ideas for .45 muzzleloader scattershot loads?

[SwageMeister]

Hi guys,

Dug up my old Traditions Pioneer .45 percussion pistol I built when i was a kid. I'm thinking of developing a scattershot load of some type for it - main purpose is CQB with hostile watermelons and pumpkins at 10-15 yards. Ideal load will be accurate enough that I don't look like an idiot in front of friends/relatives, and with enough shot and spread to completely splatter the offending melon.

Any ideas for shot size? I was leaning toward #4 bird or one of the smaller buck
Should I use an overpowder card, hard felt wadding or maybe nitrated paper?

Any past experiences would be helpful.

[Capt.Dunsel]

Hi guys,

Dug up my old Traditions Pioneer .45 percussion pistol I built when i was a kid. I'm thinking of developing a scattershot load of some type for it - main purpose is CQB with hostile watermelons and pumpkins at 10-15 yards. Ideal load will be accurate enough that I don't look like an idiot in front of friends/relatives, and with enough shot and spread to completely splatter the offending melon.

Any ideas for shot size? I was leaning toward #4 bird or one of the smaller buck
Should I use an overpowder card, hard felt wadding or maybe nitrated paper?

Any past experiences would be helpful.

I would use a lubed felt over powder wad , same volume of shot to powder , then an over shot wad ( same lubed wad as 1st. Make sure you pack it down solid )

And you'll probably need to stand close to the water melon , pattern will probably measured in feet per foot of distance from target .

[6mmintl]

Bore size is too small, you could ream it out to .50-.620_ and then do the Wads, shot, card wad on top for more effective patterning.

Other wise with rifled bore, wad, plastic sleeve over/inside wad, then over shot card wad.

[SwageMeister]

Bore size is too small...

Agreed - I'm just doing it for the sake of doing it though. I'm thinking I'll start with about 25 grains FFg since it's a just a pistol, and form a tiny shotcup of sorts by elmers gluing a small bit of brown paper to some felt .410 wads I have lying around. Will fill it with 1/2 to 5/8 oz of #8 to start, followed by an overshot card, and see what happens.

May pattern it first at like 7 yards just to see what I'm dealing with. Will let you guys know the results when I get around to it.

May carefully increase the payload if I can find the old instructions that came with the kit - can't remember what the max charge is for a pioneer pistol.