Pillow Ticking "Shot Cups"

[BigDeutscher]

This is a great tool that anyone can make
I will start on one for my Bess and the Cookson
Deutsch

 

outstanding Bear - That is a winner. thanks for sharing your gear.

 

[BrownBear]

Thanks! In various forms for different gauges, it's sure been a winner for me. Glad you like it, and let us know how it works out for you, too.

 

[BillinOregon]

Dunno how I missed this the first time! Off to the lathe!

 

[BrownBear]

One "fine tuning" I figured out in making a few more:

Put a little taper in outside of the tube so it's a little smaller toward the tip. If you make the tube a uniform diameter, it wants to hang up if there's a real tight fit when you seat the patch. Kind of a PITA, because it wants to drag the patch back out of the bore as you withdraw the tube.

Not an issue with the taper.

More shooting has shown me that there's no benefit whatsoever in using them with ITX, but worth the trouble with lead. I don't use them all the time, but if I get in the field and range is stretching a little, I dig them out of my bag and start using them.

 

[drstrangelove]

I just registered after reading this thread. I have a Pedersoli 12ga SXS with chokes and have always had to remove the Mod tubes to load with BP12 wads for throwing hevishot at ducks. Works like a charm with even, dense patterns, but the cleanup from the plastic fouling just bites. I'm thinking about getting some 14-16ga non-tox capable wads and putting them inside a cloth patch to protect the bore from the plastic. The sub-guage wads should also go down through the chokes without removing them! Any thoughts? And yes, I'll post my results!

 

[BrownBear]

No real need to do that to avoid plastic fouling, at least with the plastic wads I've used. If you put a lubed fiber or felt wad under them, especially if you cut off any "cushion" from the plastic wad, your plastic fouling should go away.

As for unscrewing the chokes, yup. That's what I've heard is required, and I've been avoiding chokes as a result.

 

[drstrangelove]

Thanks for your advice. Still, on the idea of not having to remove choke tubes, would a 16ga wad be adequately stabilized by a tickler patch down a 12ga barrel?

 

[Golfswithwolves]

Sounds like a good experiment dr.s! I reckon it has a likelihood of working pretty well. Please let us know the results.

 

[BrownBear]

Thanks for your advice. Still, on the idea of not having to remove choke tubes, would a 16ga wad be adequately stabilized by a tickler patch down a 12ga barrel?

I dunno, but I'd sure try it. And report back here! If it works for you, my interest in chokes will go straight up.

I know there are guys around that have worked out systems for dealing with chokes, ranging from using softer ones that pass through the chokes to combos of thin, bore-size wads that they turn sideways and press through the chokes, then flatten before pushing on down.

My one concern with undersize would be gas blow-by when you shoot. That for sure causes plastic erosion like you experience, and was pretty consistent in my CYL bore gun until I put the lubed fiber wad under the plastic wad. If you can beat that with the undersize wad, you're on fertile ground.

 

[drstrangelove]

I had posted this in the "old Pedersoli question" thread but really wanted to touch further on the 16ga wad in a ticked 12ga... main reason is I am restricted to non-tox for my local pheasant and of course all waterfowl.

"If my gun is choked as tightly as yours, .695" left (I'll get some calipers to check) I figure the Ballistic Products VP80 16ga wad at .670" gas seal diameter plus an even wrap of .010" (x2) cotton wad strip from the Possibles Shop should put the diameter of the wad+patch at .690", leaving me .005" clearance at the choke constriction and if the barrels are true 12ga (.729), then I'd be looking at .039" of wiggle in the barrels.

That ain't much.

I tried pushing a BP12 wad into the left barrel and it won't go past 3/4 it's length (without a patch). Looks like I'm gonna order the 16ga wads and .010 patch material cut into strips and have it a go. I've got lots of olive oil for lube. I reload hevishot and have bottles of #2-6, so I'm not worried about the velocity, just the pattern. I have a .690 Terror choke on my Benelli that throws the most perfect pheasant pattern you could ask for, so I'm thinking this should be good. The only other thing I may do is put a mylar wrap inside the wad just to play it safe if the slits open a bit on setback."

