shotgun..

[Cash Creek]

Tell me about the shotgun shells you use for Cowboy shooting..gauge, shot, load..and anything else that is importing..CC

[Pancho Peacemaker]

Remington STS 12 gauge, 2 3/4",  #8 shot, 1 1/8 oz 

This is the same load I shoot sporting clays with.

[Sod Buster]

Magtech Brass shells - 12ga - 4.3cc FFg Gun Powder - 1 1/8 oz #7-1/2oz or #8 shot.

[Cash Creek]

I have a bad shoulder  so I have to use low recoil shells.12 gauge 2 3/4 26 grains # 8 shot..

I kind of wanted to see what any one with bad shoulders or arm was shooting. CC

[Tascosa Joe]

Sometimes I shoot the load Sodbuster discribed.  I also use AA Low noise Low Recoil sheels.  I like 7625 and 1 oz of shot as this is a low pressure load I use in most of my LC Smiths.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I shoot Black Powder shells I load myself, in Magtech hulls.  Paper hulls were MOST common, but brass was available after a time.  (1880s-90s)  Actually, brass shells really found their place after the wet trenches during WWI, and the many paper hulls that swelled to unusable size because of all the wet.

Black Powder shells, loaded to normal levels will be MUCH easier on your shoulder, Brother Cash.  I load basically a "square" load.  I have a Lee shot dipper that is adjustable from 7/8 oz. to 2 1/2 oz.  I set it on the 1 oz. setting, then scoop up the BP, pour it in a primed hull, put a nitrated 1/8" card wad over it and compress, then I put in a 1/2" lubed spacer wad and ramit down, compress a bit more, then I use the same dipper at either the 1 oz. setting or the 1 1/8 oz. setting, (NEVER use more powder by volume than shot) I scoop up #7 or #8 shot, place a .030" hard over-shot wad on top and then I use "waterglass" (sodium silicate) around the card wad to seal it all.  Duco cement and others work as well. 

I got all my wads from Circle-Fly.  For Magtech 12 ga. hulls, the over-powder and lubed spacer wads are 11 ga., but the over-shot wad is 10 ga.  This way, everything seals up tightly.

That load I just mentioned comes to about 63-67 grs. of BP (2F or 3F by volume) and with one or 1 1/8 oz. shot, it is a very mild load, but it has always knocked down whatever I shot at ... if I aimed right.

Despite many horror stories, BP is easy to clean and exceptionally easy to clean from a shotgun!  My double-barrel coachgun (by Tula) MIGHT take 5 minutes to clean after it's disassembled, after I shoot BP shells.  If you use plastic shot-cups, it will take more time to clean, but not much.  However, with an older gun with the shorter forcing cones (right in front of the chamber) like my Tula, plastic wads aren't needed OR recommended.  On Stoegers and many newer guns that have loooonger forcing cones, the plastic wads help quite a bit, so you need to know what is in YOUR gun.  I will say this:  I used the same loads in the Stoeger I USED to have and I never had trouble with KDs (Knock-Downs), but I didn't know the difference then.


Go figure ...
YMMV!

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I shoot Black Powder shells I load myself, in Magtech hulls.  Paper hulls were MOST common, but brass was available after a time.  (1880s-90s)  Actually, brass shells really found their place after the wet trenches during WWI, and the many paper hulls that swelled to unusable size because of all the wet.

Black Powder shells, loaded to normal levels will be MUCH easier on your shoulder, Brother Cash.  I load basically a "square" load.  I have a Lee shot dipper that is adjustable from 7/8 oz. to 2 1/2 oz.  I set it on the 1 oz. setting, then scoop up the BP, pour it in a primed hull, put a nitrated 1/8" card wad over it and compress, then I put in a 1/2" lubed spacer wad and ramit down, compress a bit more, then I use the same dipper at either the 1 oz. setting or the 1 1/8 oz. setting, (NEVER use more powder by volume than shot) I scoop up #7 or #8 shot, place a .030" hard over-shot wad on top and then I use "waterglass" (sodium silicate) around the card wad to seal it all.  Duco cement and others work as well. 

I got all my wads from Circle-Fly.  For Magtech 12 ga. hulls, the over-powder and lubed spacer wads are 11 ga., but the over-shot wad is 10 ga.  This way, everything seals up tightly.

That load I just mentioned comes to about 63-67 grs. of BP (2F or 3F by volume) and with one or 1 1/8 oz. shot, it is a very mild load, but it has always knocked down whatever I shot at ... if I aimed right.

Despite many horror stories, BP is easy to clean and exceptionally easy to clean from a shotgun!  My double-barrel coachgun (by Tula) MIGHT take 5 minutes to clean after it's disassembled, after I shoot BP shells.  If you use plastic shot-cups, it will take more time to clean, but not much.  However, with an older gun with the shorter forcing cones (right in front of the chamber) like my Tula, plastic wads aren't needed OR recommended.  On Stoegers and many newer guns that have loooonger forcing cones, the plastic wads help quite a bit, so you need to know what is in YOUR gun.  I will say this:  I used the same loads in the Stoeger I USED to have and I never had trouble with KDs (Knock-Downs), but I didn't know the difference then.


Go figure ...
YMMV!