Somebody Splain to me the using dime novel pages...

[Eterry]

I am pretty new to the smoothbore part of this BP thing, and I see folks on here talking about using paperback pages for smoothbores...can someone elaborate on this for me?

Are we talking paper cartridges or just for shot or what??

Thanks

 

[tenngun]

You could use them several ways. 1) as a cartridge. The paper rolled around a dowel and one end tied shut. A ball dropped in then a load of powder then the end folded. In use bottom torn off, powder poured down ball and paper rammed home.
2) short one loaded with shot and crumpled paper at the bottom, rammed home on a powder charge.
3) a rectangle of paper about two inches long and an inch wide folded and rammed in to a muzzel on top of the powder charge, and then a load of shot or ball rammed home with another wad of paper.

 

[Eterry]

When you load a paper cartridge do you cut it on the angle as Lyman says, or just use the whole page?

Does the paper make a shot column and extend the range?

guys who use the book paper please chime in ?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

OK well I go to the Dollar Tree store [everything costs a dollar] and buy a hard-back book. Then I remove the "book paper" pages, and turn them into cartridge papers, and yes, you do need the / angle on one of the four sides to make the tube roll into a cartridge with a wooden dowl "forming tool".

I make blanks. When I'm hunting with shot I also make cartridges with newsprint paper, to hold the shot. So I tear open the powder-cartridge, dump the contents down the barrel, then I invert it and ram it down on top of the powder. I follow this with the newsprint shot cartridge intact, untorn, and I seat this with only a firm ramming against the wad I just formed from hard-ramming the book-paper cartridge tube down on top of the powder. Then I cap or prime the piece. This really cuts down on the reloading time when hunting upland birds with dogs or when dove shooting, especially when you are the only one with the caplock and all the other hunters are using modern guns. I'm still working on paper cartridges that will hold the shot into a tighter pattern.

IF I'm doing round ball, I load the ball into the book-paper cartridge with some twine to cinch-up the paper around the ball, where the ball meets the powder. So I tear that open, pour, then I put a lubed felt wad down on top of the powder, followed by the ball still inside the end of the book-paper cartridge. I tear off the extra bit of the cartridge above the ball and discard it before ramming the ball. I think this is more consistent than using a cloth patch.

LD

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I buy the bulk pads of note paper from Dollar Store, looks like that dull gray ‘math’ paper we used as mids; works great for cartridge loads when I use them. I also believe it to be more consistent batch-to-batch, than the paper found in those cheap novels.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I don't use book paper - but I have a stash of old onion-skin typewriting paper that is similar. You need something a little easier to tear than modern 20lb copier paper for cartridges. When my onion-skin paper runs out I imagine an old book would be ideal.

 

[Stumpkiller]

If you want a little better pattern from a smoothbore I recommend shot cups cut from grocery bag paper. With just trial and error I made a dowel just under bore diameter. Then I made strips that just slightly overlap when pulled over the end. Then I figured out the proper depth by setting them at the muzzle and adding the amount of shot I wanted. Once I had a good cup I used that to make a heavy pattern. And I use the pattern to cut pieces out of the bags. In my straight-cylinder bore it gets me to about improved cylinder/Skeet 1. Keeps the shot from getting scoured on the barrel as well.

 

[Eterry]

Thanks everyone for the info. Stumpkiller, have you ever made or know someone who made a shot packet from grocery bags? Rolling then sealing the grocery bag paper, pouring in the shot, then twisting or gluing the top. You would have a shot cartridge you run down the bore after your powder , and should extend your range...if it didn't turn into a slug.

Loyalist Dave; how many wraps of newsprint do you use? I fear the thin print would tear from handling, sending precious shot to the ground.

 

[Stumpkiller]

No. You can be a pioneer.

I know folks who made sealed paper cartridges for just the shot portion and they claim a better pattern.

 

[smo]

2ozs of #6 & 2 ozs of bb’s for comparison .


I played around some with bb’s & shot cups made with grocery bags.

I mostly just formed the cup around the dowel rod , hand crimped the end over the end of the rod.
Then removed the paper from the rod, inserted it in the bore poured in the shot and hand crimped other end.

I did fool around with some glue & scotch tape too assist in holding the cup together, some turned into a “slug” leaving one single hole at 15- 20 yards.

After I found out bb’s were illegal for turkeys in Tn. I didn’t continue experimenting.

 

[WKD]

I've used penny wrappers (.75 cal) and dime wrappers (.62 cal) dipped in melted tallow.

 

[smo]

The tuna can was shot at 20 yards if I remember correctly, with a 2 oz load of bb’s out of my 44” barrel 16 gauge smoothbore using 70 grns of Fg Goex.

I’ve got CRS these days.I did write the yardage / load down on the target however I’m not where the target is at this time.

Some loads that “slugged”. Some did this even without glue or tape on them.

Paper bag recovered after the shot.

 

[Eterry]

I've used penny wrappers (.75 cal) and dime wrappers (.62 cal) dipped in melted tallow.

WKD, did you prepare them ahead and used them as a shot cartridge? What kind of pattern did you get compared to your open bore? Di you just dip the ends in tallow to seal them? Did any of them fail to open and slug?

Details, details??

 

[Eterry]

SMO...I was afraid the paperbag was too thick and wouldn't open after leaving the barrel.

Maybe the dime novel paper is thinner...time to break out the micrometer..

 

[smo]

SMO...I was afraid the paperbag was too thick and wouldn't open after leaving the barrel.

Maybe the dime novel paper is thinner...time to break out the micrometer..

Some did , some didn’t .

 

[peashooterJoe]

I use the post a note pads and they open after firing. Make them for turkey loads in spring time the 12 double and 20 Fusil like them..Peashooterjoe

 

[WKD]

WKD, did you prepare them ahead and used them as a shot cartridge? What kind of pattern did you get compared to your open bore? Di you just dip the ends in tallow to seal them? Did any of them fail to open and slug?

Details, details??

The paper coin wraps are slightly smaller than bore diameter so they are a pre measured shot pack and when rammed home the paper splits. I use them when turkey hunting and get patterns good enough for head/ neck shots at 40 yards.
To prepare them I fold the bottom over a dowel, pour in my measured shot, pinch and twist the top and dip in tallow and set aside to dry. I usually carry 4-5 in a zip lock when hunting.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Loyalist Dave; how many wraps of newsprint do you use? I fear the thin print would tear from handling, sending precious shot to the ground.

two full revolutions of the paper, perhaps more. Not all newsprint is the same, you have to check it. Plain from the stationary store tends to be a bit more durable since it hasn't been run through a press and had ink applied. Wet, and dried in the oven after it comes off your front porch, to me seems more fragile than a fresh newspaper from the grocery store.

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I've used penny wrappers (.75 cal) and dime wrappers (.62 cal) dipped in melted tallow .

Interesting...I thought the US dime was .705 diameter? I used penny-rolls when I first started reenacting, and shooting .58 blanks and .75 blanks, but we weren't ramming them down. My SxS left barrel is choked modified, so it's .595 at the muzzle

LD

 

[Tb54]

I tried the comics page from the newspaper, but it acted funny.