Using a millitary musket as a shotgun

[commando223]

I'm interested in purchasing a 75caliber Potsdam musket to shot mostly round ball and punch paper but I would also like to take it bird hunting since it's a smooth-bore I should be able to use birdshot right? What do you guys think? Any problems with this setup? recommended load?

Thanks in advance

 

[flintlock75]

I use my Brown bess with both shot and round ball.
My shot load is 1 1/4 oz of 7 1/2 shot and 90gr of 3F. I use a 1/2" fiberwad over the powder then the shot load and toped with another 1/2" wad. This load is great for grouse and rabits out to 30 yards. For round ball i use 90gr 3F and a thick patched .705 ball, very good accuracy with one hole groups at 25 yards, and 3" at 50 yards.
Military Muskets are alot heavier than a fowler or shotgun so are a little slower to pull up and track a moving target, but with practice it will work fine. Good Luck.

 

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Many caliber .69´s were chopped & cut into shot launchers after the Indian Wars. Any smoothbore will do what needs be done within the confines of a no choke barrel. Crows can be shot from a blind with a musket loaded with #5 shot out to 25-30 yards. Not sure I would want to haul a musket all day pheasant hunting or bunny busting but it would get the job done.
But do some pattering on paper as you would with all smoothbore shotguns. Each one seems to have a distinct mind of it´s own where it will center a pattern.
Mike in Peru

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yes, you can use it.
I carried my Brown Bess for squirrels and even went quail hunting with it once. In fact, that day I was the only one to come home with quail.
Enjoy.

 

[justtim]

I picked up an 1822 Potsdam several years ago at a bait shop of all places,that had been sporterized by Bannerman's. I got the necessary parts to put it back to flintlock and made a new forearm that spliced under a barrel band. The original had been cut back to "shotgun". I used it as a shotgun several times and then retired it. You don't say if yours is an original or repro. If an original please check it out to be safe. The old Potsdams were at best cheap guns in their day and could be (I said could be) unsafe at the breech.

 

[BrownBear]

Add me to the list of supporters. I use my Bess more with shot than ball by about 100:1. I get a considerable pattern improvement using 1f rather than 2f, and especially 3f. My pet load is 1 5/8 oz of #6 shot over 100 grains of 1f. Heck I even use the 1f in the great big pan on that Bess with fine results. That load is a very reliable hare killer to at least 30 yards.

As a side note, my Bess "seems" to shoot RB better with 1f than faster powders too. But I'm such a gosh darned awful shot using the standard bayonette lug "sight" there may be nothing to that claim. :haha:

 

[troutabout]

Add another'n. After 3 outtings to test for safety I'm headed to the range to work up my turkey loads with #4 and small stuff with 7 1/2 shot in a M1795 barrel/1803 stock - 43.5" bbl. And yep - it'll be a lot to wander fields with but then I have the old 1832 Howell 16 ga , 33" bbl for that.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yep a Bess or Potsdam or Spanish or French muskets will all shoot shot fine, if you take the time to learn what the barrel likes.

Wing shooting is different from other small game, and is an art unto itself, and the guys and gals that do it with a flinter have lots of techniques to make the most of the gun.

The Bess is known to do well against waterfowl when you use Bismuth shot, btw, as the slow swing is quite fine for Canada geese.

LD

 

[smoothy]

I had an 1837 Prussian musket in 75 caliber. It was missing its percussion hammer along with a barrel band/retainer. It was "sporterized" a long time ago by shortening it. It no doubt was used as a scattergun. I believe it was originally obtained by the Union in the earliest stage of the Civil War. It was considered a 3rd rate gun and would have been soon replaced as better weapons were obtained. Those types of guns in the Civil War were lovingly named "watermellon throwers" by the troops.