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New (to me) TC New Englander 12 gauge

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I'm pretty excited as this muzzleloader is in extremely good condition, just the odd "safe kiss". I downloaded the TC Shooter Manual and they provide some loads. Does anyone who owns of these have a favored load and/or hunting story they'd like to share. I can't wait to shoot this baby and take her out on a grouse hunt or possibly this spring turkey hunt.
 
In the past i've taked deer,and squirrel with my smooths.My fist one was a cheap Japaniese gun made for the bicentenial called drg in the mud.my next was with a centermark tulle.I think you will find a smoothy will serve you well :hatsoff:
 
I made up some pre-measured loads for tomorrows range day.
80grs volume of #6 shot (approx 1 1/8oz.) and 80grs volume of Pyrodex RS.
I'll be using some WAA12R wads for now until my order from TOTW arrives.

Its a cyl/bore choke so I can imagine the groups to be quite the spread at 25 yards.
But I'll work up to a good turkey load (different size shot of course ;) ) for the spring hunt.
 
Jamie,
In the March-April 2011 issue of Muzzleloader" mag there is a good article by John Hayes on smoothbore turkey loads. It's very well illustrated and comprehensive.
You said that you may be changing from the #6 shot you're using on the range, but uou might want to re-think that. That size shot, due to the number that you have in the load actually is beneficial, depending on how it patterns with your gun.
Good luck, turkeys with bp are a hoot! :grin:
 
You can even use DUPLEX loads I load #4 and #7.5 in my NE with a hefty dose of Goex since I have a cylinder bore with loads worked up.I recently purchased a screw in choke barreled one and have to start all over again with more shooting to see what she'll do :grin:
 
Magj1234,let us know how the loads work up in your choked New Englander.I also have both barrels and want to hunt turkeys and shoot round ball.Have not shot either and have heard good and bad for both barrels.I really want to just keep one barrel but don't know which to keep.
 
I'll do that,the only drawback I can see with the choke tube barrel is reloads.I have several tubes for it including a turkey & x full ported.I have these from a winchester 1200 and 1300 I own.
 
I have a 12 gauge New Englander, #5 shot worked better on pheasant and squirrel for me. 7 1/2 and 6 needed follow up action. I just use the improve and modified chokes and have no complants on loading. If you go to full choke you will have pull the choke for each load to get wads down the barrel. That becomes a pain and I did not see much benifit in a full choke over modified in my shot patterns so I stick with modified for most hunting shots.
 
Majg1234,I have the Winchokes for mine as well.Unless a really tight choke the wads go down thru those chokes a lot better than the TC chokes with the wad catching slots.If you have to take the choke out to reload it is fairly fast and you don't need to mess with a tool.Bad thing is it seems like everybody wants the Winchokes and they are getting pricey.They sure are handy tho.
 
orion52 said:
Jamie,
In the March-April 2011 issue of Muzzleloader" mag there is a good article by John Hayes on smoothbore turkey loads. It's very well illustrated and comprehensive.
You said that you may be changing from the #6 shot you're using on the range, but uou might want to re-think that. That size shot, due to the number that you have in the load actually is beneficial, depending on how it patterns with your gun.
Good luck, turkeys with bp are a hoot! :grin:

Thanks Orion, I dug up a 2006 copy of Blackpowder Hunting and Pete Schoonmaker did a a turkey article in there. Its a good re-read ;) In the same mag theres also an article in that issue by Debra Bradbury who does a turkey hunt with legend Dwain Bland.
 
Absolutely! Any smoothbore can shoot PRB with the right patch thickness and ball size. Have been playing with leather patches myself for a while...part of my self-induced therapy, I guess. Nice fact is though thicker, leather compresses more per any given thickness than cloth. I'm sure there's someone here who can help with a 12 gauge bore, one I haven't experimented with yet!
 
lee makes a .690 diameter roundball mould for use in 12ga muzzleloaders. for what it's worth & have a good'en, bubba.
 
Jamie from Alberta said:
I made up some pre-measured loads for tomorrows range day.
80grs volume of #6 shot (approx 1 1/8oz.) and 80grs volume of Pyrodex RS.
I'll be using some WAA12R wads for now until my order from TOTW arrives.

Its a cyl/bore choke so I can imagine the groups to be quite the spread at 25 yards.
But I'll work up to a good turkey load (different size shot of course ;) ) for the spring hunt.

You might get even better performance with a little less powder than shot when using 2f (RS), comparing volumes. I.e., use 70 grains of RS with your 80-grain measure of shot. It's an old formula that hangs around because it often works best. Worth a try anyway.

If you can get near some, it's also worth trying 1f black powder (Goex in my case). With the little bit slower powder, I get better performance from using the same measure for powder and shot than I do when using either 2f Goex or RS.

A BTW for you to chew on: Those WAA12R wads were the choice of Starr. Somewhere deep in my files I have an article by him on shooting the 12, in which he uses them along with a lubed fiber wad underneath. I think you're going to be surprised at the patterns you get with them. According to him, and in my own long history with them, you get something approaching a MOD pattern with the WAA12R used as-is from out of the bag.

Here's the neat part- If you cut the petals or wings on the wad to about half their length you can get an IC pattern. Nice to have the option.

More fiddling for you, but with smoothbores fiddling is often as profitable as it is fun. :thumbsup:
 
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Great info!! Thanks BrownBear :D
My TOTW order of lubed wads and over shot cards arrived so I'll be able to compare some loads.
 
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we noticed an immediate improvement by putting a overshot card over the cushion wad before putting in the powder. I believe the theory is it helps the wad from become a temporary slug. If you pick up a cushion wad without it you'll notice where the bb's have imprinted on it. Dads old double really tightened up, mine did just a little.

In my 10, I ran all overshot cards and a 1/8 nitro in the mod barrel and the standard over cushion over shot bb's and overshot again. its ok out to 20...with the double I rarely use the cyl bore.

I did try some tubes, something to consider. The plastic shotcups are a royal ugly mess imho! I tinkered around cutting them down cutting wings etc etc...initially they slugged...quite impressive btw. I didnt try post it notes rolled into a shotcup. Ran out of time.

The two fowlers I've been building for hmm...WAAAy too long I plan on jug choking. Something to consider if you have someone around who can do it. There was a fella in Iowa last I heard that would for a modest fee.

Lastly I went with 5's. 6's leave a heavier pattern, 4's are more powerful farther out. 30 is about all you're likely going to get without tubes/jug choking or shotcupping it. 20-25 would be a more likely goal imho. I have never liked 6's. They have a helluva pattern, but I've seen too many birds rolled and not killed over the years to stay clear of them. The 5's seem to be a nice inbetween of pattern and power. I believe the article BB was referring too by Starr talked about this. I ran copper plated 5's. Would like to try some of the nickle plated 5's at some point. And the same loads worked great on roosters also.

in my 10, I'm running 105 grs RS with 1 1/2 ounce of 5's. powder, os, 1/8 nitro, shot, os in the mod, and the tradional load again with 105gr rs under 1 1/2 in the cyle bore with the added os card on the cushion wad. Didnt matter how reduced I went I couldnt get it any tighter in the cyl barrel. I didnt try 1f. Right now I'm hoping I'll have a jug of RS waiting on me in the midwest and another on the east coast or it may turn into a trout trip LOL!

if you're blowing holes slow it down till it tightens up. We burned a tub of powder in the double getting these loads. I wish it wasnt so blasted cold when I get the itch to go out testing again LOL! come summer its 5th gear wide open bear hunting salmon fishing, right into fall hunting season and back to 1st gear for winter ;).
 
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