do you think it would be worth my time and cost to buy the indian trade musket from DGW and your thoughts would it perform well and make the hunt more interesting
Ah well, I can't answer that for
you. I can tell you what I have experienced in the past, and if you think that's what you're looking for, then you can decide for yourself, eh?
I have three black powder shotguns..., not counting muskets. Two trade guns and a SxS, and they are all 20 gauge. The trade gun from India functions well, and shoots fine, but it's the heaviest of the three. It was the least expensive of the three, and being durable, I can bust around in the woods without worrying about diminishing its value or breaking it. I bought it for messing around and for living history. The Pedersoli "Indian Trade Musket" I bought used, and it's a mediocre copy of an actual trade gun. The lock was "acceptable" but the ramrod thimbles were improperly mounted...., so much for the myth of Pedersoli quality control. It also shoots well, and it's pretty light, so easy to carry and to swing on birds.
The SxS is a caplock, and a joy to hunt with, but it's also the most expensive of the three. It is choked in the left barrel giving me more range than the other two trade guns, which are cylinder bore...no choke at all. I've done a lot of upland bird and small game hunting with the SxS.
Now when it comes to the trade gun flinters, you do have to learn some tricks to the loading, since they are cylinder bore. Not complicated but enough for me to not mention them here due to space. Neither have a rear sight as the come, but..., that's an easy fix, and it's not permanent.
There is something very satisfying, taking game with a flinter, and mastering a flint smoothbore is even better. If you get a kit
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index..._name/FK3370+INDIAN+TRADE+MUSKET+KIT?view_all you save some buck$ and can make yours unique. Although mine was bought finished, it was used, and I removed the case hardening color on the lock, changed the barrel from blue to brown, and swapped out the trigger guard for something brass from the 18th century. While I have taken many deer with a flinter rifle, I need to do that this fall with the trade gun, perhaps if I'm blessed, it will be a deer with each of the trade guns that I own.
LD