 

[BrownBear]

My biggest concern would be whether you get gas-blowby and lose your pattern as a result. Only one way to find out.

Here's an alternative for you to try too, however. I've been playing with ITX shot from Ballistic Products because it doesn't require a plastic wad. So far I'm really impressed, getting patterns as good with that bare in the bore as I'm getting with lead in the ticking cups.

I tried some Bismuth recovered from old ammo, and results were terrible until I put it in the tickinng cup. That was early production bismuth shot, and it had a reputation for problems, so it's not a fair test. New Eley bismuth is supposed to be really good, but I haven't tried it. Strange thing is, the guys I've seen pimping it here on the site are just repeating things they read somewhere and haven't tried it themselves.

Sort through my wandering thoughts, and what I'm saying is you might be happiest all around if you can find a nontox that lets you drop the plastic wads altogether, rather than using undersized to get past the chokes. Speculation on my part, but an excuse for more shooting in any case.

 

[roundball]

Strange thing is, the guys I've seen pimping it here on the site are just repeating things they read somewhere and haven't tried it themselves.

:rotf:
Surely you don't mean that happens here.....people repeating things as gospel without actual hands on experience to base it on???
:grin:

 

[drstrangelove]

Funny you mention. With my choke-tubed Pedersoli, I have tried Bismuth #5 with two lubed felts under and one over - no ticking - terrible patterns. BP12 wads, same loadout after chokes removed - nice even bird killing patterns at 30 yards. I have yet to try the Bismuth inside ticking but I suspect that is going to be the key to success with my new gun. The 16ga wads only appeal to my desire to use Hevishot; I wouldn't trust HS in a ticking cup unless I could be sure a mylar wrap would hold position inside the ticking.

 

[dbutch]

PT sent....

 

[Golfswithwolves]

I was initially optimistic about the cloth shot cups, but I'm not sure on analyzing my pattern sheets that they provided the improvement in patterns I had hoped for. One thing they are definitely good for though is to eliminate any leading of the bore. I don't know yet whether the non-toxic shot types produce any equivalent to bore leading (I suspect that they don't) so the cloth shot cups may not provide this secondary benefit with Bismuth, ITX, or Nice Shot. Has anybody noticed any "bismuthing" of their bores?

 

[dbutch]

I found ticking patch cups to reduce leading also..works great in Colerans turkey choked barrels... haven't tried to work on patterns with them...did not need to... great thread!

 

[drstrangelove]

I cut some 1 1/4 strips of olive oiled cotton cloth and tried the fit tonight. With a hard nitro card base (pushed in sideways then turned with a hand reamer I use for reloading shotshells), then the cotton cloth pushed in with a test tube (it held open perfect), I slipped a Mythick mylar shield into the chamber, dropped two 20ga felt spacers inside, then filled it with 1 1/4oz #5 Hevishot, trimmed the patch, then placed an overshot card. I think I'm good to go without the plastic 16ga wads! Patterning was excellent but my camera was out of juice. The mylar shield protected the barrel just fine. I'll post the results of the last day of duck season this weekend. Doc

 

[paulvallandigham]

You generally have to go down in gauge size a couple of gauge numbers if you are looking to use a wad INSIDE your fabric cup. I am using 20 ga. OS cards inside my 12 gauge cups- both made from paper, and from mattress ticking. If I had them, I would try 24 and 16 gauge OS cards to see if they work better.

I found that a polished hard surface( OS Card) behind my load of shot got a much improved pattern- due, I believe-- to the shot being pushed out of the 12 gauge barrel evenly at the muzzle. :hmm: I drew that conclusion after shooting patterns, with and with out an OS card inside my cups. :thumbsup:

 

[drstrangelove]

Good tip on the OS card inside the tickwad. That almost sounds naughty. Will it this weekend .