OK, now what.....

[Two Elks]

I may try those too, great suggestion.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I advise you try some thin leather wads. I use leather wads in all of my smoothbores. They are flexable enough to load in a full choke. I also use a paper shot cartridge made out of newspaper instead of an over shot card.

 

[Bigpete]

Gee Bigpete, wouldn't it have been nice for these know-it-alls to just say that !! And wouldn't it have been nice to suggest where to get thin cards !!! But then to do that would have compriomised their super superiority wouldn't it ??? I guess it's just more fun to poke fun at a newbie. Hope I can return the favor someday.

You can make your own cards easy enough. Just punch them out of a cereal packet. Or try wasp nest etc as mentioned above. I've tried raw wool,works just fine,but bulky to carry

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Two Elks, I have a similar situation. I have a 12 gauge trade gun with a full choke barrel. 12 gauge wads can't be started down the bore and 14 gauge wads fall to the breech once they are past the choke restriction. To get an over powder seal, I use 12 gauge over shot cards that I curl to start sideways in the bore as the over powder card and wad. My jag will turn them properly as I ram the cards to the powder. I need about 3 of them and I slit the edge so that air can escape as I load the cards. I can make the cards using a 3/4" punch from Harbor Freight. I slit the final card as the over shot card to hold the shot in place. You could do the same with the 5/8" punch and make some over shot cards using cereal boxes or other thin cardboard.

I had assumed that since you had wads and cards for a 20 gauge, that you had the over shot cards. It can be very frustrating when you have what should be the correct loading materials and they don't work for you.

You can take some brown paper shopping bags. Cut a strip about 5/8" wide and 2 3/4" long. Fold it square. Moisten it with dish soap to be flexible and use that as a wad.

@ohio ramrod has a good suggestion to use a leather disk as the leather is more supple than the cardboard. If you make the rolled paper shot cups, be sure to make the cup the diameter of your bore at the muzzle.

You have a choked bore. There should be no need to use the Skychief soaked wad to improve patterns. At least try your gun before you try the Skychief load.

Can you measure the muzzle diameter of your barrel?

 

[S.Kenton]

No problem, skychiefs loads work for sure.. but there are other ways to make the gun pattern well. Being choked as such it should be good to go. If you can’t get her to shoot correctly I would be more than happy to take it off your hands..

 

[Two Elks]

Thank you all, and thanks Grenadier for coming back with some good tips also. I appreciate all the help. I'm going to try all your suggestions. I hope to show the forum a turkey from my experiments.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Excuse me. I did say to get or cut your own thin cards.
You don't need wads associated with the reloading of shotgun cartridges. You don't need nitro cards.
You just need over shot cards. They are thinner than nitro cards.
I cut my own with punches.
Yesterday I used leather ones stamped from welding gloves.
The fly past choked guns.
If your gun is choked it sounds ideal for a shot at turkey.
These are shot from my 10g which is choked.

They were stacked as one, altogether between the powder and shot to form a wad. Simpler to carry just one wad item to. A wad is anything that becomes the piston in your gun to do work. They can be formed from many things.

 

[necchi]

And YES, "dropping a 3 cent wad down a barrel is IMPORTANT", don't you think !!!

Yes, but "dropping" one in isn't the key. Being able to just "thumb" an over the counter wad down the bore is not important.
Using any wad (including the wad you bought) such as Circle Fly provides IS important.
Not understanding that "wad" is a variable and not stasis as an over the counter purchase is; idiocy and contempt in it's basis.
You completely ignored the advise and moved directly to a physical mechanical issue of the firearm instead of the load.
As has been represented by others already in this thread,, manipulation of the Circle Fly wads you already have will work without doubt.
Circle Fly wads will even "separate" easily in your fingers, you don't even need to use them in full length. The "act" of applying the 20ga Circle fly wad to a 20ga full choke is so easily and commonly applied it behooves me to understand why one would consider changing the desirable full choke to cylinder bore for any BP smooth-bore of that caliber.
With your 20yrs experience in the re-enacting venue surely you have seen smooth-bore being used in competition.
So I'll offer some more advise; while sharing in a group of folks with common interests it can be an advantage to heed some of that advise offered instead of looking for validation of what you already have in mind to do.
Go ahead, send the barrel off to get milled today. Matters not to me.

