Loading a 20 gauge smoothbore

[Ontario Hawken]

I have a 20 ga. flinter coming to me soon via Jackie Brown. Any advice on loading birdshot?

I'm interested on what I can use for overshot wads? Can I make them myself or where can they be purchased at a good price?

Thanks!

Scott

 

[Dewey]

Here is some good infoon smoothbore loading: http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html

I get my cards/wads from TOTF, but some use tow or cut paper: https://www.full30.com/video/eb2a7f3499d1a47d9cd9a6ab67669aee

Have fun and be sure to post some pictures when you get her !!!

 

[tenngun]

Wads are avalible on line via Track of the wolf, Jeddidiah star, Log Cabin Sport shop ect. Start with 70 grains load an over powder card then a cushion wad. A half a cushion wad greased with bore butter, lard or mink oil is some times easier to load. Using your powder measure as a guide pour a charge of shot the same volume as your powder charge, then run a over shot wad home. Boom.
After that you can experiment with other loads. I use tow, greased paper, or picked hemp cord as a wad greased with lard and run down as a ball of greasy fiber over the powder. Then a similar wad over the top of the shot.
Get an old can of soup and set that out at about 25 yards and blast away. Shot that carriers through the can will put small game and turkeys in the freezer. 50 or 60 grains can do that. Move up and down on your shot load. The volume of 60-90 grains puts a lot of lead on target. Taking a 5/8 dowel and wraping a paper tube around it then tieing off the ends makes a little shot cup that can be prefilled and greased, that might increase your range a bit. With out a choke 25-35 yards is the practical limit.

 

[Wes/Tex]

What Dewey3 says...Our Spence's page is the
first thing everybody getting into this sport should read.

 

[Ontario Hawken]

Spences Page? Where can I find that?

 

[Hawken12]

http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/ Try that awesome site and Spense10 on here in search members

 

[Dewey]

Spences Page? Where can I find that?

(Sigh)

You didn't try the links I gave you, did you ??? :shake:

 

[Dewey]

Spences Page? Where can I find that?

(Sigh)

You didn't try the links I gave you, did you ??? :shake:

PS At the bottom of the first link's page is says: "Copyright © B. E. Spencer"

 

[ohio ramrod]

Another option is to not use an overshot card!. I use a paper shot cartridge made from three thickness of news paper tied with kite string.I have found that more than three thickness gives a "slug effect" less than three tends to rip open in the bag. :idunno: :idunno:

 

[Ontario Hawken]

Sorry. I'll take a look

 

[Ontario Hawken]

Read the info. Good stuff.

Just curious to know what you might recommend for wad and overshot wad thicknesses.

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Dewey]

Read the info. Good stuff.

Just curious to know what you might recommend for wad and overshot wad thicknesses.

Thanks,

Scott

You already have some ideas in the posts/links given so far.

Here is a couple of others:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8AtaQGYQDk
https://www.full30.com/video/eb2a7f3499d1a47d9cd9a6ab67669aee

But really, each gun seems to have it's own ideas on what it wants ... choose one and experiment with it and others to find YOUR method !!!

 

[Dewey]

PS

Also look at this thread for ideas:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/296222/


(Ignore those who say you can't use 3F).

 

[Mad Irish Jack]

Another source of patches, wads and cards is RMC/Ox-Yoke Originals. Here's the addy: http://www.rmcoxyoke.com/patches__wads__cleaners__and_lube

 

[Grandpa Ron]

My standard load is 65 grains of 2F, a .125" card wad, a 1/2 felt cushion wad, 1oz. of shot and a .032" over shot wad.

Some folks claim a tighter group with no cushion wad.

You can start with powder and newspaper for waddling and shot with a thin newspaper wad on top. This has been used for generations.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

I would like to elaborate on my comments.

Historically everything from beaver and deer hair to linen tow, wool cloth and wasp nests has been used for wadding.

Also there is a lot to be said for the convenience of pre-loaded paper cartridges.

Most muzzle loaded shotguns are cylinder bore, ideal for close range shooting. Long distance shots were a rarity. You blasted ducks on the pond not on the wing. Therefore most any wadding would suffice.

The British spent a lot of effort improving shotgun wadding and patterns, but the average Joe simply used the materials at hand.

Be careful because some of the materials used, including the aforementioned newspaper can smolder. You would not want to set the woods on fire.

Pre-cut wads are a convenient option and available from many muzzle loading sources on the web.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I've settled on fiber wads from TOTW. I break the 1" wad in half before loading, and often use an over-powder wad, when I remember to bring them. Otherwise, it's just more stuff to carry around, and results are good either way.

Measure and dump your powder, seat the 1/2" fiber wad, then use a dry lubed brown paper strip (about 1" x 3" depending on your shot load). I form the strip around a .308 brass cartridge by placing the brass base in the center of the paper strip, then simply forming the ends upward around it - just center the strip over the muzzle and push till both ends are just below flush, pour your shot load, use either over-shot card or the other half of the fiber wad, and firmly seat. Some have posted about crumpling up brown paper bag paper to soften it up to make loading easier. I tried it & it works, but it's just one more step in loading. If you have enough of a morning coffee caffine buzz, you may want to crumple up all your paper in advance ... just to take off the edge.

I use a blend of 1:5 castor oil:denatured alcohol for wad lube and also paper lube. The DA evaporates to leave a fine film of castor oil that keeps the bore cleaner longer than anything I've ever used before. In my several decades of BP shooting, no other lube materials even approach the clean shooting properties of castor oil.