I see Eric Krewson was experimenting today also and started a thread so I wanted to add my testing to the mix also.
My 20 bore Fowler has a straight cylinder 38" TOW/Colerain barrel and a Jim Chambers Round Face English Lock. I got it late last spring and have just over 300 shots through it, mostly ball, but about 80 test patterns of shot too. I have experimented with various wadding and shot cups and 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 oz of 6's or 7 1/2's. My patterns have been pretty patchy and unimpressive so far, but 1 1/2 oz's of 7 1/2's in a paper shot cup and 80 grns. of 3f shoots a pretty nice even pattern at 20 yds.
Today I used 1 1/8" pillow ticking strips to cup 1 1/2 oz's of hard 7 1/2's. I tried a few different combos, with and without cushion wads etc., and the load that did the best was:
80 grns Goex 3F
1/8" hard OP wad
1/2" cushion wad
1 1/8" strip of pillow ticking lubed with Wonder Lube
1 1/2 oz's 7 1/2's
2 thin OS wads
When I tried 70 grns of powder and 1 1/4 oz of shot my pattern was very poor, which I did not expect and don't understand, but that's how it was. All guns are different (and strange) in their own way :idunno:
Recovered pillow ticking strips showed that it does seem to help keep the shot from "scrubbing" on the side of the barrel and my patterns at a lasered 22 yds. were quite even and the best I have had so far. There was virtually no leading of the barrel. The load would kill a turkey, and three times in a row put 5 to 8 pellets in the kill zone, but I would not want to try and stretch my yardage any farther with them.
They would kill a rabbit or grouse farther no problem, but trying to get a consistent 5 or 6 pellets in the head or neck of a turkey is tougher than getting a couple body hits on small game or birds. BTW, I have tried the "tuna can" test and at that yardage with 80 grns. of 3F hard 7 1/2's penetrate fine, but again, I would not want to try it any farther away.
I found my best 40 yard turkey load with a cylinder choked 20 bore is 70 grns. of Goex3F and cloth patch and a single .595 320 grn "pellet"--that's what I would hunt with if they let me :grin: But that is the subject of another thread...
My 20 bore Fowler has a straight cylinder 38" TOW/Colerain barrel and a Jim Chambers Round Face English Lock. I got it late last spring and have just over 300 shots through it, mostly ball, but about 80 test patterns of shot too. I have experimented with various wadding and shot cups and 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 oz of 6's or 7 1/2's. My patterns have been pretty patchy and unimpressive so far, but 1 1/2 oz's of 7 1/2's in a paper shot cup and 80 grns. of 3f shoots a pretty nice even pattern at 20 yds.
Today I used 1 1/8" pillow ticking strips to cup 1 1/2 oz's of hard 7 1/2's. I tried a few different combos, with and without cushion wads etc., and the load that did the best was:
80 grns Goex 3F
1/8" hard OP wad
1/2" cushion wad
1 1/8" strip of pillow ticking lubed with Wonder Lube
1 1/2 oz's 7 1/2's
2 thin OS wads
When I tried 70 grns of powder and 1 1/4 oz of shot my pattern was very poor, which I did not expect and don't understand, but that's how it was. All guns are different (and strange) in their own way :idunno:
Recovered pillow ticking strips showed that it does seem to help keep the shot from "scrubbing" on the side of the barrel and my patterns at a lasered 22 yds. were quite even and the best I have had so far. There was virtually no leading of the barrel. The load would kill a turkey, and three times in a row put 5 to 8 pellets in the kill zone, but I would not want to try and stretch my yardage any farther with them.
They would kill a rabbit or grouse farther no problem, but trying to get a consistent 5 or 6 pellets in the head or neck of a turkey is tougher than getting a couple body hits on small game or birds. BTW, I have tried the "tuna can" test and at that yardage with 80 grns. of 3F hard 7 1/2's penetrate fine, but again, I would not want to try it any farther away.
I found my best 40 yard turkey load with a cylinder choked 20 bore is 70 grns. of Goex3F and cloth patch and a single .595 320 grn "pellet"--that's what I would hunt with if they let me :grin: But that is the subject of another thread...