p.s. When you wanna try bee's/wasp nest,(?) contact me, I'll send a priority box packed with the stuff for shipping cost,, been there/done that. You can have every bit I have

 

[Bigpete]

p.s. When you wanna try bee's/wasp nest,(?) contact me, I'll send a priority box packed with the stuff for shipping cost,, been there/done that. You can have every bit I have
[/QUOTE]

Man,I wish that I could take advantage of this man's offer myself !

 

[Mogadishu Meanderer]

I've been a muzzleloader for a lot of years but just getting into smoothbores. Haven't even fired one yet !! I bought a T/C hawkin with GREAT wood that had been rebored to 20 gauge smoothbore, but with a full choke. (I know, I know, but I was sucked in by the figure in the wood). I measured it with my choke tool and it is full choke. I bought 20 gauge wads and cards and now have discovered that I can't use the wads because of the full bore diameter, they just won't go in. Now what do I do ? Should I take the barrel to my smith and have the choke opened up to cylinder ??? Or what ??? Hoping for some help for a novice from you great guys. Thanks.

I know everyone opine already but I figured I let you know I was on the same boat. I purchased a beautiful Pedersoli 12 sxs, turned out to be Full and Mod. It was really a pain to load the way I intended, very much like what you are intending, I mean NitroCards, ffiber wads and such. But I took the advise of some here and started cutting my own cards with a re sharpened 3/4 punch. I am glad I did. I only use cards now and the shotgun patterns unbelievable well. I have killed many ruffed grouse with it and is my favorite field gun. I do have a TC New Englander 12 as well, is open choke with the flare muzzle and it does not pattern any where near as good, I have shot most of the junk I bought in it and plan to stick with cards as Britsmoothy suggested. In my opinion, I would modify the loads as opposed to the gun, particularly if you want to turkey hunt with it, a full choke is definitely preferred for that chore. Just my two shillings!!

 

[Doc]

I've been a muzzleloader for a lot of years but just getting into smoothbores. Haven't even fired one yet !! I bought a T/C hawkin with GREAT wood that had been rebored to 20 gauge smoothbore, but with a full choke. (I know, I know, but I was sucked in by the figure in the wood). I measured it with my choke tool and it is full choke. I bought 20 gauge wads and cards and now have discovered that I can't use the wads because of the full bore diameter, they just won't go in. Now what do I do ? Should I take the barrel to my smith and have the choke opened up to cylinder ??? Or what ??? Hoping for some help for a novice from you great guys. Thanks.

Instead of 20 ga wads, purchase 21ga. wads. My wife’s 12 is jug choked so she uses 13ga wads. Patterns very well so apparently the wad can swell on ignition. Another option is to use these which I have used in my 20ga. I use two over powder and one over shot. They are very flexible and easy to install. No cards needed.

Doc,

 

[Doc]

I know everyone opine already but I figured I let you know I was on the same boat. I purchased a beautiful Pedersoli 12 sxs, turned out to be Full and Mod. It was really a pain to load the way I intended, very much like what you are intending, I mean NitroCards, ffiber wads and such. But I took the advise of some here and started cutting my own cards with a re sharpened 3/4 punch. I am glad I did. I only use cards now and the shotgun patterns unbelievable well. I have killed many ruffed grouse with it and is my favorite field gun. I do have a TC New Englander 12 as well, is open choke with the flare muzzle and it does not pattern any where near as good, I have shot most of the junk I bought in it and plan to stick with cards as Britsmoothy suggested. In my opinion, I would modify the loads as opposed to the gun, particularly if you want to turkey hunt with it, a full choke is definitely preferred for that chore. Just my two shillings!!

