Overshot Cards Only Loading Method

[Iron Jim Rackham]

For some reason I can't seem to place more than one picture with text. That being the case, I should be able to just link the pictures to the text.

I've always obtained best shotgun patterns using only overshot cards in lieu of overpowder, cushion, and overshot wads.

Picture One shows how I carry my powder and shot
Link

Picture Two shows cartridge cap removed, and ready to be loaded

Link

Picture 3 shows powder being loaded from a cartridge

Link

Picture 4 shows how I carry my cards

Link

Picture 5 shows perforated cards, and how to arrange them for loading. If you only have time to view one link, this is probably the key one, since it details the card loading process.

Link

Picture 6 shows mink oil applied to outside edge of card

Link

Picture 7 Shows cards started in muzzle

Link

Picture 8 shows cards being seated on top of powder

Link


Picture 9 shows shot load being poured down barrel

Link

Picture 10 shows perforated overshot cards

Link

Picture 11 shows the 2 overshot cards being rammed down barrel.

Link

Picture 12 shows overshot cards seated on the shot column.

Link

Picture 13 shows flintlock being primed, and the perfect pan to barrel fit made possible by Mike Brooks outstanding craftsmanship.

Link

What these pictures can't show is what happened after the loading was complete. I wanted to try some 7 1/2 shot just because I have so much of it on hand. The results weren't bad. I broke 3 of 5 birds thrown.

I also broke 10 consecutive clays with #6 shot at between 20 and 30 yards. Around shot number 7, we started to get comfortable, and my son picked up a hand thrower, and threw some steep birds to duplicate a rooster breaking from high cover. The fowler smoked the 3 he threw.

I'll try some 4 & 5 shot and report the results. I am looking foward to getting the 2nd barrel full (jug) choked, and will let you know how that works out.

I would encourage anyone interested in wing shooting to try the overshot card method, and see if it doesn't yield better patterns. For anyone looking for a nice fowler, I heartily recommend Mike Brooks. I've had production guns in the past, and harvested a lot of birds with them. I have never had a fowler that functioned as perfectly or was immediately so effective as this one built by Mike. This gun simply doesn't misfire or miss. I can focus on having fun rather than worrying about powder slipping between the barrel and lock, waiting for the gun to go off, or just plain missing because the gun doesn't discharge. Hunting seasons are too short to be aggravated. Having a fowler by Mike Brooks is like owning a game getting work of art.

 

[rabjr]

A picture is worth a thousand words, nice Tutorial. :thumbsup:

 

[ffffg]

If it works, it works.. :v ... In our climate, Montana, loading without lots of lube in a shotgun can spell disaster.. Below freezing it gets worse.. But if your having good luck with it, im suspecting lots of humidity in your area, its a great cost saver.. Im glad your haveing good luck.. But if patterns are going south with succesive shots, get some lubrication down bore, and it should straiten it out.. dave

 

[frou frou]

Thanks for the detailed pictures and explanations. Appreciate it.

 

[Darkgael]

John: Great pics. Thank you.
Ques.: When and how do you apply the mink oil? How many cards do you do at one time? Do they keep?
Pete

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

When I'm watching TV I will take a bag of cards and poke the holes in them. I have a wooden board that I put on my lap and just poke away. After I fill up a bag of wads, I stack them perhaps 1 1/2" thick between my fingers. I then roll them through a tin of mink oil, and still compressing the chips wipe the lube around the outside diameter of the card stack.

I only need lube on the outside diameter of the card, because that is the only area that contacts the bore. I think less lube translates into less weight, which allows the cards to drop off quickly.

I might do 1-200 cards at a time, and the cards last more than season. For us pheasant season starts in October, ends the 2nd Saturday in Novemember, resumes the 2nd Saturday in December and continues to March 31st. I fired some cards made last spring and they're fine.

 

[Roy]

Cool :thumbsup:

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Jim - How many holes do you punch in each card?

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

:rotf: I guess you didn't look at the picture links. I only put one hole in each card. Picture #5, gives the best depictions of the holes and how to locate them when loading.

