1st time ML shotgun owner

[Shotgun232]

Well, on an impulse buy, i picked up a pedersoli SxS 20 gauge, percussion cap. It was used, and i kind of felt like i was stealing since i only paid a mere $200 for it.... The bore is 100%, bright and shiny.

Anyways, i have some questions about shooting the thing. so here is what i have gathered:
60-80 grains of FFg
equal measure of shot (7/8 -1 1/4 oz shot)
over powder card over powder
some type of wad
and finally a card over the shot charge.

Well i just got back from ballistic products, since i live about 4 blocks away (so fortunate), and i picked up (was recommended by the guy at front desk):
.070 mini nitro card 20 gauge
20 gauge waxed hard card
20 gauge over shot cards
20 gauge cork wads
1/2 inch thick fiber wad

I got 500 of each, so i am good to go for a while. So my question is, what should i use with what? meaning should i use the waxed hard card over the powder, and then place a fiber wad over it, and then shot?

Additionally i have read contradicting statements of whether or not lube is a good idea on the wad, so do i need to lube the cork or fiber wads?

what the guy at BP said is the cork wad for for hunting, or higher pressure loads, while the fiber wads are for target shooting, since they are cheaper. any truth to that?

Sorry i know this is a lot of questions, but i am out of my element so to speak,being as i am young compared to most of you.... I can post pictures, if someones tells me how to include the photobucket links.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Beerd2]

I tend to KISS

powder
lubed fiber wad
shot
card

prime & shoot.

but then each gun is different, so maybe a card between the powder & fiber wad will give better results for you. Or some other combo.
..

 

[Spikebuck]

If one were to "generalize" it would be powder -> hard card -> fibre or cork wad (I don't think I'd change my load chain, I'd pick one or the other)-> shot -> over shot card.

That said, that load chain doesn't work for me and my guns, but it might work for you. My personal load is:

50 gr of 2F for small game and 75 for turkey -> two 1/8" oxyoke lubed felt wads -> 1 1/4 oz of #6 for small game up'd to 1 3/4 oz of #6 for turkey -> Two thin overshot cards. This is loaded in a 20 ga 42" swamped barrel on a Virginia smooth rifle in flint.

Experiment! It's half the fun. Recently, one of our fellow shooters found that loading one of the wads in front of the shot as well as behind produced a tighter group for him. Others put their shot in a paper "cartridge." You never know what might work best. Going back and searching this forum will provide you with all kinds of ideas.

Good luck!

 

[robinghewitt]

V M Starr tested for the minimum wad and it seems one over shot card will suffice. The shot column locks solid as it accelerates, you just need something to stop the gasses pushing up through it.

I tried it and it works, but I prefer a soft lubed felt wad to keep the fouling soft.

More shot or less powder closes the pattern, less, more opens it.

Simples :thumbsup:

 

[Darkgael]

Yes. V.M. Starr....Take a read of his "The Muzzleloading Shotgun". Available online.
You will be surprised how simple a column can be and still pattern nicely.
Pattern your gun. Usually patterning is done at 40 yards. Using an open choked fowler, I pattern mine at 25.
Pete

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Try powder, hard card, cushion wad, shot and thin over shot wad.

Equal volumes of 1oz shot and powder for starters.

Pattern on 30" circle at 20 yards. 3 shots.

Repeat without the cushion wad.

Repeat with 1oz shot and less powder (about the same volume as 7/8oz of shot.)

I use a cardboard back with a new paper sheet for each shot.

You are looking for a smooth pattern with few shot clumps and no hole in the middle.

Let us know how you made out.

 

[RP3543]

I have the same shotgun...

I use the following for Skeet/Trap Shooting
-50 grs FFg
-(2) 1/8" OP card wads
-65 grs #8 lead shot (about 3/4 oz)
(If I'm shooting a lot, I spray a bit of Simple green or Windex down the barrel after I pour the shot in...keeps the fouling down)
-(1) .025 OS card wad
Nice, light load that patterns well and you can shoot all day.

For hunting I use...
-60 grs FFg
-Newspaper wad
-80 grs #5 lead shot (about 1 oz)
-Newspaper wad
I use Newspaper because it's fast and it's what my Grandfather taught me to use. If the conditions are dry and you're worried about starting a forest fire switch to the card wads.

Great shotgun! Get out there and use it...it'll become one of your favorites.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Is it choked?
If it is, I would sell immediately. Loading wads into a choked ml is a chore and the unfired barrel will always unseat and need reseating before shooting. That means uncapping, seating the recapping again. A real hassle. DAMHIK. :cursing: Yes, I have ranted about this in the past. I am a real ml sxs hater. :td:
Go single barrel, that is where the real fun is. :wink:
Really, I hope it works out for you. Keep us informed.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have the gun in twelve gauge and use 75 grain FF & 1 &1/4 ounce shot. So I think your best load would be in the 55 to 60 grain load range with 7/8 to 1 ounce of shot for the 20 gauge. :idunno: :idunno:

 

[Lorne Johnson]

I own a Pedersoli 20 gauge SxS, and shoot it at least as much as any of my guns. It's a good gun, though not real light for a 20 gauge.

