Smoke Pole out of a layout?

[lwingwatcher]

Has anybody done it?

Got any tips?

I just gotta try it this fall, a friend that is gonna crew with me has a 10 gauge SxS that should be a blast....two of them...

Sure, tender will have to come up for reloads and the gun will be loaded on switch outs but is there anything else tricky about it that you can think of?

thanks in advance

lwing

[Jethro]

:SHOCKED: ...lookin for a challenge or what?
Let me know how it goes and maybe I'll try a bow or maybe a sling shot next season. :evil: :D
Seriously though, you'd have some big time bragging rights with your crew.
...worth a try.

[neil duffey]

w/ a bow ur gunna ned some floats :SHOCKED: :lol:

[Duckman Racing]

not sure you would need the tender to come out for reloads, seems like you could just keep everything in a waterproof container and keep it all in the layout, as long as you can sit up seems like you should be able to reload alright, as long as there aint 2-3 footers, that might make it a little more challenging :lol:

Sounds like a good time for sure either way.

[lwingwatcher]

I hope to practice up some on early geese....at least practice tryin to front stuff while layin in an X-land'r with no wave action to contend with. Maybe there is a way....will have to see.

It just sounds like a new twist to layout gunning for sure...

[trout]

10ga smoke pole outta do just fine, reloading will be the fun part.

I hope to be shootin a 12 ga flinter fowler by summer but I'll stick to the drier ground and yes I'm gonna wack some ducks with it too.
Keep ur powder dry

[Steven Arend]

10ga smoke pole outta do just fine, reloading will be the fun part.

I hope to be shootin a 12 ga flinter fowler by summer but I'll stick to the drier ground and yes I'm gonna wack some ducks with it too.
Keep ur powder dry

I just got a lead on a 12 ga flinter fowler and hope to be picking it up in the next 2 months so I can get it ready for Turkey. We have used smokers for goose hunting but have not taken them out into the swamps for ducks. Like it was said keep the powder dry. And don't jar the barrel around to much or you may have a let of steel shot rolling around in the bottom of that layout. Far most have fun with it, and remember keep following through.

Steve

[Erik]

Can anyone tell me where would be a good place to shop for a muzzleloading shotgun? Whenever I ask at the stores I've been to they look at me funny and shrug their shoulders.

[just ducky]

I hunted a couple of times years ago for pheasants with a muzzle loading shotgun. Quite the experience, but frustrating too. You're really looking for a challenge. Layout hunting is hard enough with a regular shotgun :dizzy:

[lwingwatcher]

Life is built on experiences.....and ya gotta experience things to have a life-at least that is what I keep telling myself.... :yikes:

[Steven Arend]

Can anyone tell me where would be a good place to shop for a muzzleloading shotgun? Whenever I ask at the stores I've been to they look at me funny and shrug their shoulders.


Erik,
Good luck trying to find one in a gun shop. They are not big movers for gun shops to carry. You just need to talk to some smoke polers and have people keep and eye out for you. I know you can usually pick up a nice starter gun from Cabela's in a 10 or 12 ga. model with varying choke styles. A good one to keep an eye out for is the Navy Arms, Turkey & Trap model you can get them in flint or cap. Thompson also was a line of shotguns and I believe CVA does to.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask and if I do not know the answer I sure can find out.

Steve

[thedude]

tender or no tender, i'm not smoking any pole.:SHOCKED:

[Big Nic]

LWW ,

Have some limited experience shooting ducks in a flooded cornfield with a front stuffer but we had a canoe to work out of and it was still pretty tuff! Pretty wet/damp enviorment for a flinter , we use a cap shotgun and still had a few failure to fires. the 10 ga we used had a 48" barell , quite long , as do most muzzleloading shotguns. Gonna be tricky to load in the layout boat. I'd be most concerned about keeping shot charge in place , maybe a felt spacer type wad
to use as a cap on shot charge?? will this blow out pattern of shot charge
not sure about that one but in a layout your gonna need something to hold that
bucket of shot in place. Good luck with this and I will ask around to see if I can come up with any helpful tips . Let us know how it goes.

Erik , try dixie gun works out of tennesse for a shotgun . They have a very complete line of muzzle loading parts acc. and guns

[Big Nic]

Just a suggestion but you might try both these posts in the reload and target shooting forum . lots of knowledge to be had over there

[UPwannabe]

Sound like a lot of fun and a challenge. I don't know how much experience you have with muzzleloading shotguns but usually they are loaded with the powder, a felt/cork spacer, the shot charge and then an overshot card (piece of cardboard) to hold the charge in. I wouldn't think you would have a problem with the load once you got it in. If you are worried about keeping it dry once loaded, just put a balloon over the end of the barrel once loaded, it will just blow off at the shot.

Another neat little trick that I think would work well in this case would be to use shot "bundles". Take a paper coin roller that nearest fits the bore of your barrel, close one end and form it into a shot cup. Pour your shot charge in and twist it shut on top. When you are ready to load, just pour in your powder and cork spacer, rip the twisted end off the shot charge and drop the rest down the barrel, top with an over shot card and you are ready to go. Bonus of this is that you have a shot cup in the barrel now also that will actually hold your pattern together for a little while. Try some loads at the range like this, you might be surprised how well it works.

[multibeard]

My navy arms double 12 front stuffer has open bored barrels. I was able to get some shot cups from Cabela's [thanks to a great comstomer service guy]. I was trying to get a pattern I trusted so i could take my turkey with it. I used the cup for a powder measure [100 grains] and the same measure of shot.

If you are going to reload in a layout you will need long arms to keep the shot down the barrel while you put the overshot card down the barrel.