 

[Darkgael]

Jim: Thanks for all the work putting together the pix and text. A labor of love, I suppose.
I had to smile - wherever you were reminded me very much of the territory that I hunt up above Rickett's Glen in PA. Are there Mountain Laurel and huckleberry in those woods? Looks right.
Pete

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

Well, we've got plenty of mountain laurel. I have seen so many bushes with blueish berries identified as huckleberry, that I'm not sure I know what huckleberry is. The land these pictures were taken on is a mix of abandoned fields and small woods. Great place to be in late summer. When I mow the field, it literally smells like a spice shop.

 

[Timothy Gregory]

Outstanding photo/essay tutorial ! I had been playing with the idea of dispencing with the cushion wad to eliminate the infamouse "doughnut pattern." :bow: Never thought of punching holes in the over powder/overshot card. Brillient :bow: !

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

I've been using cards only for a long time. If I don't write my name in the palm of my hand, I'll forget it by lunchtime. By organizing stuff when I think of it, I'm less apt to forget it. That's why I like the pre-load tubes and a bag of overshot cards. I no longer have to remember to bring different type cards, and two different flasks. Basically, it's all there in my vest. When I was a kid, I simply forgot my overpowder and cushion wads, and found I did better with overshot cards only.

I started punching holes in the cards to release air when loading. I sprung a rod one day, and was irritated by the pressure generated by loading tight fitting wads. I may be wrong about this as intelligent people always assure me that I am, but I think the holes tend to slow the cards as well, which may contribute to better patterns.

I'm sure there are many other ways to achieve good patterns, but I'm lazy as well as forgetful, and always liked the results obtained with just overshot cards. I never throw donut patterns, and by tweaking the shot/powder ratio slightly can get very good patterns from every shotgun I've tried cards with.

For other frugal minded Scots out there, I'll mention that it' cheaper to shoot just cards as well.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Ah, Jim! Frugal minded Scots! That is where that comes from in me. And here I thought it was from the tight fisted Germananic side of my family.

The holes let the air escape out as you are loading, so you don't have to deal with the bouncing RamRod when loading. The same holes have to let air got through the cards to get between two cards and separate them when flying through the air after leaving the muzzle. If the OS cards land in different places on the ground, that is pretty good proof that the air separates them. If they land together, then it isn't. My OP wad and cushion wads don't land together, so there is no reason to expect OS cards to land together, either.

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

Aye, laddie. I can spend a couple thousand on a shotgun and feel as though I've invested in something worthwhile, but if I think I've spent too much on wads I'm outraged. (Considering I use 3-6 times as many cards as someone loading the recommended 3 wad way, I'm probably spending more)

So, even if we discount the savings, I still recommend the overshot card only method, because the patterns are so much better.

 

[eka]

Where to you guy buy your overshot cards. Are these the same as the overshot cards for shotshells?

Thanks,

Keith

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

I'm a big fan of Dixon's. If you live in Pennsylvania, swing by and pick them up. I also like Track Of The Wolf. You can order on line and I think they offer good prices and excellent service.

The cards are little white discs as shown in the photos.

 

[paulvallandigham]

OS cards are made by Circle Fly wads, and by the successor to Ox Yoke. You can buy them from many suppliers listed here under member resources. They are sold in bags of 500 or 1000. You do have to order the correct size for your smoothbore, and that will require that you actually measure the barrels rather than relying on what the factory or builder says the bore size is. Use a caliper. If you don't own them, shame on you. You can buy a good dial caliper for about $20.00. A digital for about $35.00. If you are unemployed, then stop by any machine shop and ask to borrow theres on site, to measure your bores. They will probably measure the bores for you.

you do have to poke the holes in the cards yourself.

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

A new gun, and all this shooting discusion had me all excited to go shooting. Right after work tonight, by son and I went out and threw some clays. Tried a heavier load 3 1/4 drams and 1 3/8ths ounces of #6 and had no misses. We then shot some more of our standrd 3 dram and 1 1/4 once loads and broke 10 straight. I did feel more recoil with the heavier loads, and noticed it broke the clays into more pieces. But, broken is broken so I'm not sure there is any advantage to loading harder.

All that said, I can't wait until pheasant season starts. I'm using the sister of my old dog and if she's half as good as her sister was I expect to bag my share of pheasants.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Now now gentellmen whats all this about buying cards? I made my own punch, well I,ve made several actually. Just get some hard bar and turn the center out to what ever dia you want and then slot the side out. Now sharpen one end and temper quench it hard.
Now when you have finnished your corn flakes you can recycle the box :thumbsup: