Shot loads and buffers?

[16gauge]

Just curious....has anyone out there tried to buffer their BP loads with modern plastic shot buffers?
I'm just wondering if it might be a feasible way to tighten patterns in guns with little or no choke. I know the plastic materials used in modern shotshells increases pressures, but I'm not sure if the same would hold true for BP loads.

Anyway....I was just curious.

 

[cynthialee]

plastic?

hasn't been invented yet for our timeline focus
:blah:

 

[Drago]

Not sure but the plastic may stick to the barrel if it melts and make a mess, maybe some over powder wads? I am thinking about getting a shotgun to play with

 

[Clovis]

I'm not sure how you could (would) distribute the buffer evenly while loading at the muzzle. Maybe a preloaded amount of shot and buffer already mixed, but dropping it down the barrel may cause uneven distribution to occur any way. Being so fine it might be easy to melt to the bore and you would have powder and fine plastic fouling to deal with.
It may tighten up the load as that is what it is supposed to do, but it in modern loads helps with the trip through a choke so I am not certain it would be over all much help. But if you want, give it a try you may be happy with what you find. Take care

 

[MSW]

i'd be curious to see how it turns out ...

:hmm:

 

[Alden]

Horn has been referred to as the plastic of the 18th C. So, shotgun buffer made from horn. Whaddya think!?

 

[Matt85]

what about using the soft spongy wads from trackofthewolf?

im refering to Wad-C or Wad-CL: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/170/1

-matt

 

[Leatherbark]

On Caywood's site there is or used to be an article about using "Jiffy Mix" corn bread mix in the shot column. He explains how to do it and says it tightens patterns. I gave up years ago trying to make my smokepole shoot tight. What I do like is a nice even pattern especially with small shot for taking birds. Now I just get closer. It used to be frustrating letting a squirrel go that would have been an easy shot for a full choked pump gun. But now I enjoy trying to stalk for a kill. Successful sometimes. Sometimes I just wait them out and let them come to me. It is less frustrating than trying to get the gun to shoot tighter.

Bob

 

[Joe Sullivan]

My understanding is that buffers were designed for steel shot and modern screw in choke tubes were the cup wad is momentarily stopped as it enters the choke and allowes the steel shot/buffer to get restrict as uniformly as possible. I've seen lead buck with buffer but I think it's just one of those gimics the ammo companies pull out of the hat.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Handloaders were experimenting with buffered lead shot loads, long before steel shot came on the scene, in an attempt to tighten up patterns.

Some people I knew were experimenting with flour and with cornmeal as a buffers in their waterfowl loads.

Once I get my Mowrey up and running I think I will give it a try.

 

[Joe Sullivan]

Just curious....has anyone out there tried to buffer their BP loads with modern plastic shot buffers?

Did there experiments do any Good?

Steel does'nt compress. It needs a buffer in tight chokes.

 

[Richard J.]

My problem is just the opposite. I have a pedersoli double hammer 12 ga with chokes. It is the tightest weapon I have ever seen. Needs improved or cyl. bore to open pattern up enough to hunt with. One heck of a turkey gun with full chokes but not for small game.

RJ

 

[Joe Sullivan]

texashuntfish The Missouri Department of Conservation has done a similar study, with duck hunting as the subject. During the 1979 waterfowl season at the Schell-Osage Wildlife Management Area, researchers had hunters shoot a mix of buffered and unbuffered No. 4 lead, No. 4 steel, and No. 2 steel shot. During that season, hunters bagged 20.6 ducks per 100 shots with unbuffered lead, 19.1 with buffered lead, 18.0 with No. 4 steel, and 17.4 with No. 2 steel. There was no recorded difference in the crippling rate. The results also showed that hunters were most likely to take a shot in the 30- to 40-yard range, and that their bag rate dropped considerably beyond that distance.

Other studies have provided similar results, with little or no difference in the bagging rate (in fact, steel has seemed to be more effective in some cases) and no significant difference in crippling. Thus one of the concerns about steel shot ”” that more birds may be wounded by the less energetic pellets ”” doesn't seem to be borne out in fact.

 

[Dphar]

I'm not sure how you could (would) distribute the buffer evenly while loading at the muzzle.

Correct. If the shot and buffer is poured in the shot will get to the bottom first and the buffer will be on top of the shot charge.

It would be necessary to put the shot/buffer mix in a paper sleeve then start this in the muzzle and tear the top so the paper would come off the shot near the muzzle.

Dan

 

[Moose_Owner]

This article dealt plastic buffers and steel shot.
http://www.muzzleloadingshotguns.com/articles/ofsmokeandfeatherssteelshot

 

[Clovis]

Yeah Dan, that was my thinking. I seem to recall if I remember correctly the process of adding buffer when reloading shells was to add one and then the other and place on a vibrating case cleaner and after holding it on it for a time (maybe a minute or two)until the shot and buffer appeared evenly mixed, you could then crimp the shell. That impressed me as being a pain and I can't see how that could be done on a muzzleloading shot gun.

 

[Shawn stern]

Has anyone tried putting the shot in a small linen or cheesecloth baggy? I wonder if this would tighten up the pattern?

 

[Ken Rummer]

I used Precision Reloading Spherical Buffer and found the stuff flows like a liquid into shotgun shells. Downside is that adding it can raise the pressure when the load goes through a choke so using safely developed load data is recommended for shotgun shells. Would thint the same would apply to smoothbores but have never seen any technical info on it.

Anyway this stuff does flow easily.

 

[Jason Lewis]

i doubt it would raise pressures enough to be worried about in either breech or muzzleloading BP shotguns.

 

[crockett]

You may be right about black powder/muzzle loading- I have no idea- but on a lot of the modern reloading data sheets a bufflered load sends the internal pressure up through the roof. I don't know whether a BP shotgun could take it. In any event, since it is an unknow (at least to me) I would check it out just to be safe.
And....I might be wrong but I think black powder shotguns might require a bit closer shooting than modern shotguns.
The only other thing might be heavi-shot. Again, I'm not sure on the pressures, but I've been told hevishot flies straight and it may therefore improve patterns. Better grade shot usually improves patterns (copper plated).