Hopefully expectant, I sat behind the cut-pine branches at the edge of my food plot, watching the turkey decoys revolve in the light breeze. Clutched in my hands was a 12-gauge muzzleloading double-barreled shotgun waiting to be used on one of the toms that sometimes patrolled the field's edges. This antique-pattern double was one of the modern reproductions that allow today's shooters to experience the challenges and thrills of yesteryear's hunting techniques.

Georgia law permits replica muzzleloading shotguns and rifles to be use to harvest turkeys, but muzzleloading handguns are not allowed. These modern muzzleloaders provide effective alternatives to old originals of doubtful strength and condition. Replica guns can still capture the spirit of hunts of centuries past, when blackpowder muzzleloaders ruled the hunting world. These guns may range from flintlock rifles and fowlers to scope-sighted in-line muzzleloaders that look like cartridge guns. The option of using a scope permits some older hunters to continue to participate in this exciting sport.

Not just any combination of black powder, shot or ball rammed down the bore of a muzzleloading gun will kill turkeys. Careful load development is necessary to come up with a charge that is sufficiently accurate -- and powerful -- to slay turkeys at the desired range. In addition, patience is needed to let the toms get close enough for a shot. I needed to wait until a turkey approached within the 25-yard sure-kill range of my double-barrel before I could pull the trigger.

One hundred yards away, two toms came into the field. I yelped with my box call, but they seemed not to hear. Although getting closer, they were intent on strutting rather than coming towards me. In a few seconds, I would try again.

I had used that double to take geese, ducks and deer in the U.S., as well as guinea fowl and a blue wildebeest in Africa. The waterfowl had been shot with the required non-toxic bismuth or steel shot, and the big game with a patched round ball. The lack of a choke allowed this dual-purpose use. The unchoked barrels restricted the effective range of the shot, even when loaded with plastic wads and hard HeviShot No. 4 pellets. Previous shooting confirmed that I could get tighter patterns out of the left barrel and better groups with round balls from the right.

Patterning also revealed that the best turkey load for the right barrel was 100 grains of FFg black powder and 1 1/4-ounce of copper-plated lead No. 4s loaded in a red Winchester AA wad designed for 1 1/4-ounces of shot and CCI Magnum No. 11 caps. This load would reliably put eight No. 4s in the head and neck of a turkey target at 25 yards. Accepting the challenge of using this gun meant that I would have to get the birds in close or not shoot.

I called again, louder. This time one of the toms spotted the decoys. Accelerating their approach, the birds came straight for me. I silently cocked the left hammer by pulling back the rear trigger and hammer simultaneously and then lowering the hammer down to catch the full-cock notch. Slowly moving the barrel, I raised the gun's muzzle above the top layer of pine branches and pointed the gun at my decoys 20 yards away.