Preparing an 1800s SxS Muzzleloading Shotgun for Turkey Hunting | Hunting with Antique muzzleloaders

In this video, we’re testing my original Scott & Son 14 Gauge Side by Side Shotgun as we get ready for turkey season.

The firm of W & C Scott & Son was one of largest in the world. Probably because the firm were primarily "Trade Gunmakers" it is none-the-less remarkable that there is little recorded original history other than that contained in "The History of W & C Scott Gunmakers" by J A Crawford and P G Whatley.

Scott Shotgun History

The 1860s were very prosperous times for the Birmingham gun trade, due mainly to the American Civil War but also to the success they had selling their sporting guns, particularly pigeon guns and other high quality guns in the USA, Europe and elsewhere. At this time the firm was producing about 2,000 guns per annum.

In 1874 the firm became agents for Smith & Wesson. Early in that year they patented a further fore-end fastener (No. 712). On 12 June 1874 patent No. 2052 was registered to cover a barrel locking mechanism (two spring operated cylindrical bolts on the standing breech parallel with the barrels). This was Scott's "Quadruple Grip", it was used by Holland & Holland amongst others, but the extra grips were unnecessary and the design was not popular. Patent No. 3424 of 7 October 1874 covered a hammerless action cocking mechanism similar to the Gibbs & Pitt patent. In this mechanism cocking was achieved by movement of the top lever, variations for different actions were included.

In 1883 William Scott, founder of the business, died.
Apart from guns being marked with the W & C Scott name up to the mid-1930s, the name made a brief re-appearance in about 1926 when Webley & Scott Ltd established W & C Scott Arms Co in New York to handle the importation and distribution of guns in the USA. This firm probably ceased operations in or soon after 1929.

All the Scott rifle records were destroyed by fire in 1945.

W & C Scott & Son became a major manufacturer (and one of the largest trade manufacturers) of sporting guns and rifles. In order to understand the type, quality, model, and style of guns made in the nineteenth century, one has to realize that this was a period of invention and perfection far surpassing anything seen either before or during the next 100 years. Shooting men were more knowledgeable about their guns and the "latest principles" on which they were made than they are today, and both the medium-sized gunmaker and the major manufacturer could be much more flexible in terms of what they produced.

Test Parameters

For the purposes of this test, and my attempts at hunting, we’ll be shooting each shot at about 20 yards. This represents a close distance for turkey hunting and will give us an idea of the performance of this cylinder-bore shotgun before we take it out to longer distances.

Test Supplies

As pictured above, I’m using a “Hunter’s Pack” from Flintlocks LLC. This pack is designed for hunting use and includes 100 over-powder cards, 100 cushion wads, and 100 over-shot cards. this gives us a great place to start with room to grow as we experiment.

I’ll be using #4 shot and Schuetzen 2F Blackpowder for these tests.

VIDEO CHAPTERS

0:36 - Scott and Son SxS Shotgun Overview

2:47 - Disclaimer

3:12 - Our Turkey Hunting Test Target

3:36 - The Wads and Cards I’m Using - MyFlintlock.com

4:23 - Using antique muzzleloaders

5:18 - First shots - 55gr Square

8:01 - 80gr Square

8:40 - 65gr Square

9:56 - 60gr Square

10:44 - First 4 Targetst compared

11:49 - Thought process for 65gr

12:35 - Trying a lubed cushion wad

18:25 - Trying 1/2 a lubed cushion wad

20:07 - 1/2 lubed wad test comparisons

21:46 - Double Barrel tests

23:33 - Double Barrel Test Results

23:53 - Conclusions

Final Test Targets

Test Conclusion

55 Grain Square Load: 9 pellets in the turkey target

80 Grain Square Load: 7 pellets in the turkey target

65gr Square: 14 pellets in the turkey target

60gr Square: 13 pellets in the turkey target

65 Grain 1/2 lubed cushion wad and 1 1/2 loads of shot: 22 Shots in the Bird

82 grain 1/2 lubed cushion wad Square load: 18 Shots in the Bird

In the end, I found the most effective loads to be 65 Grains of Powder and 1 1/2 loads of shot or the 1 1/8oz square load. each of these loads proved to be fairly similar