Overshot Cards Only Loading Method

[Iron Jim Rackham]

Thats pretty smart. :bow: Since I've got the mechanical aptitude of a pre-schooler I think your great idea is beyond my ability. Got any pictures of that thang? I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum who could make the punch you describe. Thanks. :hatsoff:

 

[Darkgael]

Brit: What kind of rod do you use?
Pete

 

[Leatherbark]

I think I read it on Caywoods site that also to tighten up the pattern to stop your stack of thin wads short of the muzzle and after pouring in the shot to sprinkle "corn muffin mix" on the shot and bounce the gun to shake the buffer into the shot. Then put a overshot card and seat the whole shebang.................Bob

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu can buy a commercial Buffer, called Puff-Lon that is finer than the corn mix, and will also buffer the shot. Anything you do that protects the shot from distorting when the gun is fired will produce tighter patterns. A plastic Cup, made for steel shot, together with a buffer is probably the best combination of things to use in cylinder bore guns to improve patterns.

All this is expensive, NOT Historically Correct, and therefore objectionable to many shooters here. But if you want to play around with stuff like this, it can work.

I prefer to think of a cylinder bore gun as a 25 yard hunting gun, and pass on longer shots. I don't always because I find, as most hunters, that I pick up a bird that may be 15-20 yards out, but by the time I get my barrel in front of it, the bird may be at 30 yards or a little further when I fire my gun, and is definitely further when the shot reaches it. My use of #5 shot has brought down birds that would have been missed or crippled with smaller shot.

 

[Britsmoothy]

This is another punch, It,s a regular leather punch that I have adapted by welding a piece of EN 24 I think. I drilled with a bit to produce a hole around .735. Once welded in place I sharpened the cutting edge finaly finishing with a stone just as a knife. Then I heated it to a dull red and quenched. It cuts all my wads as in thin cards only and works great and my wallet agrees too. The one I mentioned previous was suitable solid bar around 10" long bored at the diameter I needed for say 8" and then I asked a machinest to slot 2" section out of the side from where the cut cards could fall out of. It does need to be of 1 1/4" OD bar to start of with to take the battering. All that is required now is to sharpen the buisness end and no cornflake packet is safe in fact you will prob find youself cheking all card packaging in the store and getting funny looks from the wife :rotf:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Oops it looks like my pic attempt did not work. Sorry guys.

 

[slowpokebr549]

When I got my 12 gauge all the info I had to go on indicated that all three types of wads HAD to be used. I struggled with patterns and shot holes around turkeys and squirrels. I was about to throw the damn thing in a closet until I tried over shot wads alone one day. Viola! great patterns and good penetration. I can jigger the amount of shot and powder now for most any application. I like to use mixed four and six shot as a general purpose load.Plastic wads suck, they leave so much plastic in my barrel it is like cobwebs coming out when I clean it, lousy patterns too.