I purchased my loading stuff from TOTW. No special shot cup unless you're shooting turkey. I had some white shot cups for loading bird loads around, and started using them. For turkey, I like a nice stiff cup that is not split to far down. It helps to hold things together a little more it seems to me. And I do not hunt turkey with the New Englander. I hunt them with the Knight TK2000 I have. The one turkey load I shot out of my New Englander was a real surprise. Although my TK2000 will knock your socks off with a turkey load in it.
I own two New Englanders. My synthetic stock is used for hunting. My wood stock is for show. I have a .50, .54, and 12 gauge barrel for the two rifles.
Also my Black Mountain Magnum rifle is nothing more then a New Englander with a fancy fast twist barrel. I
am pretty sure that is a .50 caliber with the 1-28 twist barrel. I have not shot it in a while. Looks like it is up next for the range...