Birdshot from muzzle loader...

[Echo4Lima]

Can it be done?  How about shot from a Lyman pistol?   

[quickdtoo]

Here are a recent thread on the same topic.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,133725.msg1098506638.html#msg1098506638

[petemi]

A while back, I had a weasel problem in my chicken coop.  The 12 and 20 ga. were out of the question as were rifle and pistol for reasons of damage to the building.  About the time I thought of .38 shot for my .357, I thought of my Kentucky .50.  I loaded 30 gr. fffg, about the same #6 shot with a wad between and on top.  Sat out in the coop for a while and BANG..end of problem.

When I get a new burn barrel, I usually ventilate it with buck and ball.  75 gr. ffg,  .50 or .54 patched round ball with 6 or eight .32 round balls poured on top and a wad to hold it all together.  It's not bird shot, but it makes a nice burn barrel with 2 or three shots.  They used loads like this in the Civil War.

[coyotejoe]

Can it be done?  How about shot from a Lyman pistol?   

Certainly it can be done, the question should be "is it worth doing?" Shot from a rifled barrel, whether black powder or modern, tends to scatter wildly, the effective range will be measured in feet, not yards. But if you wish to see for yourself, I can understand that, I've made up birdshot loads for .444 Marlin, .45/70, .44 mag, .45 Colt and .45 ACP as well as a shot or two from .45 and .50 muzzleloaders. Just set your powder measure a bit lighter than your normal charge and use the same volume measure of shot. It is best if you can get wads to fit your bore but if not just wad up a couple of squares of TP or 1/4 sheet of paper towel and ram that hard on top of the powder, packing it down tight. Then drop the shot and pack a small wad of paper on top. Make your first test shot on a large piece of cardboard at 15 paces and if the pattern looks useful, which I doubt, then try a bit farther. Number 8 or 9 shot will likely give the best pattern but it still won't likely be useful beyond 15 yards. Now a .50 caliber is not too small to be useful in hunting if it is a long barreled smoothbore, it can beat a modern .410 shotgun, but a rifled bore just won't do well with shot.

[tn_junk]

I've messed around with this in a .50 I have with a worn out barrel. Using 45 grains equivalent of RS,  a heavy over powder wad,  .50 cal sabot for a long .45 cal bullet, #5 shot and a very light over shot wad, I get a decent pattern out to about 30 feet.
Most of the rifling is gone from my barrel, and it was 1-48" to begin with. I expect that a gun with tighter twist and better rifling would do worse.

alan

[StrawHat]

If you are interested in muzzleloading shotgunning, there are several companies who cater to scattergunners.

My 69 caliber Charlesville flint has been pressed into shot duty.  Unfortunately, I am a poor wingshot, but the musket performed well.

[Echo4Lima]

I asked this because I almost always see a grouse or 2 when I'm out hunting.  I was curious if I could carry my pistol with shot for some nice dinner.

[coyotejoe]

I would expect even worse results with shot from a pistol, when the shot exits the muzzle of a short barrel the wads are still being driven by high gas pressure which tends to drive into the shot column and scatter the pattern. Also, pistol barrels generally have, or should have, a faster twist than rifles which will also increase the scattering. At that short range you should be able to head shoot them with a ball.

[Echo4Lima]

Well, I'll just have to shoot their little heads off with a ball!

[Odinbreaker]

You need a side by side one smooth bore one rifled. 

[coyotejoe]

You need a side by side one smooth bore one rifled. 

And both at least 30" long!