"Big Dupa" and "old coot"?! Let's show some respect! For those of us who had any contact with V.M., "courtly old gentleman" came closer to the truth. For example, I can't imagine V.M. making cracks like KK made.
To the point, however: "Not know much about muzzleloaders...?" The guy was ONLY primarily responsible for the renaissance of m/l shotgunning AND he was able to tune m/l shotguns to performance levels that have only been attainable in recent years with high-tech guns and loads AND he shot m/l shotguns about as well as anyone ever has AND a match is named after him at Friendship. Nope, the old boy sure didn't know much!
Now, V.M. did do some things that are not recommended today, like load powder directly from a flask and spitting down loaded shotgun barrels, but such were done "in the day". The rest of what V. M. recommends holds up pretty well, however.
"Arcane" knowledge is just that, i.e. "hidden"...and you guys missed it.
Please refer to V.M.'s recommendation of "bulk for bulk" loads with Fg powder. Such loads are equivalent to a LESS than a "b. for b." load with Ffg powder, which is now the most common recommendation. With such loads, denser and more even patterns can be (but not always will be) achievable with cylinder bore guns. Such patterns might not be full choke patterns by any means but they generally will be better.
Please also refer to the fact that V. M. recommends Fg powder. (V. M. assumed that the powder would be the long-lamented DuPont version.) My much more limited experience reflects V. M.'s. Fg may be dirtier-burning than Ffg and its synthetic equivalents and it generally requires larger powder charges for given velocity levels but it tends to burn "smooth" with lower levels of shot deformation and shot charge disruption, which is why I suspect that V. M. was able to use the kind of minimal wad columns that he used.
"How can people advocate reading entire books"...because the information is there, that's why! (I'll bet your teachers just LOVED you!)
KK, if the price you paid for the book is too much then send it to me. I'll reimburse your #@&*^!! nine bucks!
