Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders How to load an ML shotgun?

I have as yet unfired KnightTK2000 muzzleloading shotgun. I know how to load the powder, but how do you load the shot without it mixing with the powder or rolling out?

The instructions say use 2 Oz shotcups.sobive got some 2oz shot cups filled with buckshot for starters(want to shoot bird after I figure it out) and glued a paper top on the 2oz shot cups and have yet to see how that works.

If someone could just tell me I'd be grateful.thanks.

you put the powder in the barrel... then you get a hornets nest and use the paper the hornets made their nest out of. pack a wad of it on top of the powder and tamp it down good....pour the shot on the wad and put a cardboard shot disc on the shot... or use another wad of the hornets nest to pack on top of the shot... and you are ready to shoot a Turkey...good Luck..

What can I use in lieu of hornets nest wadding? Can I make a bag out of pillow ticking and pour the shot down in there and then ram it home? Unless you are getting the hornets paper.

Hornets nest paper is pretty old school. Competitors in the MZ shotgun game will generally use something like...powder charge...over powder wad is a fairly thick cushion wad also...shot charge and the finally an over shot thin wad of card stock or milk carton. Pattern it and adjust components as needed. Track of the Wolf or Dixie Gun Works for components. Don't know anything of where you hunt, but if there is fire danger, think about it before you start stuffing combustibles down the barrel. Dry cotton is a real hazard. Paper not so much..fiber wads impregnated with crisco or such is pretty safe.

The 2 oz wads hold a lot of shot and they have a lot of recoil. We use the wads for one and a half ounces. After swabbing the barrel and firing at least one primer, load the powder and then seat whichever wad you choose. Once the wad is seated, drop the shot charge. Finally, seat the over shot card and you are ready.

My shotgun is a 12 gauge but it is "back bored"... so will that effect the size wad I need to use?should I use 10ga wads now?

My tk2000 is backbored
.should I use 10 or 12 GA components?

With a little search effort, I think you can find 11 ga components, that's what I used in an ancient 12 ga double gun...tight but still easy enough to start down the bore. In double guns, it can be a train wreck if the first bbl recoil unseats the charge in the 2nd bbl. Air space kills guns. If you have a few shop tools and a little mechanical savvy it is not difficult to make your own wad punch.

Everything you need to know right here:

http://traditionalmuzzleloader.com/index.php/loading-the-smoothbore-gun

I've got a pedersoli double and always use the ox yoke wonder wads in place of over powder and cushion wads for overshot wads I use circle fly made ones or sometimes just another wonder wad keeps things simple. The old rule is you used equal shot and powder volumes and it does seem to produce good patterns. I've only seen 1 Knight TK2000 and it was being used with the Knight plastic wads with a fiber over shot setup patterned good and was used on a turkey. If you look on YouTube I think Knight has a how to video on the TK2000. Hope this helps.

Knight wants you to use their expensive stuffyouve helped me out enough.thanks!

A wealth of information sir thank you.

Thanks

Powder, wonder wad over the powder and use multiples if you want/need to. Then shot and then an over the shot card and press it all in with the ramrod. Have used a Pedersoli 10ga muzzleloading shotgun for years. Also see if you can still find some Alcan fiber wads, think they were called BlueStreaks.

We use 12 gauge wads, either from Knight who buys them or from Harvester. The Knight wads look identical to the Harvester wads. Harvester is much cheaper. My brother uses the gun for turkey only and our load is 100 grains of Alliant Black MZ, which is discontinued, but it is repackaged American Pioneer Powder. Don't know what he will use after all the Black MZ is gone. Didn't see your question when I checked this thread, so late replying.

I just reread your post and if I am reading correctly, you are planning to fill the shot cup before seating the cup. It is very difficult to load filled shot cups. By far the best way is to seat the cup tightly over the powder and then pour the measured shot charge down the barrel. Then seat the over shot card firmly and you are good to go.