Shooting shotgun birdshot out of a rifled pistol?

[schuetzenisbestBP]

i've got a traditions trapper (rifled barrel) pistol, and i wanted to try to load modern shotgun birdshot pellets. is it a bad idea?

 

[TDM]

I’ve never done it but I see no harm in it. Try it with an over powder wad and a card over the shot.

 

[schuetzenisbestBP]

I’ve never done it but I see no harm in it. Try it with an over powder wad and a card over the shot.

that's what i was thinking! Thank you!

 

[Brokennock]

Depends on the goal you are trying to achieve with it.

 

[Boomerang]

It will work, but not very well. The shot pattern will spread very quickly.

 

[Banjoman]

I’ve done it several times with a CVA .45 caliber, percussion Kentucky pistol. It wasn’t too bad, but definitely not ideal. It would put a few holes in a pop can at 15 feet (not yards). The load was 20 grains of 3f, a brown paper wad, about 20 - 30 grains of #6 shot and topped off with a wad of brown paper. However, I prefer to shoot patched round balls in this pistol since it’s accurate enough to hit pop cans out to 20 yards if I do my part.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

The rifling will cause your pattern to be shaped like a do-nut. Effective range is very short.

 

[2 shots]

why dont shotguns have rifled barrels ?....... it does not work well.

 

[Whitworth]

The slow twist of your round ball barrel will help a bit it's really a very short range load but could be useful for certain applications

 

[schuetzenisbestBP]

Depends on the goal you are trying to achieve with it.

going to shoot targets because my aim is garbage with round balls

 

[Banjoman]

For shot loads, you might be better off with a smooth bore.

 

[Edm]

When I was 14 I had a Kentucky pistol. I would cut open shotgun shells and load it with buckshot. Statute of limitations being expired, it would put holes in my neighbors aluminum shed…

 

[Brokennock]

going to shoot targets because my aim is garbage with round balls

You'd be better off practicing. The rifling will spin the shot load causing centrifugal force to spread the shot away from the center causing what is often called a "donut" pattern. On paper it looks like a bunch of shot holes in a ring with nothing in the center.
If you're trying to break a stationary clay target you might, might gave some success if you learn where the ring of your pattern is at a given distance and hold off the target so that the outer edge of the pattern, the ring, hits it.

 

[schuetzenisbestBP]

When I was 14 I had a Kentucky pistol. I would cut open shotgun shells and load it with buckshot. Statute of limitations being expired, it would put holes in my neighbors aluminum shed…

that's exactly what i did today! i opened two 7 1/2 shot shells and one 3 shot shell. i'm thinking of doing a "buck and ball" type thing.

 

[Eutycus]

I think depending on the shot size it would make a good defensive load if you don't mind keeping it loaded over long periods.