Double for deer?

[Red Owl]

Florida lets you hunt deer with a 20 gauge or larger shotgun. With a double you would get 2 shots. Anyone hunt that way? Use a single ball or buckshot?

 

[Flintandsteel]

I'd check hunting regulations first. The state may restrict use of a double.
Secondly, use a round ball. A.600" ball in the boiler room will drop them in their tracks.

 

[andy52]

Yes, I have taken deer here in Missouri with an SxS 12 ga. We however can't use buckshot, only single projectiles. I've used round ball and have taken apart 12 ga forester type slug shells and used the slug in the front loader.

 

[tenngun]

Double ball shots were known back in the day. In Robinson Courso Defoe has Robinson load five ball at one time.
Military too often used buck and ball. But on a battlefield a bad wound is as good or even better then a kill.
For deer of any American sort, from moose to them cup of soup Texas deer, one ball kills the rest is just blood shot meat.
I don’t know how it would be tested, but a double ball might be a better killer on one of the big bears that think humans are great with ketchup

 

[megasupermagnum]

There's only one way to know whether a double can shoot a single ball, and that's to try it. If you get lucky, one of the two barrels will hit really close to the bead, and you should be able to use that effectively to 40-50 yards. If you aren't so lucky, then I'd run both barrels with buckshot... but I would do a lot of pattern testing too. Being a 20 gauge, you are at a disadvantage, but you should be able to find one that works. I'd try at least #1 and #3 buck in it.

 

[Historian]

In my Pedersoli 20 SXS I run the right barrel with a tightly patched RB at .60 cal and the left modified barrel gets 12 pellets of #1 buck shot. Both the RB and buck shot are made from 95% bismuth and 5% tin. Works fine. RB is good to 45 yards and buck shot is good to 30 yards. I do not shoot buck shot past 30 yards period. I hunt in the swamps where shots are close usually under 40 yards.

 

[sawyer04]

Double barrel gets a little heavy, but a .720 patched ball in a modified 12 bore works well for me up to 40 yards. Just don't get much chance to get out much farther than 40 where I hunt. Have never needed the second barrel.

 

[George]

Florida lets you hunt deer with a 20 gauge or larger shotgun. With a double you would get 2 shots. Anyone hunt that way? Use a single ball or buckshot?

Roundball, collected this one last fall:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/long-term-goal-finally-finished.126171/
Spence

 

[JohnL]

I use a Pedersoli Classic SxS in .12 and have hunted deer in Georgia with it. I called my local DNR Ranger and discussed legal loads. Buckshot and LRB are legal in Georgia on my private land. I test my loads and limit myself to 25-30 yards; my areas are thick anyway and shots any further are rare. Most are within 10 yards. I like a patched .690” LRB with a cylinder bore choke and 80 grains of FFG. I’ve also used ten pellets of 00 Buck with 80 grains of FFG. Do a lot of research and testing; that’s the majority of the fun. BTW, use caution if you have choke tubes with LRB; I was strongly cautioned to make certain to use cylinder bore chokes that are concentric with LRB in my shotgun. Hope this helps.

 

[Red Owl]

Thanks JohnL. That was some of my issues, 1. How a choke of any sort would work if you used a PRB and how the accuracy would be. The idea of 2 quick shots is nice but only if the rounds work. In my jungles I'd say most shots around 37 yards (last Buck I shot). One issue, if you go cylinder bore then how would the gun pattern for other game when shot used?

 

[Woody Morgan]

Good luck getting a patched .600 past the modified choke in a Pedersoli SxS 20.
A patched .600 prb works great in the right barrel though.
Tried the left modified barrel with seven .350 balls as buckshot. They weigh out to almost exactly one ounce and beats up an old barrel just fine with 60 grains of 3f Swiss.

wm

 

[JohnL]

Thanks JohnL. That was some of my issues, 1. How a choke of any sort would work if you used a PRB and how the accuracy would be. The idea of 2 quick shots is nice but only if the rounds work. In my jungles I'd say most shots around 37 yards (last Buck I shot). One issue, if you go cylinder bore then how would the gun pattern for other game when shot used?

