V M Starr

[S Hillis]

 New member here, recommended by a fellow bp percussion shotgunner. If I have posted this in the wrong forum, please direct me to the proper one.

 V M Starr was the grand old man of bp shotgunning, IMO. I am trying to find every bit of info he wrote, that is preserved as public information. I have ordered his little book from Cornell, but want to determine if there are other sources of things he wrote about bp shotgunning. I am specifically interested in his theories and techniques for jug choking, and more info on his loads and loading procedures.

 I am an old m/l rifle competitor at NMLRA events including the Nationals for two consecutive years, Levi Garret shoots, and state championships. I have several home built longrifles, including two 45 cal. buffalo rifles. But, right now, my main interests lie with the original bp double shotguns.

 Thanks in advance, S Hillis

[smokinbuck]

I don't know what Star wrote besides his one little book, but if you spend a day at the trap range at Friendship you'll get more practical information than you can digest,
Mark

[Mike Brooks]

Don't forget the skeet range and the sporting clays range as well. I spent quite a few years shooting on the skeet range and learned more practical knowledge about ML shotguns there than you could ever learn in a book.

[2shute]

Brownell's Gunsmith Kinks vol 1 has 3-4 pages on jug choking by Starr.

[Herb]

I knew Starr.  He had a place out in the prairie coteau east of Eden, South Dakota.  A gun shop and about an acre of truck garden.  Had steel targets set up out to a couple of hundred yards for testing rifles.  I have his little book (somewhere) but know of nothing else he wrote.  He may have had letters or articles in the American Rifleman back in the 1940's, but I don't remember where.

[Maven]

Here's a link that may be helpful:  http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?2605-The-Muzzleloading-Shotgun-by-V-M-Starr

[wattlebuster]

Never got the pleasure of meeting the man but I have his book an it was that book that turned me on to some of the excellent patterns I get with my 12 ga turkey smoothbore. The number one tip that I learned from his book is to try some 1FG in a big bore smoothbore. Been shooting it ever since or about 35 yrs now. Excellent results

[S Hillis]

Brownell's Gunsmith Kinks vol 1 has 3-4 pages on jug choking by Starr.

 I have Vol. 1 of Gunsmith Kinks. I'll check that out.

 Friendship is over 600 miles from me. Though I have made the trip twice, I'm unlikely to do it again. But, thanks for that suggestion.

 I want to have tighter patterns from my percussion Manton. I shoot doves a lot, and want to extend my range from what the Cyl and Cyl barrels now give. ill keep looking, and thinking.

 SRH

 

[Jerry]

I have one of VM Star's books. If interested in it, PM me.

[smokinbuck]

SRH,
I shoot trap with both a 20 ga original and a 12 ga Pedersoli. The Pedersoli has choke tubes so that one can be controlled pretty easily. The 20 ga is an original Powell out of Birmingham and is cyl and slightly mod. In both cases I have stopped using cushioned wads and have increased the density of my patterns and the distance for solid hits. It appeared that the wads were blowing holes in the pattern. Some fellows use plastic shot columns and it seems to help some but it also leaves a lot of residue in the bore.
Mark

[Mike Brooks]

Brownell's Gunsmith Kinks vol 1 has 3-4 pages on jug choking by Starr.

 I have Vol. 1 of Gunsmith Kinks. I'll check that out.

 Friendship is over 600 miles from me. Though I have made the trip twice, I'm unlikely to do it again. But, thanks for that suggestion.

 I want to have tighter patterns from my percussion Manton. I shoot doves a lot, and want to extend my range from what the Cyl and Cyl barrels now give. ill keep looking, and thinking.

 SRH

Try felt wads.

[Steve-In]

Did he write any articles for MUZZLE BLASTS?  You could always call the office and ask them.

[S Hillis]

 I bought the 20 page "book" that Cornell Publications sells, by Starr, but was very disappointed. Though it is a good primer for newbies to m/l shotgunning, it fell far short of what I wanted. Nothing at all about how he jug choked guns.

 Still looking, Stan