Here's some things to know. IMHO

1. The bores are chromed. It's pretty thin, but it aids in cleaning considerably.

2. 60 to 75 grains of 2F is reasonable. 1F may well tighten your patterns. (Substitutes suck.)

3. Mine is bored at 19 gauge, so it is likely that yours is too. This could mean that the second barrel load, or at least the OS card jars loose on recoil. Therefore I use 19 gauge overshot cards from Circle Fly. I don't believe that BPI (good company) stocks them. I simply used 2 overshot cards until I needed to reorder. This did not blow patterns or anything else, just more little white cards lying around the skeet field decomposing. The barrels in the 20's are super solid.

4. You can shoot targets with 3/4 ounce of 8.5 shot no problem out to 30 yards. Mine has works well of woodcock with 7/8 ounce loads, and on pheasants with 1 ounce of 6's.

5. Fiber wads do seem to blow patterns when I have patterned mine. Cutting them in half or threes helps a lot, and makes a bit of a mess.

Load:

Powder
Over-powder card (overshot card will work)
Minimal cushion wad
shot
Overshot card

I don't fully agree with everything that VM Starr says, but you couldn't ask for a better starting point.

Hopefully, you bought your gun from Rifleman, then you were doing him a favor by taking it off his hands,even if it was a very good deal.

Enjoy!

 

[Shotgun232]

Thanks!

I will be posting some very interesting data that i found this weekend, in comparing fiber wads to cork wads.

I will upload the pictures shortly, but it is very interesting to say the least.

I bought the gun from a pawn shop, so i dont know who the original owner was...

Do you know the chokes on the barrels?

 

[robinsroost]

Do you know the chokes on the barrels?[/quote]

I have the same gun and mine is choked IC and Mod.........robin :wink: :wink:

 

[RP3543]

Do you know the chokes on the barrels?

I have the same gun and mine is choked IC and Mod.........robin :wink: :wink: [/quote]

Mine too...

 

[Lorne Johnson]

Mine is cylinder and modified.

 

[Shotgun232]

All shots were taken with a rather heavy load of 80 grains of FFg, and 1 oz. of #6 nickel plated shot from a distance of 34 yards. All targets are about 10 inches by 16 inches, i picked this size as it is about the size of a pheasant/duck.

Felt wad right barrel (63 pellets)



Felt wad left barrel (42 pellets)



No wad, just over powder card right barrel



No wad, left



Cork wad, left (129 pellets hit)



Cork wad, right (133 pellets hit)



felt and cork wad (cork wad against over powder card) Left barrel.



Felt and cork, right barrel:



Finally here is a picture of the wads i am using, note that i did lube the felt wads with bore butter (all i had at the range), as i did with the cork wads.



So here is the question, why is the cork wading giving me the tightest group by a long shot, no pun intended? i thinking i will need to do some more testing with larger targets to see the full extent of the pattern. what are your thought? I did do all shooting from a rest, to minimize the human variable...

What is best for upland bird, and pheasant hunting (maybe duck too)? From what i am seeing i think the cork wad is the best combination thus far, though i would like to measure the velocity of the load, compared to felt. However i suspect the velocity of the cork load may be little faster, since the wad itself weighs less then the fiber wad.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Shotgun232]

so the Ic is the left barrel, and modified is the right?

 

[Lorne Johnson]

The right barrel (front trigger) is the open barrel, the left barrel (rear trigger) is the choked barrel (for a second shot).

Although I once knocked down a pheasant at 60 yards with that gun (72 grs FFg and 1 ounce 6's), the effective range is about 30 yards. At 30 yards 80 grs is overkill, and likely to pattern less well than 70 or 75. You are getting a pretty good result with the cork wad, unless you are planning on shooting 5000 rounds a year, I would spring for them.

 

[RP3543]

Mike,
Looks like your gun likes the cork wads...at least with that powder charge. I'd stick with the cork.
It could be that the cork is providing enough "cushion" to keep the shot column uniform with the 80 gr powder charge and giving you the really good pattern density that you're seeing. I've never used cork wads so I'm just guessing...
You should get some larger paper and draw a 30" diameter circle on it. It will give you a better idea of what the whole pattern looks like.

Thanks for publishing your results...Now I have to get some cork wads and try it.

 

[BrownBear]

...a distance of 34 yards. All targets are about 10 inches by 16 inches....

Those are spectacular results with a 20! Heck I doubt my CYL bored 12 would do so well with 1 1/4 oz loads at that range. Looks more like what I get at my usual 25 yard test range.

You've got a real winner on your hand there! :thumbsup:

 

[weitzfc]

do yourself a favor and get a dram / ounce powder measure (dipper) . I use them for both muzzleloading, and black powder shotgun shells.for a twenty gauge , I would start with 2 3/4 drams , and 1 ounce of shot.