Starr jug-choked my lightweight Dewson 10 bore in 1968. Originally brought out west by the cook at Teddy Roosevelt's ranch according to the old railroad engineer I bought it from. Supposedly used to shoot passenger pigeons in New York.
I 'proofed' the gun by wedging it in an old tire with a string on the trigger. Used 6dr Fg and 2 oz lead 8's. After that I used recommended loads.
Anyway, I used it mostly for waterfowl hunting and a bit of sharptail grouse hunting and trapshooting. I even used wasps nests for wadding as Starr recommended and they did work fine. Also chewed up my overshot cards a bit to keep the bore a bit moist while pushing the fouling down on top of the powder. My worst problem with patterning came from brittle fiber filler wads. Tried soaking them in glycerin, but didn't get any testing done.
Never learned to sweep both hammers back at the same time. But in a boat or on a shore blind or dryland pass I had time to be ready with both hammers cocked. I usually dispensed with the original ramrod when hunting and made one from a birch dowel. Impossible to use MLs when out in chest waders, but can be done in shallow water while in hip boots by lifting one leg up a bit. With water splashing around, I kept both powder and shot in vials in my pockets.
Good luck with your percussion double....they are a blast!
