I have a number of original double and single barrel shotguns/fowlers from .32 ga to 12 ga that I regularly shoot. I would like to know if anyone out there has used theirs for turkey, and if so, a good load that would be effective, yet safe. I have a couple of modern replicas, but would rather use an original if at all possible.

when I was reading up on loads for my 12 ga i read that equal volume was a good load so if you load 100gr 2f in your gun fill the 100gr measure with shot now that load works good for me my gun is newer but I shoot it with 2 felts over the powder and 1 over the shoot.

I have two black powder shotguns. My Knight TK2000 inline is easy... 100 grains of APP 2f, then a 3-1/4 hard plastic wad. A second wad filled with #5 and #7=1/2 poured down the barrel into the empty shot cup. Then a foam over the shot card. That load is deadly out to 40 yards.

In my T/C New Englander 12 gauge.. 85 grains of APP 2f, the same shot cup and same load. Same wad. Good to 35 yards but I like the birds closer if possible.

I dont own a muzzleloading shotgun but I wish I did. Not many choices of replicas that are double barreled. I see alot of original German and English shotguns online but I do not know how to tell if they are shootable or not. Damascus barrels are nice looking but I read not to shoot them so that defeats the purpose. Sometimes you see double barreled originals for nearly the same price as replicas. Shotguns from Suhl interest me very much but my favorite is James Purdey. Too bad that the breechloading Purdey guns go for the price of a house. Again it defeats the purpose... I'd be a fool to shoot one at that cost.

There are plenty of load recommendations for 12 and 20 gauge guns and the old recommendation of equal volumes of powder and shot is a good place to start. I would only add that your original guns are no doubt straight cylinder bore since by the time choke boring was developed muzzleloaders were pretty much history. Thus pattern density will be the limiting factor and you probably won't find a load which patterns dense enough to be reliable past 25 or 30 yards. That being the case I would use no shot size larger than #6. Sixes will have enough penetration for head shots out to the limit of effective patterns so larger pellets would only serve to lessen your pattern density even more.
I do highly recommend V.M. Starr's little booklet on the care and feeding of the ML shotgun, long out of print but available online here.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=2605

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I have a Edward Middelton 13 gage 1840-50 side x side and at 30-40 yards my pattern is as big as a sheet of plywood is their any way to tighten my pattern I use 1 wad on my powder and 1 on my shot and 1 ounce of powder and 1 ounce of shot please help

Hard to improve upon what Joe said. I think one of the hardest things for a new muzzleloading shotgun user to do is shorten the distance at which our old guns are truly effective.

Knapp, you don't say what kind of wad you're using overpowder and that little bit of info would help. As Joe alluded to, V. M. Starr was probably the master of master's. I believe his recommended load was two hard cards over the powder and a split card wad over the shot. If I remember his quote it was "you can use more if you want to but it isn't necessary", or something close to that. I'm far from an expert but I have pretty good luck with Starr's method.

You can juggle your shot to powder ratio or you can resort to plastic shot cups, (I beg of you not to crucify me!!!), or you can make your own of paper. Results seem to vary from gun to gun and if you make your own you'll have to experiement with the slits in the side. I have had them not seperate from the shot column at all.

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I shoot a 20 Ga (.62 cal) Fusil De Chase style flintlock. I have never turkey hunted with it but have killed lots of squirrels, ducks and deer with it. I use one ounce shot and a powder charge of the same volume. Nothing like the smell of black powder on a cold crisp morning.

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I have a Wm Moore, probably circa 1890's. It is a 10 gauge double but it mic's out as a 9ga. I get all my supplies from Circle Fly: Products. I used to shoot this gun a lot but it has been sitting for the last year. It has followed me out to the range more then to the field. It is always a joy to shoot and does pretty well out to 30 yards. It sure brings in a crowd when the smoke leaves the line.

I use my Damascus Wm. Moore 12ga more and more, but it is a breach loader with 2 1/2" chambers. I use brass shells and black powder in it.

Bill in OR

We do sometimes forget that BP breechloaders are efficient, effective and enjoyable too. I've enjoyed handloading and shooting BP shotshells in even modern, hammer less doubles. Some ML shotguns were excellent bird guns but many of the surviving guns tend to be a bit heavy and not so well balanced. Of course that's also true of many breechloaders but generally I feel the breechloaders offer many advantages as a BP hunting gun and I just enjoy any well balanced and good handling bird gun, even though I haven't done much bird hunting in years.

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Life is such a hard school that no one has ever gotten out of it alive!

Shoot a 56 cal smooth bore. Adjusting the amount of powder to shot ratio down will tight the pattern.