shot cup tutorial (lots of pics)

[silent sniper]

ok guys here is how I make my paper shot cups.this is all you will need. tape,post it notes,a knife/scissors,and 2 20 gauge shotgun shells (for 14-12 guage shot cups)

first take a piece of tape and put It on the same side as post it note that is sticky. leave about 4/5 of the tape sticking out.

then peel the post it note off. flip it around so that both the sticky side of the post it note and the tape show.

then take the 2 20 guage shells and put the butt ends together.

roll the shells up tight in the paper and tape the sides shut.

then for a 70 grain charge of shot,cut the paper equally in half. its easy to just take a knife and cut beween the 2 shotgun shell butts as long as there is equal lengh of paper on each side.

then the paper on each shell will make a shot cup

pull the paper up about 3/8 inch above the shell.this will be the paper used to tape the end shut.

first fold 1/4 of the side in

do this to the other side so that they touch in the middle and there are 2 opposite leafs left

then fold the remaining 2 leafs over

then tape the end up

then here is the secret to getting the shot cups down the barrel easily if they are bore sized. take the end of the taped cup and roll the edge around on a hard surface like the floor,table exc.
this will make the edges flexable enough to get the cup in the barrel

then take it off and its done,repeat the process with the other shell and you will have 2 perfect shot cups. in a little while you will have enough for a full days shooting.

some notes; on a 10 guage I think a 16 guage shell would be about the right size to wrap around. here are the differences between with and without the shot cups
without at 25 yards in 13 guage

with shot cup at 25 yards in 13 guage

also in my 14 guage here is a 35 yard pattern. in the 10" by 10" green square is 32 #6 bbs. this was shot with a shot cup

I do not cut any slits in the shot cup
enjoy and hope it helps. sniper

 

[Skychief]

:applause: :applause: :applause: Thanks very much Sniper! :bow: They look easy enough to make thanks to your tutorial. BTW, did you find any remnants of the cups after firing them? I also wonder if the masking tape would make any hard-to-clean fouling in the bore? Anybody have an opinion of this?

 

[bingo1952]

I was wondering the same thing. You could probably use a glue pen and produce them almost as fast as with the tape. If used sparingly it dries pretty fast.

 

[boar]

Nice tutorial SS. If the guys are afraid of the tape they could use Water Glass. One of my old friends long gone use to use it for sealing his shotgun shells he reloaded. I have watch him when I was a about your age. He dipped the crimped end in it. Water Glass is Sodium Silicate. PP Dilly

 

[paulvallandigham]

Nice tutorial, from a young guy to us old guys. Perhaps old dogs CAN learn new tricks!

I can't see what kind of tape you are using? Is that masking tape? Are you using it both to tape the sides of the tubes, and the ends, or just the ends? Do you have any problems with the tape gumming up the barrel??

I use a 20 gauge mandrill to make cups for my 12 gauge, but I dip the folded ends into paraffin wax that has been melted in a small steel ( cat food) can in a frying pan that has about 1/2 inch of water in it. This protects the heat from igniting the wax, and offers some protection of the hot wax were to spill. I put wax paper on the kitchen counter next to the stove, and after dipping the cups about 1/2 " into the wax, I stand them on the wax paper until I feel the wax on the cup cool and stiffen. then I remove the mandrill to make the next cup and repeat the process. I found that the wax melts in the barrel, and provides lubrication for the cup and for the OP wads behind it as they travel up and out of the barrel. Then, the paraffin wax/oil softens the BP residue making it easier to clean with a quick run of a cleaning patch down and up out the barrel. The air pushed ahead of the cleaning patch and jag blows any smoke or burning embers back out the flash channel, clearing it, and drying it, as well as the nipple orifice.

If your tape works as well, I want to try it.

Thanks again. Paul

 

[Mike Brooks]

I have never had a gun that those would work in. They generally would throw the pattern off in a random direction or all stay together and form a slug.
What condition are the bores in in your guns?

