birdguns

[pastorp]

Anyone actually use a shotgun or fowler to birdhunt? I just got a new englander 12ga. I need a few tips since I've never even loaded a blackpowder shotgun.

Guess I should add I am familure with BP rifles and have hunted with them. I just don't know what you need to do to load shot.

[bubba]

I have a new englander also.  What would you like to know?

I will start with some basics.

load volumetric  which means equal amont of powder and shot.  For me that means 80 grains of goex ffg and 1 1/4 ounces of #7 Shot. 
I use fiber wads between powder and shot.  I do not use plastic wads.  T/C used to make pre oiled ones.  If you can not find them, dixie gun works sells dry fiber ones.  You will have to oil them yourself.

Also purchase the over shot cards which are small cardboard discs that hold the shot in place.

Load the powder, fiber wad shot then over shot card.  put a cap on and you are ready to shoot.  I am not sure if you have the model that has the screw in chokes or not.  If you do, when you have a tight choke such as a full, you may have to remove the choke to load the fiber wads.  I had mine modified.  A buddy reamed mine and threaded it so it accepts remington chokes. When I use the full for turkeys, I have to remove the choke.  I have shot competition trap with it as well as bird and turkey hunt with mine. You will have fun with it.

[pastorp]

Thanks bubba, It does not have screw in chokes. I want to work up a shot load and a buckshot load as well. Regards

[coyotejoe]

Your New Englander is probably cylinder bore, no choke at all, and thus your range will be limited to about 25 yards at best before the spread becomes too wide and thin. I just finished up a jug choke in a NE for a fellow who said his pattern spread had been so scattered as to be useless beyond 15 yards. He wanted it choked about improved cylinder and when I tested it after doing the jug choke it put 55% in the 30" circle at the standard 40 yard range. He was delighted and said it more than doubled his effective range on grouse and bunnies. I also did another NE for a guy who wanted a "turkey gun" and gave him full choke patterns of 75%. The beauty of the jug choke is that it doesn't show on the outside and the muzzle is not reduced in diameter at all so it is as easy to load as a cylinder bore.
My own favorite muzzleloading bird gun is a 28 gauge Jack Garner barrel on a T/C Penn Hunter stock in flintlock. I jug choked that one also to improved cylinder 55% patterns as I consider that to be the most useful choke for upland game, full choke is a specialized choke for maximum range on ducks and turkeys but too tight for most shots on upland game.
 For most hunting situations you don't need the fiber wads, they often disrupt the pattern, especially with barrels as short at the T/C NE. Your best patterns will come with just two 1/8" thick hard card wads between powder and shot. You can easilly split those wads to half thickness for use as an over shot wad, thus you only need to buy and to carry the one type of wad.
You can get anything you need from one of these sources.
http://www.circlefly.com/html/welcome.html
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(y4x421zomu1svr453zb1q455))/Index.aspx