Today's challenge.

[Smellydog]

Was to be a pheasant or two with a muzzloader.
A challenge in its own right but it had been ages since I last used my .45 smoothbore.

Weirdly I used #5 shot today also. I normally don't go larger than #6 and favour #7.

I tipped about 50gn of 4f powder, a thin card, two more thin cards with a scoop of vasaline, rammed them down and tipped 3/4oz of shot filled by another card and set off for a cock pheasant. I left the hens alone today.
Actually the first shot was a squirrel but the second shot was a rising pheasant that came down stone dead but landed in a flash of water .

Then it went downhill.
I missed the next three! And a partridge .
Finally I got one more chance and with a frantic retrieve we got my second bird.

I had a good old time this morning and the pigeons, wow, a thousand birds easily.

If I had to choose just one muzzloader I'd really struggle to not choose this little .45" smoothbore.

 

[Overlay]

well done SD
real nice day out, and some game, pigeons look brilliant in numbers supposed to be out on Roe Does today it just won’t stop bloody raining as in deluge, give up until next week now even the rabbits are growing webbed feet . only leaves rat shooting tonight summinks got to give

 

[Archer]

well done SD
real nice day out, and some game, pigeons look brilliant in numbers supposed to be out on Roe Does today it just won’t stop bloody raining as in deluge, give up until next week now even the rabbits are growing webbed feet . only leaves rat shooting tonight summinks got to give

Ditto

 

[Smellydog]

well done SD
real nice day out, and some game, pigeons look brilliant in numbers supposed to be out on Roe Does today it just won’t stop bloody raining as in deluge, give up until next week now even the rabbits are growing webbed feet . only leaves rat shooting tonight summinks got to give

If it's not to bad I may go ratting too. Can't beat rat splatting

 

[Liveonce]

Nice to see, I was wondering where all the pigeons had gone

 

[Smellydog]

Them pheasants I shot Oop the arse.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Nice SD and it must be very satisfying to do it “old style”.
I took the new semi out just to satisfy myself that unlike the two predecessors it actually cycled - 2 shots and 2 lovely scorchingly high crossing hens and even better, a surplus to requirements round, went into the breech both times. Happy days.

 

[Smellydog]

Nice SD and it must be very satisfying to do it “old style”.
I took the new semi out just to satisfy myself that unlike the two predecessors it actually cycled - 2 shots and 2 lovely scorchingly high crossing hens and even better, a surplus to requirements round, went into the breech both times. Happy days.

View attachment 338337

Posh hatistani FB. Keep them chokes snug and it'll be fine.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Posh hatistani FB. Keep them chokes snug and it'll be fine.

Thanks SD - I noticed that the chokes are “self-loosening” so I do keep an eye on them. That aside very pleased with it - though I hear the O ring can fail on (the wrong) occasion. We shall see….

 

[Smellydog]

Thanks SD - I noticed that the chokes are “self-loosening” so I do keep an eye on them. That aside very pleased with it - though I hear the O ring can fail on (the wrong) occasion. We shall see….

I think it will still function with heavy loads sans o ring iirc.

 

[Foxyboy43]

I think it will still function with heavy loads sans o ring iirc.

Yep, test run out yesterday with an RFD pal and he said the same thanks, I suppose I got a clue as it came with a pack of six rings - not sure if this is standard or previous owner’s generosity. I will put one in my shooting bag and maybe another in my wallet (gosh that brings back 50 years old memories!).
Anyhoo it cycles faultlessly with 25gms upwards - the 2 hens were shot with 28gms sixes and both did very good impressions of well-hit Kamikazes - rolled over on their back, stone dead and simply fell out of the air; handles really well though a tad less wieldy than my 20 bore.
Looking forward to the 26 inch barrel to see how it works.