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Fiber shot cups?
- Thread starter Nobody85
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Measure shot/powder charges by volume, not weight for a good starting point. That means weigh out the shot with a scale, then, using an adjustable powder measure, adjust it 'til you have the correct volume. Lock it and use that volume for powder. As long as they're equal, wads are the big variable.
We find variations in weight between the same volume of both shot and powder between sizes/granulation (more so in shot than powder). Really not much in powder, but some. I've dissected antique shotshells and duplicated loading with a bit of success in a few muzzleloaders. In others, didn't make a marked difference.
We find variations in weight between the same volume of both shot and powder between sizes/granulation (more so in shot than powder). Really not much in powder, but some. I've dissected antique shotshells and duplicated loading with a bit of success in a few muzzleloaders. In others, didn't make a marked difference.
When I was young and stupider than I am now. I built a CVA .45 cal kentucky rifle .it shot great but only small game .Nebraska didn't have a M/L deer season yet. squirrels got easy.shot em in the head or bark em'. So when the snow got on about 4-5 " I'd switch to rabbits.Running rabbits were great fun...my preparations were EASY. I'd take 3 squares of toilet paper,square them up on top of my left loose fist, push my right index finger in to make a pouch ,fill the pouch with about 1 oz of 7 1/2 shot ,twist all tops together ,and tied the pouch at the top of the shot.I left all the tailing paper on and put it in my jacket pocket..I'd build 6 or 8 loads and off I'd go. Loading time 60 gr. of 3F , Tear off the tails ram em then nick the pouch and dump the shot in, put the tied up pouch on top, ram it good. Any Rabbit that was 45yds or closer and running was fair game. The snow showed the pattern, about 30" wide with a dead rabbit in it...I seldom missed..but it was the rifle,I couldn't do it with a unmentionable..I had a great time in those years . now I find out I did it Wrong..
Oh well I was Blissfully Ignorant.....Like COL. JEFF use to say K.I.S.S. ..BE Safe>>>Wally
Oh well I was Blissfully Ignorant.....Like COL. JEFF use to say K.I.S.S. ..BE Safe>>>Wally
Brokennock
Cannon
Certainly looks like an improvement to me. Very usable.
Just some food for thought here and pardon the reference to a slightly more modern brand of shooting, only by about 60 years so not too modern. Been loading black powder shotgun loads for cowboy action for a bit. Traditional square load using fiber wads. Had a hard time in the beginning as the wads, were blowing through the shot pattern and making a donut shot pattern (No shot in the middle where the wads cleared out the shot). This resulted in not knocking down targets. The solution for me was a home made shot cup made from manilla folder material. 2.5 inch circle, rammed through a PVC pipe with a wooden dowel to form the cup. Cut slits in the cup so it would open up and let the shot load fly and subsequently slow the wad down. Worked like a charm.
Traditionally though, try lessoning your powder load. Doing so incrementally, Eventually you will find a sweet spot where the powder is not quite accelerating the wad so much at the muzzle exit and will not blow a whole in the pattern. You won't be getting a 1450 fps 3" magnum hunting shot.. but then again, we're shooting a fowler right? Like charcoal grills.... low and slow gets the job done right.
All my own experience and opinion of course. All are welcome to pick, choose, or refuse!
Cheers!
Traditionally though, try lessoning your powder load. Doing so incrementally, Eventually you will find a sweet spot where the powder is not quite accelerating the wad so much at the muzzle exit and will not blow a whole in the pattern. You won't be getting a 1450 fps 3" magnum hunting shot.. but then again, we're shooting a fowler right? Like charcoal grills.... low and slow gets the job done right.
All my own experience and opinion of course. All are welcome to pick, choose, or refuse!
Cheers!
Every bore diameter has two "sweet spots" as far as which size shot will deliver the densest pattern
Generally as the bore diameter decreases so does the shot diameter that will throw the tightest pattern
Forget how many holes are in a pop can ..generate a thirty inch circle and count the shot in the circle ..That count and resulting pattern controls your next move
Understand there are different reasons for pattern density versus "holes" in your pattern
Over shot cover needs to be paper thin ..shredding to dust upon encountering the air ..color your over shot cover ..if you find them intact the shot column is guaranteed to have been scattered by it
(how else could the shot column get by it?) outside the box thought ..make some "Shot wafers"
pour one layer of shot in a wax paper lined lid the diameter of your bore and cover the shot with melted paraffin ..refrigerate then remove keeping the wax paper in place until you use the shot wafer to seal your shot column
Shot size to bore diameter has everything to do with how the shot "nests" within the shot column which in turn determines if more or less deformed shot are impacted and how badly the deformation is to be ..
It also works as you go larger as in buckshot ..same deal for nesting to the bore but with one additional zinger ..larger the shot (spherical diameter) the more effect the deformed shot to where it will actually start crossing over and the pattern get krazy wide
This dynamic is exactly why a 10ga did and will out shoot a 12ga at say 40 yards
The 10ga delivered even dense patterns at forty yards with # 2's
Where the 12ga had to drop to # 4's to get the same pattern density
Bear
Generally as the bore diameter decreases so does the shot diameter that will throw the tightest pattern
Forget how many holes are in a pop can ..generate a thirty inch circle and count the shot in the circle ..That count and resulting pattern controls your next move
Understand there are different reasons for pattern density versus "holes" in your pattern
Over shot cover needs to be paper thin ..shredding to dust upon encountering the air ..color your over shot cover ..if you find them intact the shot column is guaranteed to have been scattered by it
(how else could the shot column get by it?) outside the box thought ..make some "Shot wafers"
pour one layer of shot in a wax paper lined lid the diameter of your bore and cover the shot with melted paraffin ..refrigerate then remove keeping the wax paper in place until you use the shot wafer to seal your shot column
Shot size to bore diameter has everything to do with how the shot "nests" within the shot column which in turn determines if more or less deformed shot are impacted and how badly the deformation is to be ..
It also works as you go larger as in buckshot ..same deal for nesting to the bore but with one additional zinger ..larger the shot (spherical diameter) the more effect the deformed shot to where it will actually start crossing over and the pattern get krazy wide
This dynamic is exactly why a 10ga did and will out shoot a 12ga at say 40 yards
The 10ga delivered even dense patterns at forty yards with # 2's
Where the 12ga had to drop to # 4's to get the same pattern density
Bear
So I think I finally found the load my fowler likes. I went rabbit hunting this morning but didn’t see anything. Not even a squirrel. When I got finished making my loop around the property with the thick brush I noticed an old brown glass bleach bottle. At 30 yards I broke it in half so I knew I’d only put a couple pellets in it. I took my shot flask apart, and changed it to throw 1 1/4 ounce instead of an ounce. At 30 yards I shot at an old piece of tin that was laying up against a tree. It put the nicest pattern I’d ever hopefd for! I used 70gr. FFg, nitro card, 1 1/4 ounce #5, os card, and a wet wad. I knew additional shot would throw more obviously, but did not count on the pattern to be that much tighter! What a relief.
I agree with GRENADIER, But your explianation sounds alot like my previous post #23 about K.I.S.S. , Now go back to that peice of tin , try to remember your P.O.A. draw a 30 inch circie around it and see the amount of holes in your pattern that are the size of the game you're hunting. If you have several, try the same load with # 6 shot instead of #5s . At the range you are shooting your quarry won't know the differance.But your pattern will. Be Safe>>>>>>>Wally
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