The powder ran out first...

[Britsmoothy]

....thus ended an epic (for me) pigeon shoot with a muzzleloader.
42 and everything is black, the gun, my clothes and my hands.

The barrels are now full of lead so it gets the boiling water treatment later.
Never missed a beat, not one missfire.
I used about 60gn of 3f and 1oz of 7.5 shot.
Think I missed 10 or 12 which is good for me!
Had I used a breechloader I could of doubled it but where would the fun in that be...!
The most fun a man can have without removing his trousers!

Edit to add, no swabbing and definitely no so called cushion wad thingies. Just two thin cards and home made lube. And a thin card on top of the shot.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

Man, looks like a good time! Used to shoot them as a kid with moderns, haven't done it in awhile, maybe should get out with the muzzy!

 

[longcruise]

Wow, what a bunch of birds !!

Are these any particular species or typical barn pests?

Edible?

 

[andy52]

Too many Raptors around here for those critters to be here long.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Wow, what a bunch of birds !!

Are these any particular species or typical barn pests?

Edible?

Wood pigeon. Not barn or feral pigeons.
Yes, they are edible. Make good meatloaf and burgers.

 

[jackpine54]

That's some fine shooting Brit and a fine pile of meat. We don't hunt pigeon on purpose, but on a slow goose morning .....boys will be boys.

 

[smokepolehall]

Yes indeed looks like you had a grand hunt. As a boy in Northern Calif. I hunted the Bandtail pigeon wild for eating with my .410.

 

[Rancocas]

Was that a driven pigeon shoot?
I've sat beside a barn and shot feral pigeons that were flying around (aka; rock doves). Also used a lot while training English Springer Spaniels. Dark meat, but not bad eating.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Was that a driven pigeon shoot?
I've sat beside a barn and shot feral pigeons that were flying around (aka; rock doves). Also used a lot while training English Springer Spaniels. Dark meat, but not bad eating.

They are wild and not driven.
They love barley, especially when a field has just been cut.
I don't know how they know but they come in droves from God knows where.
You just need to look where they like on the field, make a blind and put some decoys out.

 

[deerstalkert]

"The most fun a man can have without removing his trousers!"
at my age this doesn't apply!
that kind of a shoot just makes me giddy! way to go my friend.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Thus ends the fun and the work has begun. The cleaning of the birds, not the cleaning of the gun.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thus ends the fun and the work has begun. The cleaning of the birds, not the cleaning of the gun.

Doesn't take to long once you get going.

 

[Des52]

Good hunt, when you run out of all the powder you brought it's a good day.

 

[Rancocas]

They are wild and not driven.
They love barley, especially when a field has just been cut.
I don't know how they know but they come in droves from God knows where.
You just need to look where they like on the field, make a blind and put some decoys out.

That sounds very much like our dove hunts here. Mourning doves everywhere, and in the west, white-wing doves.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I used about 60gn of 3f and 1oz of 7.5 shot.

Is that near equal scoop of powder and shot? Seems light on powder - which is not a problem just a curiosity. Obviously it worked well. What ranges? I have the "Beretta" O/U and will start shooting it this weekend. What was your tweaks and procedures for flawless firing, if I may take your time to respond to that potentially long answered question.

I love pigeon shooting and intend to take mine for a similar type shoot in another week if it is firing well. The pigeons I can take are crossing a small pond on their flyway to a cattle-feeding area where grain is spilled for the cows and the poop is also picked. So mostly pass-shooting on in-comers.

 

[Frontstuffer070]

Fine shooting SIr! I went on an invasive Pigeon (normal city park type) shoot one time ( modern shot gun). They were everywhere. Great fun. I was surprised at the end of the shoot that a grill was pulled out They taste just like mourning dove to me. Just more meat. So if things get bad, ya'll city slickers can add them to the list of edible critters you have.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Is that near equal scoop of powder and shot? Seems light on powder - which is not a problem just a curiosity. Obviously it worked well. What ranges? I have the "Beretta" O/U and will start shooting it this weekend. What was your tweaks and procedures for flawless firing, if I may take your time to respond to that potentially long answered question.

I love pigeon shooting and intend to take mine for a similar type shoot in another week if it is firing well. The pigeons I can take are crossing a small pond on their flyway to a cattle-feeding area where grain is spilled for the cows and the poop is also picked. So mostly pass-shooting on in-comers.

Not quite equal measures my friend.
It was 3f so it said on the can. Looked finer to me .
Yes these Berretta Tricentennial guns that are not Berretta at all, seems daft that Berretta would celebrate 300 years of gun making by not gun making! Anyway they can be troublesome on the bottom barrel IF they are not gas tight!
If yours is not gas tight you will be able to observe black soot in the stock inletting under where the bottom breech plug sits and it's M10 grub screw come flash tube meet the wood.
And you must never oil the bores! Like ever!! If it gets in them breech plugs wave goodbye to reliability!

The M10 grub screw is bull nosed and it is hoped it seals when screwed in tight. However it also has to line up with the bore to receive powder and flash efficiently.
Now if they get it wrong it means they have to fit them loose and sealing is lost.
Don't ask me how but that loss of seal seems to stop a clean ignition of the powder.
I had to add a copper washer and Teflon tape on the threads. It was worth the effort.
Test by firing with a piece of thin white paper under the breech block.

 

[Sandro_Ventania]

....thus ended an epic (for me) pigeon shoot with a muzzleloader.
42 and everything is black, the gun, my clothes and my hands.
View attachment 340330
The barrels are now full of lead so it gets the boiling water treatment later.
Never missed a beat, not one missfire.
I used about 60gn of 3f and 1oz of 7.5 shot.
Think I missed 10 or 12 which is good for me!
Had I used a breechloader I could of doubled it but where would the fun in that be...!
The most fun a man can have without removing his trousers!View attachment 340329

Edit to add, no swabbing and definitely no so called cushion wad thingies. Just two thin cards and home made lube. And a thin card on top of the shot.

Want some fun... then hunt them using a .32 round ball...

 

[leadhoarder]

If you shoot three times that much you might be able to pass off as Trudeau at a halloween party.

 

[Old Timer 48]

Your having much fun! Good for you, Sir.