Shot cup for 20 ga. 1 1/2 .oz load

[digger6581]

Trying to build a load for turkey season for the NW Trade Gun I have in 20ga. I ran across these and wondered if anyone has ever used them.

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/TPS-20ga-3-unslit-wad-250_bag/productinfo/0722051/

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Plastic and black powder usually make a real mess inside of the barrel when the plastic melts. You don't need a shot cup to get good patterns anyway.

 

[Tom Compton]

I use some 12 ga from the same outfit for turkey loads. Only shoot 2 practice and 2 hunting a year. Clean vigorously.

I found splitting the cup down a ways helped to attain desired results. Murder on turkeys to 50 yards. Plan on getting some for my 20 bore NWTG.

 

[Tom Compton]

I use some 12 ga from the same outfit for turkey loads. Only shoot 2 practice and 2 hunting a year. Clean vigorously.

I found splitting the cup down a ways helped to attain desired results. Murder on turkeys to 50 yards. Plan on getting some for my 20 bore NWTG.

Fat fingered should be 40 yards. Haven’t tried 50. I use 7 1/2 shot for dense patterns.

 

[digger6581]

comfortably numb, I had thought of using a olive oil soaked fiber wad on top of the shot to help lube the barrel, might help to keep the plastic from sticking to the barrel.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

comfortably numb, I had thought of using a olive oil soaked fiber wad on top of the shot to help lube the barrel, might help to keep the plastic from sticking to the barrel.

There is a guy here that has a sure fire loading method for a cylinder bore that shoots super tight patterns with out plastic wads. I believe Skychief is his name. Poke around here, you'll find his recipe. I haven't tried it yet but plan to when it warms up outside.

 

[Rat]

A shot-cup, or tube made from grocery bag paper will work just as well. One could also load the olive old soaked fiber wad on top of said "shot cartridge".

 

[Black Hand]

I make my shot loads from brown paper rectangles (just at 2 complete wraps around the brass tubing mandrel - I can get 3-4 loads from each piece of paper), twist & tie the ends (linen thread) like a Tootsie Roll and trim the tails fairly short. Lube the entire load with deer tallow. I load my powder, heavier over-powder card (posterboard), the pre-made load (I start the load and when nearly flush with the muzzle, cut off the forward-facing tail) and a light over-shot card (mailing envelope).

 

[Carbon 6]

Plastic and black powder usually make a real mess inside of the barrel when the plastic melts. You don't need a shot cup to get good patterns anyway.

WHAT ?

 

[chuck-ia]

Just me, but I hate anything plastic in a gun, or on a gun, to each his own I guess.

 

[Brokennock]

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/premade-shot-cups-cartridges-how-to.113216/

 

[Brokennock]

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/testing-skychiefs-special-load.107367/

And don't forget to go check out George's web page, Bob's Blackpowder Notebook

 

[Blind Dog]

Plastic and black powder usually make a real mess inside of the barrel when the plastic melts. You don't need a shot cup to get good patterns anyway.

When I first started shooting smoothys, about 20 years ago, I used regular 20 gauge shot cups and never had an issue with melted plastic in the bore. I did, however, use an over powder wad followed by a heavily lubed felt wad. I would then insert the shot cup, after cutting the base off, load with 1-1/2 oz of #6’s and a thin over shot wad. All this pushed by 3 drams of GOEX FF produced very tight patterns out to 30 yards.

 

[Rat]

Well, there's a more simple way to do it, just make the tube using a dowel, glue the end, put in the shot, and glue the other end, just fold it over into kind of a "star crimp" and glue with white glue. You do not need to cut the end off and then use an overshot wad when loading, the paper will disintigrate (can't spell it) on firing. Eliminates about half the work.

 

[Rat]

And, any kind of over-powder wad can be put in the cartridge, eliminating that step. Black hand, I'm guessing that your cartridges would work the same whether you cut the end off or not, before firing. ??

 

[Black Hand]

I'm guessing that your cartridges would work the same whether you cut the end off or not, before firing. ??

Yes - cutting the end off merely ensures it will work as a cup and avoids the possibility of "slugging".

 

[Rat]

I see. I've never had one slug, but my glued over end (with only a tiny spot of glue) would be much more delicate than yours.

 

[Black Hand]

Avoiding any glue just seemed like a better approach to me. I also don't need to wait for anything to dry and can make multiple loads in a short period of time. Soaking in melted deer tallow and allowing to cool effectively sticks the paper layers together. Using the brass tubing as a mandrel also helps keep the size needed and it remains in place when I twist the end prior to tying.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Fat fingered should be 40 yards. Haven’t tried 50. I use 7 1/2 shot for dense patterns.

Honestly I don't understand why hunters always want to take turkeys past 30 yards. If you get them inside 30 yards, preferably 25, most any load will put them on the ground. If you can't get them in close, then you need to work more on your calling than your loads.

 

[Rat]

There is truth to that, but the first Turk I ever shot was not called in...I was stalking/walking along and there they be, the whole darn flock. I was glad my load had some range to it. (he was pretty far-out, had seen me, and was walking away) For sure, normally they will come into 30 or closer when calling.