Skychief question

[Brokennock]

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!

 

[Eterry]

I think the heavy wad in from of the shot holds shot back keeping it in place as it races down the barrel, much more so than conventional OS wads.

I do only use thin wads, following the advice of VM Starr. Google his wonderful writings on his Betsy Sue 11 bore.

 

[Blackpowderart]

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!

Haha admittedly it was, but my pedersoli isn't much different. It's a sxs so the point is off to left or right so I wanted a single
Barrel for turkey heads shots. Here's my pedersoli pattern. The targets were manure so all shots don't "show up" but zoom in and see several in the head and elsewhere that didn't display properly in the "shoot and see" target, do it doesn't look as impressive but it's close...I've shot a couple hours at a time the last 3 weekends to get these patterns

This is 25 yard pattern loaded
Powder
Thin os card
Cornmeal
Thin os card
Shot
1/2 lubed fiber

 

[Brokennock]

Haha admittedly it was,

The fact the gun is choked should have been in the original post.
There are enough naysayers and doubters, folks who claim they can get equal results from a cylinder bore with just cards,,,, let's not give them grounds to claim that those who post success are less than honest.

@Eric Krewson openly posts that his Skychief patterns that he has shared are from a choked gun,,, but that the jug choke he had done wasn't satisfactory and that the Skychief load brought the desired results out of that bore.

 

[David Veale]

Haha admittedly it was, but my pedersoli isn't much different. It's a sxs so the point is off to left or right so I wanted a single
Barrel for turkey heads shots. Here's my pedersoli pattern. The targets were manure so all shots don't "show up" but zoom in and see several in the head and elsewhere that didn't display properly in the "shoot and see" target, do it doesn't look as impressive but it's close...I've shot a couple hours at a time the last 3 weekends to get these patterns

This is 25 yard pattern loaded
Powder
Thin os card
Cornmeal
Thin os card
Shot
1/2 lubed fiber

Wow -- looks like I need to give the skychief another try. I didn't have much luck the last time around, but perhaps very small differences in my wadding had a negative effect. I have noticed improvement with cornmeal buffering, but my patterns with a straight cylinder bore (at 30 yds, granted) were still filling a 4x4 patterning board from corner to corner.

 

[Blackpowderart]

Wow -- looks like I need to give the skychief another try. I didn't have much luck the last time around, but perhaps very small differences in my wadding had a negative effect. I have noticed improvement with cornmeal buffering, but my patterns with a straight cylinder bore (at 30 yds, granted) were still filling a 4x4 patterning board from corner to corner.

I didn't use buffer, I tried modern buffer, cornmeal buffer and didn't see any gains and in fact, negative results. The cornmeal is a wad if you will... separated by the thin cards so it doesn't mix with powder or shot while walking around, up hills, over logs, and through creeks, turkey hunting. The amount of cornmeal "wad" was the same scoop used for the shot and the shot amount was 10% more than the powder by volume. I use swiss 2f. I have tried 1f shuetzen and 2f OE and by far got the best results with swiss. Swiss is already hotter than the others and the swiss 2f is like 3f granulation size for most brands I have experience with.

 

[Blackpowderart]

The fact the gun is choked should have been in the original post.
There are enough naysayers and doubters, folks who claim they can get equal results from a cylinder bore with just cards,,,, let's not give them grounds to claim that those who post success are less than honest.

@Eric Krewson openly posts that his Skychief patterns that he has shared are from a choked gun,,, but that the jug choke he had done wasn't satisfactory and that the Skychief load brought the desired results out of that bore.

You must have stopped at, admittedly it was. KEEP READING
I then show my results from my pedersoli which are almost, if not As good.
But I guess if you can't pattern, complain

 

[beardedhorse]

Tow is waste from making flax linen thread and used for tinder nests in fire starting. Any problem with smoldering tow when loaded over powder and potential fire danger in the dry woods or plains?

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I’ve found piling a stack of overshot cards then drilling a small 1/16” hole works perfectly to allow easy seating atop the shot.

Otherwise it’s like trying to stuff a jack in the box into a pringles can.

 

[Brokennock]

You must have stopped at, admittedly it was. KEEP READING
I then show my results from my pedersoli which are almost, if not As good.
But I guess if you can't pattern, complain

No, I didn't stop there.
I just feel it should have been in the 1st post for full disclosure. Not meant as a dig at you.
They are all good patterns.

 

[Brokennock]

I’ve found piling a stack of overshot cards then drilling a small 1/16” hole works perfectly to allow easy seating atop the shot.

Otherwise it’s like trying to stuff a jack in the box into a pringles can.

As has been said by myself and others many times.
There is no need to poke/punch holes or cut slips.
Build the load at the muzzle and push it all down together, slow and steady.

 

[longcruise]

Build the load at the muzzle and push it all down together, slow and steady.

No experience whatsoever, but I can't see why that wouldn't work given that it works every time I push a patched ball down the bore.

 

[Trigger]

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!

Was that with the new choke?

 

[Blackpowderart]

Was that with the new choke?

Yes

 

[Trigger]

Yes

Nice....I was going to say.. 35 yards a safe max..

.660 if you want 40 yards

my target at 20 is almost to tight lol... it's .675.... about the same

 

[Trigger]

Could miss...

I used wool wads and an overshot... just because... I figured it's a safe start and anyone running a choke should find that easy....

you can jam a nitro in sideways then straight n out with you finger and rod.. it just card board?

 

[Trigger]

I like the overshot card for nitro deal...
Like 3 or 4 overshot equal a nitro... easy to load and cheap... that was cool

The wool seems like cushion but rated as nitro.... so I like that in combo.

For Pheasant i was using a nitro and 1 wool before the shot...

I think the 3 overshot and 1 wool was nicer to send down.... shoots the birds good...

 

[Trigger]

The wool will move and or jar a little in a double if you use just wool and keep shooting one barrel with the other load ed.. just wool is no good..

if that makes sense to anyone trying just wool wads I'd put an overshot bottom. and top.. Keep everything down...

The over shot might be thin... but they don't move they grab good...

 

[Blackpowderart]

The wool will move and or jar a little in a double if you use just wool and keep shooting one barrel with the other load ed.. just wool is no good..

if that makes sense to anyone trying just wool wads I'd put an overshot bottom. and top.. Keep everything down...

The over shot might be thin... but they don't move they grab good...

O tried loading 1 7/8 lead and 85 2f swiss and it cracked the stock in 2 places. These stocks can't candle much. I used to shoot 110 and 120 podwer and 2oz in my pedersoli with only ill effect to my shoulder

 

[Trigger]

That's good to know...

I first tried 90 and 1.5 in my pedersoli lol... it's hot. High brass load.

After that I think I'm backing off enough on powder. Now.. feels right about good...

I'm at 70 volume... 1.5 lead for the 10ga pedersoli.... Pheasant..

1.4 and 70 vol for the tc