I have one drilling that isn't Nitro proofed nor is my combination gun. Back to that "somewhat of a romantic" bent of mine, I've always loaded Mag Tech, 2 1/2 in. brass hulls with BP and the old, traditional wad column. Even use waterglass to hold the OSC in place. Have always used the classic, "2 1/2 drams, 1 oz of shot" load as well. Works great for me! Only difficulty that arises is I have to keep the hulls separate from gun to gun as the chambers differ slightly. If I could find a 16 bore sizing die that problem would go away but every place I've looked is out of stock......unless some have arrived recently.
Much the same as my cut back plastic hulls, the brass hulls always elicit comment. Once fired the comments are.......always interesting and sometimes amusing. I really want to relate this story. The first round of sporting clays I ever shot I fired with the aforementioned drilling and BP loads. The young fella setting birds for us was.....I'm guessing 12-14 and, I suppose had never seen a shotgun loaded with BP. The first bird he tripped for me I hear OH!!!!!! right after the shot. It wasn't until we got back to the club house the young man told me, "your first shot I thought your gun blew up". Needless to say doubles on that humid, spring day down in the woods were.....nearly impossible. One of the gentlemen in the group told me, "you don't shoot too bad......if you could see the second bird". I went back a month later for a second round and proved him decidedly wrong. I didn't shoot much better with smokeless than I did BP so I do "shoot too bad". IN MY DEFENSE......I am not much of a shotgunner to begin with. If nothing else when I have a shotgun in my hands I can provide comic relief. Gimme a rifle any day!!!!
