Devoted to the use of muzzleloading shotguns for hunting, Trap, Skeet and other shooting sports For most shooters, the phrase "muzzle loader" is synonymous
with a muzzle loading rifle. However, there are a surprising number of shooters who, at least
occasionally, shoot a muzzle loading shotgun. This site is devoted to the use muzzle loading shotguns for both clay target shooting (such as Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays) as well as hunting.
Check out "ML Shotgun Events" for a list of upcoming clay target events. Several of the events are hosted by various chapters of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. Do not let the name fool you. Some, but not all, of the NMLRA events have shotgun events, including: Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays and Quail Walks. Going to a muzzleloading trap or skeet competition is a great way to meet other shooters and hone your skills. Be sure to check out my two part Article on the NMLRA Western National Shoot.
In addition, a number of short articles related to the muzzle loading shotgun have been posted. A snippet from the most recent articles appears below. The complete article and older articles may be accessed by clicking the Articles link on the left side of this page.
The Gallery section of this website also contains pictures of muzzleloading shotguns in action.
Recent Articles
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Loads and Patterns from Competative Shooters
When I started shooting a muzzleloading shotgun I was very curious about the loads used by the competitive muzzleloading trap and skeet shooters. My assumption was that the more experienced shooters had some secret loads which gave them an edge. Over the last couple of years, I have information regarding the loads and patterns of the competitors. Guess what; there is no secret load. The vast majority of the competitors shoot a pretty standard load, with most shooters using close to an equal volume of shot and powder. To the extent there is a "secret," it is that the majority of competitive shooters shoot a fairly light load. Clay targets are not that hard to break. If you are ...
Posted Apr 25, 2013, 9:10 AM by Peter Lucas
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Flintlock Shotguns
This year I decided to try a flintlock shotgun. So far, most of my flintlock shooting has been done with an original English fowler or the short barreled blunderbuss which I built for the Blunderbuss Championships at the the NMLRA Winter Nationals. While the flintlock ignition systems adds some complexities, for the most part, lessons learned by shooting a percussion shotgun translate directly to a flintlock shotgun. This article discusses some of the more interesting issues encountered when making the jump from a percussion gun to a flintlock. Before discussing the idiosyncrasies of the flintlock shotgun, I need to make clear that I would not recommend a flintlock as your first muzzle loading shotgun. Here are my reasons for this ...
Posted Jan 9, 2013, 2:28 PM by Peter Lucas
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More Blunderbuss: the Second United States Blunderbuss Championship
It is time to get ready for the Second United States Blunderbuss Championship which will be held at the NMLRA Western National Shoot, February 26 through March 3, 2013. The Blunderbuss Championship consist of 15 shots at three different types of targets. Five rounds are fired at paper target at a range of approximately 20 yards. The next five shots are fired at a 8 inch gong from a bouncing buggy steat. The final five shots are at flying clay birds. A more complete description of the event can be found at an earlier Article tiled The United States Blunderbuss Championships Last year, I built blunderbuss using a kit from Pecatonica River Supply for the first blunderbuss championship. Over the ...
Posted Jan 9, 2013, 1:07 PM by Peter Lucas
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Pheasant Hunting: Now and Then
The third Saturday of October marks an important date each year; opening day of pheasant season in South Dakota! In South Dakota opening day of pheasant season is not just the start of the hunting season, it is one of the biggest events of the year. Businesses throughout eastern and central South Dakota "roll out the orange carpet" for the thousands of pheasant hunters who will take to the field on opening day. In addition to the pheasant hunting, there are banquets, special contests, promotions, and other events taking place on opening weekend. Over the course of the season an estimated 170,000 hunters will hunt pheasants in South Dakota and harvest approximately 1.5 million roosters. The majority of ...
Posted Apr 24, 2013, 10:17 AM by Peter Lucas
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Tuning up for Pheasant Season
Each year in late September or early October we take a trip to Vallery's High Plains Game Ranch in western South Dakota as a tune up for the opening of pheasant season. This pre-season excursion provides an opportunity to give the dogs a little work and make sure the hunting equipment is fully operational. It is also a good time to take a close look at your hunting shotgun and loading flasks and other tools. With respect to the gun itself, check to make sure that the locks and triggers are functioning smoothly and that they are properly lubricated. If you have not patterned the gun in a while, make a trip to the patterning board prior to ...
Posted Oct 4, 2012, 9:19 AM by Peter Lucas
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