Smoothbore handgun with shot....

[Sparkitoff]

In the past I've used a cartridge handgun with "shotshells" to hunt chukar and other close range birds in flight. With a good pointing dog and the right cover I was quite successful. I am currently training a new pup. Many of this years bird encounters are going to be on "preserve" birds. I don't care if I hit every one or not, but would like to shoot a few. The misses are good training opportunities and we are mostly working on the find, hold and steadiness. Since I switched over to BP for all my firearms needs, I am thinking about a smoothbore handgun. I guess it'd be loaded like any other shotgun as far as powder, wads, cards, etc. Bigger is better? .69 caliber or more? How much shot will it shoot and how far do you think it is effective? With the cartridges, they were loaded with 1/4 ounce of #9 or 5/16 ounce of #8 and were good to about 12-yards. I think a bigger bore ML handgun can do better, but I have no experience. Other reasons for the thought of using a handgun - no having to carry and mess with a long-gun will make it easier to work with the dog; I don't have a partner to do the shooting for me; having surgery on right side of head that will need to heal for several weeks and I don't know if shooting a shotgun from that side is acceptable for me yet. Lastly, where can I find such a handgun? Any ideas or opinions? Thanks

 

[Britsmoothy]

Often wondered the same myself.
I am looking forward to your report.
Hope your head heals well.

 

[Artificer]

In the past I've used a cartridge handgun with "shotshells" to hunt chukar and other close range birds in flight. With a good pointing dog and the right cover I was quite successful. I am currently training a new pup. Many of this years bird encounters are going to be on "preserve" birds. I don't care if I hit every one or not, but would like to shoot a few. The misses are good training opportunities and we are mostly working on the find, hold and steadiness. Since I switched over to BP for all my firearms needs, I am thinking about a smoothbore handgun. I guess it'd be loaded like any other shotgun as far as powder, wads, cards, etc. Bigger is better? .69 caliber or more? How much shot will it shoot and how far do you think it is effective? With the cartridges, they were loaded with 1/4 ounce of #9 or 5/16 ounce of #8 and were good to about 12-yards. I think a bigger bore ML handgun can do better, but I have no experience. Other reasons for the thought of using a handgun - no having to carry and mess with a long-gun will make it easier to work with the dog; I don't have a partner to do the shooting for me; having surgery on right side of head that will need to heal for several weeks and I don't know if shooting a shotgun from that side is acceptable for me yet. Lastly, where can I find such a handgun? Any ideas or opinions? Thanks

The only "somewhat" available repro .69 caliber pistol I know of are the out of production Navy Arms "Charleville" pistols. I had one and though it was surprisingly accurate to 25 yards with patched round balls, I never fired shot in mine.

The PROBLEM with that repro, though, is even though I have LARGE hands, it took a two hand hold to get that kind of accuracy and even so, that grip is larger than the original pistols. I thought about trimming it down to where the grip was a more accurate size for the original pistol, but I found it really didn't suit my purposes well, so I sold it.

I imagine you might want to use it one handed when working with your dogs, at least some of the time, but I wouldn't expect to hit much of anything that way because of the grip size on that pistol.

Gus

 

[Des52]

Go check out Loyalist arms they have a lot of .62-20 ga. pistols. I have a .66 caliber french pistol and have shot a few shot loads with fair results. Always wanted to get the British light dragoon in .62 and try it. I think it would swing better on game than some of the bigger pistols

 

[user 49399]

I once had a Jukar .60 something caliber flintlock smooth bore that I shot with 30gr of 2f, wad, 30gr of #6 shot and topped off with another wad. Wad was usually wasp nest or shredded jute. It was good for shooting pop cans to about 7 yards.

 

[Woody Morgan]

I figure my .36 Snakeyes smoothbore pistol would make a wicked snake gun.

wm

 

[SmokepoleSam]

Woody, is the Snakeyes brass barreled and sxs? I think my friend had one years ago. Thank you in advance.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Woody, is the Snakeyes brass barreled and sxs? I think my friend had one years ago. Thank you in advance.

This one has browned steel barrels, case hardened frame, SxS.

wm

 

[tenngun]

Pidersoli make a .62 double Howdah pistol. Out to work well out to 15 yards maybe more

 

[Sam squanch]

Don’t waste your time. I tried this , 20 gauge barrel, 12 inches long. Could not get enough velocity to do any damage without overloading it and having it fly out of my hands. Very bad pattern past 10 yards.

