20 Ga. Shot Loads

[AZbpBurner]

After reading around about various shot loads, I've decided to try the paper shot cups. Someone already posted that they cut out an X - shaped paper to use for shot cup. For me, that's more than my attention span will allow, so I'm gonna try crossing 2 strips at the muzzle.

In about 2 minutes I made up a bunch of 2 1/2" x 1/2" strips, which will hold a 1 oz. (20 gauge) shot charge, allowing for a little foldover for an over-shot card to hold down.

If this works, a single grocery bag will be able to produce enough paper shot cups to shoot any of the 3 species of skeet into extinction.

If these work, I may next make some using tallow for candle loads - if I can find suitable diameter tubing to mass-pour a bunch. I got enough free beef fat I rendered into clean tallow from the same store I get the paper bags from ...

I've got over-powder wads, fiber cushion wads, and even TOW to try out. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'm off to the range to try it all out.

 

[Curt LaManna]

How about trying coin wrappers, like the ones from the bank in paper?
Just a thought, you just gave me!

 

[AZbpBurner]

How about trying coin wrappers, like the ones from the bank in paper?
Just a thought, you just gave me!

Good Idea! I just checked & the dime wrappers are still a little over bore diameter for 20 ga. They may work to hold the paper shot cups filled with shot to be able to pour melted tallow into, but it's gonna be a little messy.

I don't have any reference for 12 ga, but the coin wrappers may work there.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I'm getting all my .62 cal musket gear together for a trip to the range tomorrow & thought I'd premeasure some 1 oz. shot.

A while back, one of our Ozzie members posted using plastic 10 ml. centrifuge tubes for carrying powder, since they have snap caps attached. They're waterproof, cheap, & can be opened and closed one-handed. I got a bunch from an E-Bay vendor in Hong Kong or China & they're perfect - 6 ml. by volume of shot is 1 oz.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I find that rolling three thickness of newspaper around a wooden dowel and tying off with kite string works nicely, less than three thickness they rip apart, more than three and they don't open up when shot giving a "slug " effect.

 

[irishtoo]

i will be trying the paper pill cups that are used in a hospital. (where i work). for shot cups in a .62 smoothrifle. they are waxed, tough, and open up to a circle when laid flat. i think a proper size dowel to insert it into the barrel would work. but as said i havent tried this yet. irishtoo.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use a single section of grocery bag and a slightly less than bore size dowel to form and set them.

 

[Peter LeRay]

I roll post it notes around a dowel and then crimp one end. Then I drip some candle wax inside to set the crimp. Works awesome. Shot a turkey at 30yrds. Pattern was great.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I use a single section of grocery bag and a slightly less than bore size dowel to form and set them.

Thinkin' I'll try this next time. It looks to be the most practical.

The crossed narrow strips are OK, but if not positioned just right, allow smaller (#11) pellets to pour thru.

The candle loads poured into the paper crossed strip shot cup was a disaster. First one was solid worked just fine, but the others melted in the warm afternoon temp into a puddle of shot and tallow.

What dimensions do you cut your paper?

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'll measure one when I get home tonight. Mine's for a 16 gauge so you'll have to adjust - or not. The brown paper is pretty forgiving and a bit of overlap is better than none.

And, from the recovered pieces, they seem to make it out the muzzle and prevent the shot from scouring the barrel walls.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I cut them 1-1/8" x 2-1/4" and when set flush at the muzzle they hold 1-1/4 oz of shot in my 16 gauge.

 

[AZbpBurner]

So you fill flush to the end of the paper - over shot wad atop it all?

I tried a 1" x 3" & it holds 1 oz shot in the 20 gauge.

Can't wait to try it out!

 

[MSW]

thanks, all, for the posts ... I have a 20 gauge smoothie which was bored out for my Renegade by Mr. Hoyt, and I need to work up a good load for it.

 

[Stumpkiller]

So you fill flush to the end of the paper - over shot wad atop it all?

I tried a 1" x 3" & it holds 1 oz shot in the 20 gauge.

Can't wait to try it out!

Yep. I use the full 1/8" over-powder card, 1/2" fiber wad and then an 0.030" overshot card on top of the shot. I was experimenting with wool in place of the fiber wad (we raise sheep and have an unlimited supply of raw wool) and that worked, too.

Remember to nick the edge or poke a pinhole in the over-shot card so it doesn't "pop" off the shot from the trapped compressed air.

A day's hunt in a tin.