Muzzleloading Shotgun

[elgin12]

If I use regular plastic shotgun wads instead of fiber wads (above the black powder) to hold the shot in my BP double gun will there be any adverse effects?? (melting of the plastic, uneven shot pattern, etc)

 

[riarcher]

YUP! plastic directly on the powder will make for some nasty cleaning chores.
Some use it over a "nitro" card.
I myself, don't put plastic in the bore for any reason,,, ever. As stated though, some seem to get away with it.

 

[elgin12]

Thanks - I will stick to fiber wads.

 

[tamara]

I have a Cabela's Pedersoli double 12 with the chromed barrels. The manual recommends using a nitro card and then a plastic shot cup if you are going to shoot steel shot.

I haven't tried it yet, but any way, the manual makes clear that you still need the nitro card, but if using the shot cup you can get away without a cushion wad.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you use a cushion wad made of plastic, there is no need of one made of paper. You can wrap the plastic wad with paper, cutting slits to correspond with the slits in the plastic, to protect your bore from plastic crud building in the barrel. There are good solvents that will take that right out of a barrel, particularly if it is chrome lined, but if you don't put the plastic in there in the first place, you don't have to use the solvents, and bore brushes to get it out.

 

[Cmabie]

I use platic wads in loading 12 ga. shells with black powder that I use in my grandad's old Belgium breach loader with hammers. Except for the cloud of smog :rotf: they never foul the barrels. Of course the limit is only three pheasants out here so only 5 or so shells are expended. The barrels easily clean up with hot soap and water with a bronze brush. Moose milk works good, too.

 

[paulvallandigham]

That's my experience in the field. However, if you are practicing at the range, you can go through many more loads than that, and that is where the plastic buildup begins to be a problem. I do use a bore brush to break up the crud. Because I shoot modern shotguns, too, I have the solvents to clean out the plastic, so it is no real problem for me, either.