So it wasn't big game, only dove, but what a blast!
I've been shooting BP for a few years now, with a Lyman GPR and an 1851 Navy revolver. Always just target shooting or plinking. I'm always thinking about taking the GPR out for pig, but just never get around to doing it.
So for my birthday a few days ago, I got a Cabela's BP 12 gauge SxS (the Pedrosolli made one). First thing I did after I figured loading out ( a bit different than a rifle) was to grab the dog and head for the winter wheat field at my folks' place. The doves are getting sparse and skittish now, but they're still out there. Stand hunting doesn't work right now -- you have to walk them up (and it's a lot of walking). So we scared our first dove up, pretty much out of range, but we both hunkered down, and pretty soon he did a 180 heading back towards us. He got in range, I pulled back a hammer, got him in my sights, pulled the trigger, and he kept on going. Rats -- the gun is still new and I pulled on the wrong trigger! Oh well. The next one though, came flying in over some citrus trees on an adjoining property. Got him in my sights, pulled the trigger (remembered which was which this time!) and with a big plume of smoke and a blackpowder "thu-a-whump!" he dropped right out of the sky, and my dog actually did a classic retrieve instead of her usual squirrely comedy act.
Anyway, it's probably not a big deal to most, but getting that one with the muzzleloader was like a flashback to the first bird I ever got with my first shotgun when I was a kid. We got a few more dove, and are going out the next couple of days as well. I'm totally hooked on the muzzloader bird hunting. I'm seriously thinking about hanging up the Red Label for next season and just using the BP shotgun. I'm sure it'll cut down on opportunities during reloading, but the quality factor of getting birds with it is just too cool for me right now.
