any truth to this?

[nodakhorseman]

Just doing some browsing on the internet about using plastic shot cups and steel in a muzzleloader. I ran across the following website (steel and shot cups) where the following paragraph comes from:

I am using zinc plated steel shot and "steel-tuff" wads for 3-1/2" 12 ga casings from Precision Reloading. Special steel shot wads must be used to prevent barrel damage. These plastic wads hold 1-1/2 oz of steel shot. Since these wads are designed for modern casings, the diameter is smaller than bore size. This works out great for loading, but even with their integral over powder cup, they don't give a good gas seal on firing in a muzzleloader. It was suggested that an over-powder card wad could be put under this cup, but I fear the card wad could wedge inside the cup on firing, and produce dangerous pressures. My solution is to cut the over-powder cup off, make a shot package with the shot cup and load it over a .135 card and .500 fiber wad. This gives a good gas seal without the wedging problem.

I don't really understand what he means by the card potentially wedging inside the cup. Any opinions on this?

I'm using multi-metal plastic shot cups from Ballistic Products in my ML shotgun. They do have a cupped tail end that faces the powder. I do use an overpowder wad--should I be concerned?

Thanks. --Joel

 

[rich pierce]

I think the post is suggesting that you'd first get movement of the over powder wad up into the cup before encountering and attempting to move the main mass of the shot column. I am not a ballistician but I don't think this movement (1/4") would cause a dangerous spike in pressure.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The cups on the bottom of those plastic Shotcups are very shallow, and the cup is made of molded plastic, which is very soft. I can't imagine any OP wad actually getting "Stuck " in such a cup. I think cutting that portion off the shotcup makes sense, as it serves no purpose in a ML shotgun. I would not use a cushion wad in addition to the OP wad, but that is your choice. I don't see where a 1/2"cushion wad adds anything to the load, but added weight.

Perhaps a 1/3" cushion wad rubbed over a grease, or shallow oil to oil the edges of the partial wad will lube the barrel well, but with that plastic in front, I prefer to lube the barrel with a greased cleaning patch AFTER the plastic shotcup is seated( when seating the OS cards). That way, there is lube in the barrel so that the plastic slides over the bore, rather than rubbing plastic off against bare steel.

 

[nodakhorseman]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. That jives with my line of thinking. I haven't been using a cushion wad, only the OP card.

Another question. The shot cups hold way more shot than I am loading down the barrel. Any tips on how to cut off the petals evenly so the shot cup matches the amount of shot I'm using?

Sure, I could use a scissors or a sharp knife, but I'm wondering if someone has developed a reliable technique to accomplish this task.

--Joel

 

[asabai]

I agree that there would be no issue with wedging. I wonder if it would be necessary to trim the wad, top or bottom. I don't think I would bother if I was already getting good patterns.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you can use a plastic 12 gauge hull to make a holder for the wads so that you can cut them to length with a straight razor, I think that would be the fastest way to cut a bunch of the wads down to the correct size. If not a 12 gauge hull, then make some kind of loading block with the right depth so that you can have some support to the sides of the plastic wad while you run a sharp edge over the top of the block to cut the wad. If you had a drill press, and a good 3/4" diameter forstner bit, you could use that to cut the wads to proper length. I would still want some kind of Holder for the wad, since it is plastic, to use in conjunction with using the forstner bit. Otherwise it might collapse under the pressure of the down pressure on the drill bit. Use the stop gauge on the drill press to control how deep a cut you make, in conjunction with the loading block/holder.

As little as I have tried using the wads in my gun, I am still cutting them at the muzzle with my sharp knife.

 

[Oldnamvet]

With just an over powder card under a plastic shot cup, I am skeptical that you would get a good seal. The reason - I typically reload my modern shotgun shells but to use lighter shot loads, I drop an overpowder card into the shotcup to take up room. One evening when tired, I put the overpowder card over the powder under the shot cup. Shells performed just fine but when fired it looked like I was celebrating since confetti flew out behind the shot and would float down all over the field. So I assume that the pressure of forcing that OP card into the pocket in the shotcup, also tore it up. So, if that happens, it will hardly be giving a seal on the way out the barrel. Using the overpowder card AND a fiber wad is a good suggestion.

 

[roundball]

I had a .12ga Navy Arms SxS caplock about 10 years ago, and I used Circle Fly prelubed cushion wads and a red Winchester AA shot cup with the lower piston section cut off...did great...


(but then I discovered Flintlocks :grin: )