Today I decided to get ready for the upcoming bird season. As in the past I use a 12 gauge black powder shotgun. Normally I was shooting my 12 gauge New Englander. But decided the TK2000 Knight is much easier to load and faster. Since I no longer have a dog to point the birds out to me and make the gun more apt to be ready, I need to be fast. The Knight is much faster to flip off a side safety then to cock a hammer.



So out in the yard I went. I decided to shoot American Pioneer Powder as normal. But discovered I had shot all my 2f APP off. Darn..

So checking supplies I found a new bottle of Jim Shockey Gold 3f powder. I convinced myself that the difference between the 2f APP and the 3f JSG could not be that much.

Now when one considers the difference between a Grouse Load (sorry Tom) and a Turkey Load (sorry Semisane) think of it like this..



One holds a little more shot then the other one. And more shot means more recoil. But heck.. I am a man. I can take it. So I took a 2 liter plastic bottle and filled it with water. Carried that out in the yard and set it up at 40 yards ... range finder varified.

I loaded the normal turkey load of 100 grains of APP 2f.. but wait, I am shooting 3f JSG. Should not make that much difference .. right? I was setting the whole show off with a Winchester 209 primer. So I loaded the powder. Then pushed one of those 3-1/2 inch shotgun wads down the bore. Then an equal measure from another wad of #5 lead bird shot and #6 bird shot mixed. Crawled behind that shotgun and... Took a bead on the water bottle and fired... Holy Cow!!! that gun kicked.

Through all the smoke every thing disappeared. I think my lower dental plate shifted. And my shoulders met up somewhere in the middle of my back. But I knew I had fun... right.



The shot did not penetrate but it did put numerous pellets in the bottom of that plastic bottle. So for KICKS I set the bottle out at 45 yards. Went back and decided.. its not nice to shoot that much powder at a poor defensless bird. So I reduced the powder charge to 80 grains. Loaded up another turkey load and fired...



That time the recoil was not so bad... What!! Who am I kidding. Man that thing kicks. But the bottle went across the lawn some more, so I knew I was hitting even out to 45 yards...

Then I decided to pattern the shotgun with the JSG. So I loaded up another turkey load.. and looked to see if there was someone I coudl talk into shooting this thing for me. No one.. just my luck!



I set out a box at 30 yards. Which is normally further then I set my decoys anyway. And crawled behind that TK2000. I wonder if TK stands for technical knock out? And fired at the box. Well this JSG pattern is a little higher then the APP does. Even with 80 grains. But its a good pattern.

I then shot a few more of the turkey loads. And decided.. if I shoot at a turkey, something is going to die for sure.

Then we loaded up 80 grains of JSG and the grouse loads.. What a pleasure to shoot. Granted it still kicked. But this was like a dream compared to those turkey loads. I shot a total of 13 times and decided I had shot enough today. I am ready for bird season.

cayugad

Dave your thread title sort worried me a minute this morning - had to read to see what you did.... Ironically I did sorta the same in the Rock Pit this morning, and I still feel in my shoulder and I only shot 5 rounds...

Looks like that gun will git the fob done if the guy pulling the trigger is up to it...

Good luck turkey hunting!!! It is still miserably hot and dry here + the smoke from all the fires has settled into Moscow and the northwest really bad... Even cancelled football games because the air is unsafe to breath. I do not ever remember the Forest Service telling me that when we were fighting fires in the wildlands... Their meassage was 'drink water'

Good report Cayugad. That ought to get it done. Now go and take some Advil.


By the way, the picture you posted under the above statement is incorrect. This is a Turkey (Semisane) load.

I do not see a shot cup in your picture... or do you not use a shot cup....

They make some kind of sipping whiskey called Grouse as well. Cant find a pic. Lol

It's called Famous Grouse. Good stuff.

Patterning a shotgun is not my idea of fun Dave. I can understand your situation. But good luck with the grouse.

that is some fine single malt

and here is the famous grouse

Hope you see some birds. Be sure to keep us posted.

Still funny! I am going to have to get it together one of these days and come down there and watch the fun.