Another option for your 12 is to use 13ga. wads easy to put down. Personally for my Damascus doubles in 10 and 12 I use these two over powder and one over shot it patterns great.

 

[Doc]

You can "squish" a fiber wad in your fingers a bit, it'll then slide into the muzzle and come back into shape when pushed down with the rod,, at least one that has a proper size jag on the end.
I do it all the time.

Why are you “squishing” a 12 when you can purchase a 13ga wad. The patterns will be identical.
Doc,

 

[Two Elks]

Thank you all. I just ordered some wonder wads and some cards from TOTW and I'll play around with these until I get it to work. Thanks again, despite everything in the process I did get the answers I needed from this thread after all. I'm looking forward to getting into BP shotgunning, and if I like it I'll be looking for a real shotgun. Again thanks to all.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Thank you all, and thanks Grenadier for coming back with some good tips also. I appreciate all the help. I'm going to try all your suggestions. I hope to show the forum a turkey from my experiments.

Try for a sarcastic turkey. It'll make you feel better about us.

wm

 

[Mogadishu Meanderer]

Try for a sarcastic turkey. It'll make you feel better about us.

wm

…sarcastic yes….and if is a bit condescending better yet!!!!! LOL!!!This place is still tons of fun and lots of knowledge!

 

[Two Elks]

I'm not going to belabor this, I'm not going to start a war, this will be my last mention on this subject. I love this forum and I have enjoyed many years on here in many catorgories. The one thing I've noticed more and more are the answers to someone inexperienced and seeking an honest and legitimate education instead getting sarcastic, I-know-more than-you-do responses. Put yourself in the other guys shoes. This hobby can be intimidating, and it is easy to turn off a budding BP interest. It is just as easy to give a serious and detailed answer to a question as it takes to type an intimidating comment. That type of comment just might push someone away from this hobby. No one is born with this knowledge and we all had to acquire our knowledge from someone else. Imagine when you started shooting and all you got was a herd response of how stupid you were. It really doesn't matter to me, I'm an ex-military hard nosed S.O.B. and I'll get my answers somewhere, but if we are going to see this hobby continue and grow we've got to become good mentors, and good sportsmen. 'Nuff said,

 

[Woody Morgan]

Yup. Same here, Two Elks. Thirty-some years working for the Navy.
Spent thirteen years in USPSA with two Grand Master buddies that were determined to make me a Master Blaster. Made it to high "A" class. Woody just wanted to have fun!

wm

 

[Two Elks]

No problem Woody

 

[CyrusP]

I'm not going to belabor this, I'm not going to start a war, this will be my last mention on this subject. I love this forum and I have enjoyed many years on here in many catorgories. The one thing I've noticed more and more are the answers to someone inexperienced and seeking an honest and legitimate education instead getting sarcastic, I-know-more than-you-do responses. Put yourself in the other guys shoes. This hobby can be intimidating, and it is easy to turn off a budding BP interest. It is just as easy to give a serious and detailed answer to a question as it takes to type an intimidating comment. That type of comment just might push someone away from this hobby. No one is born with this knowledge and we all had to acquire our knowledge from someone else. Imagine when you started shooting and all you got was a herd response of how stupid you were. It really doesn't matter to me, I'm an ex-military hard nosed S.O.B. and I'll get my answers somewhere, but if we are going to see this hobby continue and grow we've got to become good mentors, and good sportsmen. 'Nuff said,

I agree. This is a great place for the most part. I left the unmentionable stuff behind for a few reasons. I am bored with it and I’m looking to escape back in time to when things were simpler. Not just the guns, but the tools, the rules, and life in general. With the wonderful world that BP and its many trappings offers us, I believe one of those things is civility. That civility does not exist today like it once did. I believe a lot of us come here for an escape from this crazy world. I see hostility/sarcasm creeping in here from time to time and hope we can endeavor to leave that at the door as much as possible.