I actually emailed and called a few places to check on safe operation with a LRB and removable chokes in my .12 gauge Pedersoli. The answer always seemed to lean towards ensuring concentric chokes, and only using cylinder bore chokes of high quality, so I bought two stainless cylinder bore chokes. I’ve experimented with my loads and found that my buckshot shoots well with cylinder bore chokes based on how I build the charge. There are many good threads on here about building loads and steps to pattern your shotgun. That’s the fun part; get out there and experiment. I’ve ended up with 80 grains of FFG with a fiber/shock wad cut into thirds that’s been soaked/lubed in olive oil. I add the 00 buck and cover with two overshot cards/wads. I ended up using a patched .690” ball out of caution, but man it worked well. It seems to work well in mine. Again, there are many smarter than I on here; there are some great threads on the topic. Just be safe. I’ve used a similar load with a #7/8 shot mix for squirrel that worked well with a modified choke in my shotgun. I’m still working on a load for duck and geese. I’m learning too.

 

[Red Owl]

Way down here in Florida there are a lot of dog hunters for deer and many still use shotguns. A lot go with #1 buck as they claim it stacks better, etc. On muzzleloading shotguns, do you still have to use pure lead or is regular buckshot okay?

 

[JohnL]

I have only used the Hornady lead buckshot. I’m ignorant to anything else.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Just received a really nice 15-bore double. It has Damascus twist barrels, made in England 1850-60 or so. Because of the Damascus twist, I'm a bit doubtful about PRB shooting with it.

I do have a pair of 20-bore flintlocks, and a single and a double in 10-bore.

 

[ARMY]

I have my Dad's old Parker "wire barrel" maybe a damascus I don't know the difference. He always said to use low power, nothing larger than #6 shot shells. Could I reload empty shells with black powder and #4 shot? It hasn't been shot since 1958.

 

[megasupermagnum]

You can use any shot size you want in any shotgun safe to fire, it makes no difference.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Army, I'd take it to someone experienced in muzzle loaders (and yes, I do know it is a breech loader) for an evaluation. Many of the wire twist barrels, if in good condition, can be safely fired using black powder in the shotgun shell.

I am in west central Ohio, if that helps.

 

[Woody Morgan]

I actually emailed and called a few places to check on safe operation with a LRB and removable chokes in my .12 gauge Pedersoli. The answer always seemed to lean towards ensuring concentric chokes, and only using cylinder bore chokes of high quality, so I bought two stainless cylinder bore chokes. I’ve experimented with my loads and found that my buckshot shoots well with cylinder bore chokes based on how I build the charge. There are many good threads on here about building loads and steps to pattern your shotgun. That’s the fun part; get out there and experiment. I’ve ended up with 80 grains of FFG with a fiber/shock wad cut into thirds that’s been soaked/lubed in olive oil. I add the 00 buck and cover with two overshot cards/wads. I ended up using a patched .690” ball out of caution, but man it worked well. It seems to work well in mine. Again, there are many smarter than I on here; there are some great threads on the topic. Just be safe. I’ve used a similar load with a #7/8 shot mix for squirrel that worked well with a modified choke in my shotgun. I’m still working on a load for duck and geese. I’m learning too.

I use the same stackup with shot or ball in my SxS 20. Simple, quick to load and keeps the fouling down.
60 grains of 3f Swiss powers it.

wm

 

[Doc]

Army, yes there are many different types of Damascus barrels yours is one . To check if it’s safe to shoot take the barrels off and hang from a finger. With a piece of steel lightly tap the sides up and down on both sides. You want to hear a ringing sound. If you hear a thud, you may have a wall hanger. Is it possible to fix, yes but expensive.
MY wife and I have several we shoot at clays and pheasant. Our clay loads are 65gr of 3f Goex fiber wad and 1 1/4 of 8s. For our pheasant I load 95gr of 3f fiber 1 1/8 of 6s. I use double AAs that I get from trap clubs and seem to get about 6 to 8 reloads per hull. I use a MEC reloader I have seen older ones at gun shows for $50/75.
Good luck with your new toy.
Doc,