New to BP with a 10 gauge and hopes of a turkey

[TransYank]

That is what I'm hoping for. I took a trip to Zimbabwe this summer, it had been a life long dream of mine. I am smitten terribly with the "romance" of Africa. I wanted to do it old school and hunt with a double rifle. There was no shortage of naysayers, don't take a double on your first hunt in africa, blah, blah, you all know how it goes. Long story short, I bought a double and I practiced like mad, I went to Zimbabwe with my double and had what was probably the best safari a person could hope for. I will attach a link to the hunt report if anyone wants to give it a read. The wife and I had a great time, so much so that we have booked another one for 2026. If only I could get some black powder into Zimbabwe.
https://www.africahunting.com/threa...sanga-special-with-dalton-york-safaris.76103/

Man, I just read your text. Great job and even better hunt...At 65 will never make it there myself.

 

[Britsmoothy]

If it's choked as you describe forget the fibre wads, a complete waste of time and a pain to load. Just use over shot card's.
Fibre or plastic wads is for loading cartridges to facilitate the correct height for a crimp. They simply are not needed in a muzzloader.
The overshot cards curl past the chokes and get righted by the rammer.
If you want you can add lube between them as you load.
Make your own lube or use anything you'd be prepared to use on a sore azz!

The nickel shot won't be of any discernable advantage.

 

[backyardsniper]

All right fellas! A buddy of mine and I have constructed a new patterning board and I have secured all the necessary items to torch off this thing. I am about to head down stairs and go over my notes and I am going to load her up and see what we are working with!

 

[backyardsniper]

This was the first round down the tube with 80 grains of 2F and 1.5 oz of Nickel #6. Powder/nitro card/fiber wad/shot/overshot card. 30 yards

 

[TransYank]

Looking good. Keep us posted.

 

[Sparkitoff]

That's a very dead turkey.

 

[backyardsniper]

I went to 90 gr and the pattern still looked good. At 80 gr there was some pellets stuck in the plywood so I figured I needed a bit more velocity. The left barrel did not want to fire, having an issue with the lock, had to pull back on the hammer just slightly to get it to release when I pulled the trigger. My buddy said he has a guy that can work on it. I am afraid I may have found me a new hobby. That thing is terribly fun. The cleaning, not so much, but I feel very confident after today that we can definitely put down a gobbler around the 30 yard mark!

 

[Britsmoothy]

What was difficult with the cleaning?
The bridal plate screws may just need loosening on that lock.

 

[backyardsniper]

What was difficult with the cleaning?
The bridal plate screws may just need loosening on that lock.

I just took a lot of scrubbing to get it clean, that being said there are probably better ways and means of getting these things clean, I am not familiar with the tricks of the trade so to speak. I just took some pre soaked "muzzle loader cleaning patches" and scrubbed until black stuff quit coming out. Then I removed and cleaned the nipples individually and oiled them and replaced them. Ran a patch with cosmoline down the barrels a few times and put an oily patch between the hammer and nipple.
I probably need some tools more specific to cleaning this particular gun, I'm sure that would help.

 

[Trigger]

I just took a lot of scrubbing to get it clean, that being said there are probably better ways and means of getting these things clean, I am not familiar with the tricks of the trade so to speak. I just took some pre soaked "muzzle loader cleaning patches" and scrubbed until black stuff quit coming out. Then I removed and cleaned the nipples individually and oiled them and replaced them. Ran a patch with cosmoline down the barrels a few times and put an oily patch between the hammer and nipple.
I probably need some tools more specific to cleaning this particular gun, I'm sure that would help.

How many patches?

Don't worry it's should get allot easyer after that post.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I just took a lot of scrubbing to get it clean, that being said there are probably better ways and means of getting these things clean, I am not familiar with the tricks of the trade so to speak. I just took some pre soaked "muzzle loader cleaning patches" and scrubbed until black stuff quit coming out. Then I removed and cleaned the nipples individually and oiled them and replaced them. Ran a patch with cosmoline down the barrels a few times and put an oily patch between the hammer and nipple.
I probably need some tools more specific to cleaning this particular gun, I'm sure that would help.

Oh boy.
You don't want any oil around or near the nipples inside or out!
Miss Fires is waiting for you and she will turn up at the worst possible time ever!

Next time put the kettle on. While it's heating up get some tyre rubber and put it between the hammers and nipples to seal them.
Now get a kitchen wet wipe and rod the bores. Pre wetting you are.
Now the kettle has boiled fill the barrels and tip out, repeat again and again until the breech is to hot to touch. Use a towel to tip the gun up each emptying.
When black stops coming out rod with drying patches.
Use a damp patch to clean hammers , nipples and external breech. The heat will dry it off.
Now, the important bit!
Use the animal/ vegetable fat you haven't made yet and nothing else externally and internally when the barrels have cooled enough you can touch them.
This method also removes lead.

If anyone suggests not to do it this way because of something they get all panicitty about namely flash rust just tell them to stop being sissy and man up.

 

[Trigger]

I use two milk jugs cut open tops...

Fill one with water and dawn. Other with water... during the season as hot as the sink gets... away for the season boiling water hot..

During the season I've even run dirty a few days.. I was like why I'm back out in the morning like?

 

[backyardsniper]

Ok. I got you. So basically just scrub it with hot water and Dawn and then grease it with beef tallow or lard?

 

[Trigger]

I use a patch worm thing to pull the wads and unload it to clean after hunting... works easy... pull the overshot dump the shot pull the wads out. The pack powder comes right out into the water it goes...

You don't have to shoot it to unload... you save shot of lead not doing that.

 

[Trigger]

Ok. I got you. So basically just scrub it with hot water and Dawn and then grease it with beef tallow or lard?

 

[52Bore]

Keep up the good work..
Turkeys are not ‘migratory’ birds, so few states have restrictions.. I hunt with my 4-bore, 5drams/2oz #5 plated shot. Check your state regs.
If your limited on supplies - remove the barrels and nipples, run water thru them (I use my garden hose outside), then use a 10b bronze brush/pump in jug of water. If that’s all you have, start wrapping cotton patches to your jag until they come out clean. Then oil 1 and oil the bores. Not hard.
Good luck hunting.

 

[Trigger]

Is an OK video.... I look for better but

 

[backyardsniper]

I am definitely going to have to buy one of these, along with all the proper supplies to clean and take care of it. I will start another thread, I would like to get some basic info on what I need to be looking for. I will kind of outline what I want to do, which is mostly turkey hunt, might try to kill a goose or two.

 

[Britsmoothy]

might try to kill a goose or two.

I don't see why not...

 

[Trigger]

That's the cork screw thing I use to pull wads... couple turns right in...

I keep the wad on there... it keeps the thing centered down the barrel

Other than a cleaning jag and I'd get a rod just for cleaning... that's about all you need...

A nipples wrench?

The stock wedge.. I use a technical flat head screw drive and we'll usually the phone to hit the thing out a little to grab

I never use a wire brush...

Cleaning jag... if is a birch to get out the barrel or slight choke... use a gauge smaller and a doubled patch