 

[SOLANCO]

In the past I've used a cartridge handgun with "shotshells" to hunt chukar and other close range birds in flight. With a good pointing dog and the right cover I was quite successful. I am currently training a new pup. Many of this years bird encounters are going to be on "preserve" birds. I don't care if I hit every one or not, but would like to shoot a few. The misses are good training opportunities and we are mostly working on the find, hold and steadiness. Since I switched over to BP for all my firearms needs, I am thinking about a smoothbore handgun. I guess it'd be loaded like any other shotgun as far as powder, wads, cards, etc. Bigger is better? .69 caliber or more? How much shot will it shoot and how far do you think it is effective? With the cartridges, they were loaded with 1/4 ounce of #9 or 5/16 ounce of #8 and were good to about 12-yards. I think a bigger bore ML handgun can do better, but I have no experience. Other reasons for the thought of using a handgun - no having to carry and mess with a long-gun will make it easier to work with the dog; I don't have a partner to do the shooting for me; having surgery on right side of head that will need to heal for several weeks and I don't know if shooting a shotgun from that side is acceptable for me yet. Lastly, where can I find such a handgun? Any ideas or opinions? Thanks

Do one thing or the other. I'd suggest get a shooting partner and train the dogs while you recuperate. Let him deal with aim and recoil and you work the dogs. The benefits will be real next season.

 

[DanL]

Hi Sparkitoff.

I cut off and bored out a horribly rusted .50 TC Hawken barrel to .62/20 ga. smooth. This was fitted to a Lyman plains pistol stock. I have patterned it but it does not have great pattern nor "killing" range past a few yards, 5-7 maybe. I did this to have a companion piece to my .62 smoothie flintlock squirrel gun. I have killed a couple of squirrels at less than 5 yards when having one on the side of a tree next to me. One has to watch the recoil factor with any heavy loads. Light powder, more shot (#5) is better.

I do not know if a smoothie pistol will work for you but bigger caliber is better when it comes to shot loads. Again, consider the recoil factor.

The most fun is loading used polishing media and stalking carpenter bees in the spring .

Regards, DanL

 

[Woody Morgan]

Hi Sparkitoff.

I cut off and bored out a horribly rusted .50 TC Hawken barrel to .62/20 ga. smooth. This was fitted to a Lyman plains pistol stock. I have patterned it but it does not have great pattern nor "killing" range past a few yards, 5-7 maybe. I did this to have a companion piece to my .62 smoothie flintlock squirrel gun. I have killed a couple of squirrels at less than 5 yards when having one on the side of a tree next to me. One has to watch the recoil factor with any heavy loads. Light powder, more shot (#5) is better.

I do not know if a smoothie pistol will work for you but bigger caliber is better when it comes to shot loads. Again, consider the recoil factor.

The most fun is loading used polishing media and stalking carpenter bees in the spring .

Regards, DanL

Sounds like another job for the Snakeyes!

wm

 

[Britsmoothy]

How about a pistol griped shotgun or mares leg type of thing?? But keep some barrel.

 

[Bad Karma]

How about a pistol griped shotgun or mares leg type of thing?? But keep some barrel.

Something like Pedersoli’s Bounty Hunter in a 60 caliber smoothie?

 

[SOLANCO]

How about a pistol griped shotgun or mares leg type of thing?? But keep some barrel.

Curious about your thoughts on this. A longer barrel affords more sight radius. But, with a pistol grip, how effectively can you use that improvement? It should also yield improved groups and range.
But it seems to me these cutoff guns are what used to be called belly guns and that a longer barrel hampers that sort of functionality.

 

[simonbeans]

This thread got me to thinkin'. I built an English style pistol a while ago with a .58 smoothbore barrel to accompany my .58 Kibler Colonial. Today I tried shooting it with shot. The barrel is a piece of Numrich Shotgun barrel blank, breech turned and plugged by my machinist buddy. I proofed the heck out of it, double powder. balls. etc. The load I used in my trial was 25 gr. fffg Goex, thick card over powder, 1/4" thick leather disc for "cushion wad", 283.4 gr (0.64 oz) #6 shot, thin over shot card. Distance was 15 yards.
Result:

The paper plate is 10" in diameter. Probably good enough for squirrels, maybe?

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Made a Pedersoli "Bounty" for a young guy a few years back. .45 cal, 12 lands, 16" barrel. He has taken deer with it. .440 patched ball, as I recall.

But today took delivery of a 12-bore, double barreled pistol. 6" barrels, break action to insert the #409 primers. It seems to have enough weight (about 3#), and is certainly good looking. Blued barrels, polished rose wood grip and fore arm. Although the forearm is only 3" long! Big enough to use both hands shooting it. Kinda good looking overall. Have NOT fired it yet - have wads, shot, balls, patching for same, BUT cannot find any of them honking big 409 primers!

 

[SmokepoleSam]

Unless it's a new size? the primer is a 209, I could be wrong.

 

[George]

I've taken a few squirrel with my 20 gauge flintlock pistol, 8" barrel. I had no trouble developing an adequate pattern, the problem is velocity, power, penetration. I have to get very close, less than 10 yards for a clean kill. I've found I need at least 40 grains 3F Goex, 45-50 is better, and that's a handful. I would recommend anyone going after live game with a flintlock pistol using shot do a thorough job of testing for penetration, find your maximum range and stick to it.

For carpenter bees you can reach out a little farther.

Spence