THANKS!

Dave

P.S.: My son Andy & I get up early tomorrow to go to the clay bird shoot, where I'll be getting my used (new to me) 10 gauge. It weighs only 7.5 pounds, same as the 12 gauge, plus a few ounces maybe.

I picked-up some pre-lubed 11 gauge wonder-wads and some over-shot cards today at the Dixon's Gunmakers' Fair in PA. I think that we're ready to have a REAL BLAST...I've shot a 12 gauge BP shotgun before, as I mentioned earlier, but Andy hasn't as yet, although he's a pretty decent shot with a centerfire 12 gauge pump or my over-under! So I'm just going to let him watch me for a couple of attempts, then I'll hand him the SBS and just watch

 

[weitzfc]

i like my cva double. picked it up at a garage sale 15 years ago for $50.cylinder bore (.722)and as stout as any muzzleloader i ever owned.i've taken duck,goose.pheasant,rabbits,quail and squirrels.never thought about deer, but i have rifles for that.you're right though it'll never come up to my model 24 winchester.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Thanks for the response and welcome to the forum!

Dave