 

[Dave K]

Curious, have you done repeated shots for pattern? Did you get similiar repeatable patterns with each shot?

 

[BillinOregon]

SS: Thanks for taking the time to share, and for posting the patterns with and without the cups. I wonder what cutting in some slits would do.

 

[Robert Egler]

SS: Thanks for taking the time to share, and for posting the patterns with and without the cups. I wonder what cutting in some slits would do.

I make similar shot cups, 3 wraps of paper only without the tape, just glue stick. Then I cut 4 slots halfway down the cups. Before I cut the slots I was getting a slug effect about half the time, with the cuts I get a good pattern out to 25 yards or so. The cups end up about 15 feet out from the muzzle.

From what I can tell it looks like the 4 flaps made by the cuts open well and then tear off and the bottom uncut cup holds the middle of the shot together a bit farther out. Patterning gets me about 80 - 90 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 25 yards. That's with a 54 smoothbore (28 gauge).

 

[spud]

any ideas on what size to use as a mandrel for 20ga.(.62cal)smoothbores?

 

[AJFedak]

For making my shot cups I use parchment paper. It can take the heat and I use egg-whites as a the glue. Much like when i make 40-65PP loads

 

[Britsmoothy]

Nifty idea that, using two 20g shells. I will try that, thanks.
I too find tighter patterns with cups but Snipers method is so simple, well done.
I do grease my cups, maybe that could overcome any guming from the tape if it is an issue.

Brit.

 

[mazo kid]

Thanks Sniper; that gives me some ideas I can try the next time it is snowing here....experiment making shot cups so I'll be ready to try them come green-up.

 

[silent sniper]

i've had no problems with the tape gumming up the barrel. My barrels are old damascus twist barrels from the 1900's. Also I forgot to add that when I load the shot sup into the barrel, I rub all the sides with bore butter so it slides down easily. I havent done a whole lot of testing with them but all the ones I've shot never turned into slugs. this weekend I will try shooting some trap and patterning with my doubles and the shot cups. if I find out that some of them do slug, then I will cut slits 3/8 to 1/2 inch down the cup to help open them up. I fill the cup to the very top which i think also helps with making sure they dont slug. if not all the way full the top endes might fold in and hold the shot in more. I've found the easiest way to load the cups is to bore butter them,put them on your finger and push it into the barrel until only 3/8 remainds out the barrel. then fill the cup with shot and push the shot in the barrel about 1/2 inch. then put your OS wad directly on it and push them down together. this keeps air pockets out between the cup and the wad. Also I'm going to test putting some filler in the cup after it is full of shot, So flattened bb's will be less likely to happen,and to see if a better pattern comes from doing it.the tape I use is just simple scotch masking tape.hope it helps SS

 

[slowpokebr549]

I use a wooden dowel to do much the same as you do. I just use a glue stick. I have found that I have to cut slits for consistancy. All in all I don't find shot cups to be worth the trouble. Then again, my gun is a modified choke and holds a killing pattern out to 25 yards easily. When I think that long shots are going to be required I use Runnball's tampon shot cups. I really like your 20 gauge shell idea, I farted around with dowel rods forever before I found the right size.

 

[Dausener]

SPUD, I've used a 11mm deep well socket with pretty good results. Just wrap news paper cut to size around the socket, smear a drop of Elmers glue to make it stick together, fold over one end and smear on a drop of glue over the fold,, let dry, fill with amount of shot desired, trim top of paper as needed, fold over and smear another drop of glue to hold it shut. Make only one at a time but goes pretty fast. Only takes a few seconds for glue to dry. Works for me. :thumbsup: Good luck.

 

[shootemup]

Excellent tutorial SS,

Great job you did there, thanks for putting it together.

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I have never had a gun that those would work in. They generally would throw the pattern off in a random direction or all stay together and form a slug.
What condition are the bores in in your guns?

I mostly had slugs when I tried without slits.