Holes in over-shot wads?

[torpex24]

Since I don't see a forum just for shotguns, let me ask here: I've been told I should punch a hole in the over-shot wad, but I don't why, how big it should be or how best to do it.
I intend to use this in a 12ga Pedersolli double-barrel.

 

[Slowpoke]

You don't have to, but it make loading them a lot easier. You are pushing a column of air and that are has to go somewhere. Use you knife and just cut them a 1/4 of the way through. All you're looking for is a way for the air to escape. I use a awl and punch a hole but I would buy one just for that purpose, just use your knife. Do them at home and it's one less thing you have to do in the field.

SP

 

I believe slowpoke is correct.
I don

 

[smokeblower]

The hole is for the easy press down. With the reverse pressure, firing, the hole is nonexistanct, yet, may act as a catch for the shot. Or not , depening on the placement of the charge. Or what ever?
Him that fire many-shot.
smokeblower

 

[tg]

I use my thumbnail to put a small notch in the edge as I load, this allows the air to pass a little better.

 

[Dave K]

Yes, I will never forget one of my early days shooting a shotgun. I kind of released my grip on the ramrod and all of a sudden it was out of my hand and about 10 feet in the air! :crackup: The barrel had a lot of air pressure built up.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I do the same as TG, as I load the over shot card, I put a nick in the edge of the card on the edge of the muzzle, then put the wad in the barrel and push it down. As you load the first components, as you push down, air escapes thru the touch hole (or nipple if you have a percussion). The last item to go in, the overshot card, there is no place for the air to escape to as the card is tight in the barrel and the components in the bottom are blocking any passage out for the air. The nick in the edge lets the air escape as you push the card down on the shot. No need to poke holes in your cards, a nick in the edge does just fine.
Ohio Rusty

 

[musketman]

You can tell by loading one without holes and one with on top of it (2 overshot cards), just to get an idea of the pressure it will make...

With a 42 inch barrel, you are trapping roughly 38 inches of air, it has to go somewhere, I too dent the side of the over shot card before loading...

 

I just never have, never really thought about it to much eather .
but there is alot of good ways here to put a hole and i think i would try the finger nail one some time.

 

[musketman]

but there is alot of good ways here to put a hole and i think i would try the finger nail one some time.

I think this is the better method because if you have a hole or two in the disk, the face of the ramrod will be covering it and restricting the air flow...

Since the face of the ramrod doesn't go completely to the edge of the bore, the edge of the disk seems the logical choice for an air vent...

 

Who'da thot? Nicking the edge is great! - punching a hole with an awl, just big enough to go through to the other side, not enough to pass a pellet is fine, and a dental burr hole will also work, but nicking the edge with a fingernail is the fastest, easiest way. GOOD idea! Thanks!

 

[Mainer]

I had the air come back out at me once while I was using cornmeal for a buffer! After the corn meal dust cleared and I could see again, it was a mess! :crackup:

 

[torpex24]

Thanks to all. The replies make plenty of sense to me - :hmm: except maybe that last one about the cornmeal. I thought they just used that stuff on shuffleboards and dance floors. If you add water to that mixture, can you make muffins ?

 

torpex24
Try using cornmeal INSTEAD of shot for close range work on small birds.
That way you blow off all the feathers and bread the thing at the same time. :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
(Well it MIGHT work!) :haha: :haha: :haha: :haha:

 

[musketman]

Thanks to all. The replies make plenty of sense to me - :hmm: except maybe that last one about the cornmeal.

Cornmeal is used to "buffer" shot and to take up space with reduced loads in such things as revolvers...

As a shot buffer, the cornmeal will fill the air pockets between the shot and keep them from distorting in the barrel when fired...

Works just like the buffered shot-shells you buy for a shotgun, only cheaper... :winking:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've got an old pair of dog nail clippers and I snip a nick into the edge of the over-shot as I transfer them to my hunting pouch. I also filed an "X" in the face of my ramrod (it has a big, flat bell end) so any air can escape easier based on a tip in Muzzle Blasts years ago. When I first started m/l shotgunning I could hear the cards "pop" sideways into the barrel after being pressed down, sometimes seconds later.

 

[musketman]

I also filed an "X" in the face of my ramrod (it has a big, flat bell end) so any air can escape easier based on a tip in Muzzle Blasts years ago.

Does that same ramrod imprint an "X" on the spure of a round ball?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Don't know. I never peeked down the loaded 12 ga barrel to see. :shocking:

It would be a raised "X" in any case, and the center of the "button" has a 10-32 threaded hole. I don't think the parched ball puts up enough resistance in the smoothie to deform the lead much.

 

[musketman]

Don't know. I never peeked down the loaded 12 ga barrel to see. :shocking:

I thought you may have loaded a non-powdered ball (again) and had to pull it, then you would be able to see if it was X'ed...

 

[Stumpkiller]

Nope. Never pulled a ball from a smoothbore; but now you jinxed me. Always was a bit worried that I wouldn't get enough "traction" to drill into the ball without it just spinning. By dumb luck or sumpin I've never shorted a smoothie ball. That's one nice thing about paper cartridges - you're not apt to bite the end off and deliberately pour the powder on the ground and then tamp down the ball.

Have loaded a shot column with no powder SEVERAL times, but they pull easy.