Skychief question

[Blackpowderart]

For patterning shotguns go to lowes or
HomeDepot and buy a roll of red rosin paper for $13. And a tri fold cardboard project board from the dollar general for $3. And a pack of clothes pins for $1. The Rosin paper Is 36" wide and you get 167' of it. It's enough to last most people 10 years or more. Me I go through it once a year.

 

[Century to late]

longcruise, I start one down the barrel and then start the second one and ram them down together. Also a tip I got from someone somewhere was to take a pin or small safety pin and put a hole in them off center. The tiny holes allow enough air to escape that they seat flat on the powder.

Yes a small hole makes a big difference. Especially when reloading in the field quickly.

 

[flconch53]

To the best of my understanding and what I use is a hard nitro card over powder, then shot, then a thin cardboard overshot card. I cut them from the thin cardboard backs of legal pads. Then a cushion wad on top.

Why the cushion on top? I always thought the cushion needed to be under the shot

 

[Blackpowderart]

Why the cushion on top? I always thought the cushion needed to be under the shot

No one knows, it just works. Most people get a doughnut pattern when putting the cushion under the shot. When putting it on top it need to have been soaked in oil for an hour or so until it can't soak up any more oil.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I'm kinda anxious to try this Skychief load in my 28 gauge smoothbore. My brother has a bag of #5 shot and I'll get some of that to use for turkey season. I have a 9/16's punch that I punch out wads for my 28 gauge. I also have the fiber cushion wads and cards for my 12 gauge SxS. I'll punch out all the components for this load from the 12 gauge wads and cards.. I did punch out some fiber wads for this 28 gauge load and the fiber wad dry weighs 8.3 grains. I soaked those wads overnight in olive oil and set them on a paper towel to get off all the un-needed excess olive oil. Those soaked fiber wads now weight 25.2 grains. I'll try the 75 grains of 2F and 1 1/8th ounce of #5 shot to see how this load patterns. I'm looking to see if I could have a fairly tight pattern out to 30 or so yards. That would be great to harvest a bird this year.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[azmntman]

It is my belief that the extra weight of the oil soaked wad "pulls" the shot along behind it enough to get it to stay together longer. I'm no expert but I sit and think about this stuff a lot. Thats all I could come up with. BUT I WORKS

 

[TDM]

Why the cushion on top? I always thought the cushion needed to be under the shot

Couldn't tell you why, that's just how the Skychief is loaded. But it works.

 

[Century to late]

It is my belief that the extra weight of the oil soaked wad "pulls" the shot along behind it enough to get it to stay together longer. I'm no expert but I sit and think about this stuff a lot. Thats all I could come up with. BUT I WORKS

I need to give that a try it makes sense

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

It is my belief that the extra weight of the oil soaked wad "pulls" the shot along behind it enough to get it to stay together longer.

More likely that the heavier weight of the wad allows it to drop away from in front of the shot column. Remember that once in flight you cannot count the weight in grains of ALL of the shot, but individually, thus the wet wad does weight much heavier than any individual piece of shot.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

No one knows, it just works. Most people get a doughnut pattern when putting the cushion under the shot. When putting it on top it need to have been soaked in oil for an hour or so until it can't soak up any more oil.

Anyone ever test 'how long' one can keep the barrel loaded before that wad dries out to the point where it no longer works as envisioned?

I want to take my 12-ga SxS flintlock shotgun out for turkeys this year, but as a hunter ... I don't want to have to pull the load every time. Although just having said that ... it should be easy enough to replace the lubed cushion wad periodically ...

 

[longcruise]

it should be easy enough to replace the lubed cushion wad periodically ...

Maybe just screw a ball puller into it

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Maybe just screw a ball puller into it

That's exactly what I thought about doing ... after I posted the question of course, LOL!

 

[azmntman]

My bet is it would come out in pieces and be a major PIA. MINE BROKE IN HALF OFTEN just loading. Oil doesn't dry fast though?

 

[Billy-by-gosh]

Anyone ever test 'how long' one can keep the barrel loaded before that wad dries out to the point where it no longer works as envisioned?

I want to take my 12-ga SxS flintlock shotgun out for turkeys this year, but as a hunter ... I don't want to have to pull the load every time. Although just having said that ... it should be easy enough to replace the lubed cushion wad periodically ...

Not sure on the time to 'dry out'. If you're concerned about that, consider dribbling a bit of thinned down Olive oil into the muzzle of loaded barrel. Then let your gun stand upright for a while so it soaks into that loaded wad.

 

[Century to late]

Not sure on the time to 'dry out'. If you're concerned about that, consider dribbling a bit of thinned down Olive oil into the muzzle of loaded barrel. Then let your gun stand upright for a while so it soaks into that loaded wad.

Put a rubber rain cover on the muzzle.

 

[TreeMan]

Just shot this today at 25yds. I only use the thin "over shot" cards for everything. I also get good patterns by not using the lubed fiber wad and just topping it off with 2 thin os cards instead. Everything else is useless in my opinion, you just have to find the right balance of powder, shot and the number of cards

75gr ffg swiss
4 thin os cards
1 5/8 #6 lead
1/2 lubed fiber was

And yes, the turkeys head fell off!

Absolutely! I just carry thin shot cards. Two over powder and two over shot. Sometimes I’ll use a wad of TOW instead. Tow is faster for reloading while hunting. Adjust powder and shot until you get the best pattern. It’s the old KISS principle. Everything else is overthinking in my opinion and experience. I have a whole drawer full of wads and that other manure that will go unused.

 

[TDM]

I need to use Tow more often. Have 2 big bags, don't think I've used any since buying it a couple years ago.

 

[TreeMan]

I need to use Tow more often. Have 2 big bags, don't think I've used any since buying it a couple years ago.

If I’m turkey hunting I use a wad of tow over powder and then a plastic slit shotcup full of shot and cards on top. That shot cup is a game changer for turkey patterns. For other small game I don’t use the cups. The tow is a great buffer to keep that cup from melting. It also works great for cleaning. After a few shots I’ll spit on the tow and swab my bore with it.

 

[David Veale]

Just shot this today at 25yds. I only use the thin "over shot" cards for everything. I also get good patterns by not using the lubed fiber wad and just topping it off with 2 thin os cards instead. Everything else is useless in my opinion, you just have to find the right balance of powder, shot and the number of cards

75gr ffg swiss
4 thin os cards
1 5/8 #6 lead
1/2 lubed fiber was

And yes, the turkeys head fell off!

Please tell me this was a choked gun, or I'm going to have to hang my head in shame and never post a photo of one of *my* 25yd patters!

 

[Brokennock]

Funny how the much superior naysayers rarely, if ever, post pics of the patterns they get.