Prob a dumb question but....

[DennisCA]

Can you shoot birdshot out of a muzzleloading pistol?

I have this:

FYI - Twist Rate 1:20 RATE OF TWIST

BTW - It's a .50 cal

 

[foodpoison]

i would think so. please wait 4 others to chime in before you try

 

[iH8DemLibz]

YES! and NO!

It's a rifled barrel and the shot will go in ALL directions once it leaves the barrel.

If you can find a cup/wad to put the shot in, then it may work.

But the cup/wad may just catch the rifling and the shot would spin anyway.

If it's just for $hits and giggles go ahead, but you will not have a pattern.

 

[rseymorejr]

Ok, I have to ask.

Why would you want to?

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Ok, I have to ask.

Why would you want to?

What if Sam Colt said: That ship's wheel idea won't work.

This is America: Pack that puppy full of powder and shot and pull the trigger.

Doing dumb stuff is what America is all about.

 

[BigDaddy]

Can you shoot birdshot out of a muzzleloading pistol?

Looks like one I have in 45 cal. If you are using an weight of shot equivalent to the bullet weight, I don't see a problem for a safety viewpoint. The gun doesn't know whether it's solid lead or #6 shot.

Curiousity forces me to ask Shoot what? robins, cardinals and squirrels? Rifled or not, it effectively an 6-8" cylinder bore. Squirrels eat 100% of my cucumbers so I have no love for them, and a 22 is not in the running where I live, because of the proximity of other homes (and also illegal but a secondary consideration) I think they would call the cops if I started blasting away with a percussion pistol, even though their kids are scaring the crap out of my dog lighting off fireworks 150 days a year.

I am sorry to say as a kid, I killed my share of song birds with a BB gun. As for squirrels, ef em. You never want one to eat into your attic.

 

[AntiGun]

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=138412

 

[DennisCA]

Ok, I have to ask.

Why would you want to?

Just curious but after getting lambasted - I won't

 

[rseymorejr]

Just curious but after getting lambasted - I won't

Curious is a good reason.

 

[Rickhead]

I've done it with a smooth bore flitnlock pistol. It made a pretty wide pattern at 20 feet or so. Did a nice job on water bottles, impressed the kids. You could probably make shot cups out of paper if you want to use them.

 

[4570inMD]

Can you shoot birdshot out of a muzzleloading pistol?...BTW - It's a .50 cal

From Wikipedia: "Buck and ball was a common load for muzzle-loading muskets, and was frequently used in the American Revolutionary War and into the early days of the American Civil War. The load usually consisted of a .69 caliber round lead musket ball that was combined with three to six buckshot pellets."

Since it was so popular in muskets and early rifles, I am sure that 'Buck & Ball' loading was used in muzzleloading pistols as well.

You will not be the first or the last to experiment with different loads.

4570inMD