One thing a muzzle loader will do is get you to follow thru with your shots. If you don't you will shoot behind every time.

[Bmac]

I've been looking around for a front stuffer for birds also. I'm not sure I'd use it in the layout, I'm just know getting the hang of them fast fliers with my X2.

[Camo Man]

lwing, just from my experience with shooting a smokepole shotgun at your home about 3 years ago (my, how time flys) what are you going to use the second barrel for? Couldn't see anything for 15 or 20 seconds after the first barrel went off.

[Bmac]

what are you going to use the second barrel for? Couldn't see anything for 15 or 20 seconds after the first barrel went off.

He is gonna fire 'em both at once. :yikes:

[crushedcan]

What are you going to use the second barrel for?

CRIPPLES!!!

Hey Lwing make sure you have a plug in it.... The local law enforcement would probably ask you. :lol:

[lwingwatcher]

Couldn't see anything for 15 or 20 seconds after the first barrel went off.

You have a point but, that was shooting clays going pretty much away.

With the wind at your back or thereabouts, and birds coming in or passing, the cloud should not be an impediment to popping the second cap. At least I hope not.

And no Bmac, no twofers....I did that once ages ago (college) with a regular 10 with double ought straight up on a bet....never again, I don't think my back would forgive me.... I would like to think I am much older and wiser now....

[bucknduck]

It would be neat to see a video clip or picture shooting ducks with that smoke pole. I'm sure it will be quite an experience to share afterwards. I could be way off, but this reminds me of watching a hunt show where a group of people tried using recurve bows on a pheasant hunt.:) If it adds more of a challenge, go for it.

[Ken Martin]

If you want to get some practice you could bring it to Huron Pointe Sportsman's Association's "Heritage Days" on August 21st. It is in Lenox Township and last year MDHA Bluewater ran a 2 man layout (Whistler) on tractor inner tubes with a trap down range throwning clays towards the boat. It was awesome! It was closest to hunting conditions you could probably get without water. The kids loved it and we had lots of adults who wanted to get the experience of layout shooting. I'll be there all day and I'll probably see you at Bay City again and we can talk more I can give you directions then.

Ken

[bvd7]

It would be neat to see a video clip or picture shooting ducks with that smoke pole. I'm sure it will be quite an experience to share afterwards. I could be way off, but this reminds me of watching a hunt show where a group of people tried using recurve bows on a pheasant hunt.:) If it adds more of a challenge, go for it.
I have some amature video and still photogrphy equip. Would be willing to tag along and shoot some action shots!!

[lwingwatcher]

T'ain't gonna be any witnesses the first attempt... :lol: :lol:

[Kurt D]

I have been looking for a good deal on a breech loading black powder gun with external hammers for a few years. Typically they are in pretty poor shape and not very tight. Guys want too much for the tight ones. I saw a nice 10 bore parker in SD at a gun show and did not have the cash. Went to the bank and when I came back it was gone. Went to a parker collector for $350. I have seen some of the parkers asking price at $1000 in rough shape.

I have gone and looked at a couple of them at guys houses and they are usually junk and they want $300 plus for them.

Some guys at the Ashley sportmans club shoot clays with breech loaders. They load there own shells. When I do get ahold of a good gun I will be loading up some bismuth for our feathered friends.

I really want to see the smoke out of the layout. Wooden layout, smokepole and hand made decoys......doesn't get much better.

[Huntsman27]

just to blast a duck. Then again more guys have more cash than brains. But if your rich all the more too you. Just hope you dont wound then and they straggle off while your looking to reload. I think thats why the indians gave up and took up modern arms. Rich

[Bmac]

Huntsman27
From your response I'd guess you are uneducated on the sport of layout hunting. The guy in the layout does not normally clean up cripples as he is anchored with no motor. The tender boat is responsible for picking up dead birds and chasing any cripples. I have hunted with Kurt D. and if he only has two shots, that just means he will get to spend more time in his layout. I've seen him triple on divers while many others are struggling to hit one out of a flock. A limit comes quickly when you do that and you spend alot of time in the tender.

As for your more money than brains comment, some of us don't have alot of money or brains but we are still polite enough to not make rude judgements of others. :rolleyes:

[lwingwatcher]

Thanks Bmac, you said that a whole lot nicer than I prolly would have.

Let me say this, I am anything but well off financially. But, when it comes to sporting equipment I try and purchase something that will last. My A-5 Mag is still going strong and I purchased in new in the late 60's. Some of my Herters foamers (while now burlapped) are that old. I still hunt with my Dads wood blocks.

Yes, I would say that I am well equipped with hunting gear but, I have had a few years to amass what I have. Lord knows, I certainly couldn't afford to go purchase all me gear at todays prices.

It just so happens that I am borrowing the smoke pole to give it a try. I goose crew with the owner and he wants to layout gun for ducks more so....tit for tat. I intend to practice up on geese in the early season and see how it goes.

By duck season, I should certainly be prepared to throw some steel in the face of incoming jets. And, I really don't think that they are gonna like the looks of that cloud of smoke.....

To each their own but, I wanna make some memories while I can...

Kurt...sounds like we have to play musical smoke poles when we get together for another goose shoot...should be a hoot and a great place for pics, after I get it down that is....

[Camo Man]

As lwing just mentioned, I tried a smokepole at his house, but it wasn't his, it was another guest's gun. When we get together, we tend to allow other folks to try our guns. And lwing has been waterfowling longer than many of the folks on this forum are old. He has nice equipment, but like my own, it has been purchased or traded for over many years. Some of his equipement, and my own, has come down to us from our fathers who were waterfowlers back in the 1930s. Challenges in life are fun, otherwise we would be hunting ducks sitting on the water with computer guided missiles.