Anyone ever use paper shot cups? Read about 'em in a back issue of "Muzzle Blasts". I don't want to use plastic cups as its not really "in the spirit". Doin' OK without cups in my 10 ga. double, but if I could get 5 or 10 more yards...
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Paper Shot Cups?
- Thread starter Bob J
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I've thought of rolling some printer paper around a 5/8" dowel for my 20ga. I figure, cut out a small piece of paper, wrap it around the dowel, slap on some Elmer's, then fold up one end just like a coin tube. 5/8" is .625, so it should work in a 20. I might just have to give it a try! :thumbsup:
B.Habermehl
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A 5/8 dowel is a bit too big for a 20 guage. You will need to turn or file it down to about .580 or .590 to allow for the thickness of your paper. This will depend a bit on the actual bore dia you have and the thickness of the paper you use. BJH
What I do is fold the end over (like you would do a coin in the wrapper) and glue in place...
Fill with premeasured amount of shot and trim the tube to around 1/4 inch above the shot...
Slip in an over shot card and fold the tube down the rest of the way to seal it...
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I assume you premake these in batches. How do you store them and keep them ready for use in the field?
B.Habermehl
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I'd say the 5/8 dowel should work fine in 16 guage for a wrapper mandrel. Depending on who you listen to, your shot cups should finish up somewhat less than bore dia. or be bore dia. You will have to expiriment a bit to see what your gun likes. As soon as I get a chance between deer hunting seasons I plan to work with my 16 guage with paper shot cups/cartridges. Just don't depend on your shot cups to open up if the front end is folded shut. I got some neat rectangular holes in my patterning board from that expiriment some time ago :: BJH
I use yellow post-it note paper rolled around a 1/2" dowl with a couple layers of scotch tape around the dowl, so the finished cup is barely .010"-.020" from filling the bore of my .62cal smoothbore.
To prevent the "slug" effect, I found I had to trim the top of the paper even with the top of the shot charge...then they'd disintegrate within a very few feet of the muzzle and work properly & reliably...any higher than that, and the OS card seems to crimp the excess over the top of the shot and it carries to the target as a slug like you mentioned.
Terrific long range patterns...eight #6 pellets into a coke can at 40yds
To prevent the "slug" effect, I found I had to trim the top of the paper even with the top of the shot charge...then they'd disintegrate within a very few feet of the muzzle and work properly & reliably...any higher than that, and the OS card seems to crimp the excess over the top of the shot and it carries to the target as a slug like you mentioned.
Terrific long range patterns...eight #6 pellets into a coke can at 40yds
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I made up a dowl and started making some cups. They are comming out right at .592, is this ok or to loose? Not sure if I should wrap more tape on the dowl or not.
Rebel
Cannon
It depends on the actual bore of your gun. That, and the only way to know for sure would be to try some of them and see how they work. My bore is supposed to be .625 according to Track of the Wolfs spec, but mic's out to .612.
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Your right I should have measured my bore and said what it was. I have one of Tracks own 36" 20ga that I hope to make a Turkey gun soon with. It mics out at .612 too. Got some guys here with the National Wild Turkey Federation that want to take me Turkey huntin but I don't want to do it with my shotgun, really want to try it with a flintlock. So I need to learn all this stuff.
