Traditions Turkey Pro Shotgun - Manual (Page 18)

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c. Remove the ramrod and lay it along the outside of the barrel,
aligning the reference mark with the muzzle. If the gun is unloaded,
the loading end of the ramrod should be within 11/2" of the nipple.
d. If the distance between the loading end of the ramrod and the nipple
is greater than 1 1/2", the barrel may be either obstructed or loaded. To
remove the obstruction, remove the nipple and the breech plug. Do not
attempt to clear the barrel by firing. Before loading anything into the
barrel, clean all oil and grease from inside the barrel. We suggest a
thorough cleaning like mentioned in the beginning of this manual. We
recommend using Traditions cleaning products to enhance your
accuracy and ease of shooting & cleaning.
4. Point the shotgun down toward a safe area on the
ground and load a percussion cap or primer into
nipple. Fire one or two caps or primers to blow out
any oil or residue from the fire channel. Point the
muzzle at a leaf or blade of grass to see if it moves.
If it moves, you have a clear channel. If not, fire off
a couple more caps.
5. Another way to see if you have a clear fire
channel is to screw on a loading/cleaning jag on your ramrod and
place a dry patch on the muzzle of your muzzleloader. Push the
patch down to the breech plug face and leave ramrod & patch in bore.
Point shotgun in safe direction, place cap or primer on nipple & fire
two caps or primers. Remove ramrod from bore and inspect patch.
Patch should have a complete circular burn in middle. This tells you
that you have a clear fire channel.
6. Stand the butt of the shotgun on the ground so that the muzzle is
pointed up and away from you and others. Never work with your
face or any part of your body over the muzzle, even when the gun is
unloaded.
7. Your shotgun is now ready to be loaded.
SELECTING THE POWDER CHARGE
To achieve the best results with your shotgun, Traditions generally
recommends using the volume-for-volume method of loading. This
method employs the same amount of powder as shot, when measured by
volume. To measure the powder charge, use a volumetric shotgun powder
measure, such as Traditions' A1359 (see Fig. A & C). Set the scale on the
powder measure to the desired charge (for example, 1 oz. by volume).
Leave the measure set at 1 oz., and use the same volume of lead shot.
Fig. 14
Fig. 15