Shotcups

[Taxidermydude69]

Hello. I have a cva gobbler series shotgun and tried over powder wads, over shot wads which were cardboard and we're easy to turn sideways in the barrel so asked someone about shotcups and tried it. These were for a 12 gauge to reload shells with. My question is are there some other type of shotcup or will these be ok to use?

 

[Taxidermydude69]

Any cva gobbler series owners out there?

 

[Gkarp429]

One of the schools of thought out here on that subject is that plastic shotcups melt a little, when shot using black powder, leaving plastic in the bore. If this is true, it would apply to almost alll smoothbores. If your gun patterns well with the plastic shotcup, and you don’t mind the possibility of having to clean plastic from the bore, well…

 

[Taxidermydude69]

I used the shot cups last spring turkey season. Killed 2 gobblers that season. Cleaned the shotgun after every shot. Never noticed any plastic as I found the shotcups 20 yds or so from where I shot. It does make sense that plastic melts but never noticed it. What other options are there besides paper overshot wads?

 

[sheriff john]

I used plastic shot cups when shooting steel shot, sometimes lead. Beretta o/u the only new shotgun, actually didn't see a problem but it's not been shot much. Originals' bores look like gas pipes anyway.

Shotcups eliminate bothering with a separate measure - volume to volume shot/powder. Probably not the correct way, but it works for me. Mostly use "vintage" Alcan fiber and paper wads.

 

[Taxidermydude69]

What about regular cotton patches? Would that work? Used them after the shot cup but didn know about using them instead of the shotcup

 

[Taxidermydude69]

Was shooting 80 grs powder and 1 oz shot. Doesn't seem like enough shot. Could be wrong. So if shooting 80 grs powder how much shot? Started out with lead and was able to get some tss. So l have plenty of lead shot and tss is really expensive as we know, so probably going back to lead. I use this for turkey hunting so trying to see other options for wads

 

[Sparkitoff]

Plastic shotgun wads are a bit undersized since they are intended to be inside a cartridge in the bore. I just pick up already fired plastic wads at the range or in the field. They are somewhat stretched at the base and the petals have opened. They are free, and they fit better in the muzzleloader. At the range, you usually get a bunch that are the same since a shooter will fire 25 rounds or so and several at each presentation. They don't have to match perfectly in my experience. You can choose to cut off the base and just use the cups or you can cut and use the base without the folding portion, or use the whole thing. If you have too little shot to fill the cup, cut it off. You can prep them before a hunt or range trip and even put a little lube on them to deter the alleged "melting" and plastic streaks. With 80 grains of powder and a "square load" I get around 1 1/4 ounce shot.

 

[Taxidermydude69]

Plastic shotgun wads are a bit undersized since they are intended to be inside a cartridge in the bore. I just pick up already fired plastic wads at the range or in the field. They are somewhat stretched at the base and the petals have opened. They are free, and they fit better in the muzzleloader. At the range, you usually get a bunch that are the same since a shooter will fire 25 rounds or so and several at each presentation. They don't have to match perfectly in my experience. You can choose to cut off the base and just use the cups or you can cut and use the base without the folding portion, or use the whole thing. If you have too little shot to fill the cup, cut it off. You can prep them before a hunt or range trip and even put a little lube on them to deter the alleged "melting" and plastic streaks. With 80 grains of powder and a "square load" I get around 1 1/4 ounce shot.

Good info. Always learning. Appreciate it. Square load?

 

[Brokennock]

What other options are there besides paper overshot wads?

Why not leave the "Muzzleloading Forum Announcements & Forum Help" section and check out the "Smoothbore" section? Lots and lots of topics and posts regarding wads and shotcups there.

 

[Taxidermydude69]

Why not leave the "Muzzleloading Forum Announcements & Forum Help" section and check out the "Smoothbore" section? Lots and lots of topics and posts regarding wads and shotcups there.

I didn't know where to post it as I've only been on here a few times. Thanks

 

[Sparkitoff]

Square load is basically using the same sized scoop you use for shot also for your powder. If you have a 1-ounce shot scoop (or you figure out any container or measuring device that holds the shot), use the same exact one for your powder, If you use 1 1/8 ounce you put it in a measurer, and use the same amount of powder.

 

[Taxidermydude69]

So roughly would 80 grs of powder equal an ounce and a half of shot by volume?

 

[R Ellis]

if you think plastic will melt just put a over shot card or a fiber wad over powder they plastic cup no flame can touch the cup

 

[Gkarp429]

if you think plastic will melt just put a over shot card or a fiber wad over powder they plastic cup no flame can touch the cup

I think that for hunting, if I was getting the results I was going for, and I was using plastic, and I got a little plastic in the barrel, I would just clean it out.

I made a mention about the plastic melting thing earlier to the OP, and I think maybe that might be more of an issue if shooting 20-30 shots a session, like in clay shooting.

 

[Winchester97]

I used plastic shotcups quite a bit when I got my first BP 12ga...a CVA Trapper. I shot it a bunch, and the worst I ever got was some see through thin plastic strings about 6" long that cleaned right out with warm water. Whatever mess it may make isnt permanent.

 

[Taxidermydude69]

Ive been using solvent to clean t he barrel with. So when you use hot water and soap just take the barrel off the stock and swab with a mop? Might sound like a dumb question but had solvent so I used it.

 

[Rfp10000]

So when you use hot water and soap just take the barrel off the stock and swab with a mop?

yes .. I put the nipple end in a coffee can full of hot soapy water and run the cotton mop in and out several times , maybe a bore brush then do the same with clean water. Dry it on the outside with a towel and run some moose milk and dry patches and then a slightly soaked straight Ballistol foam mop … brush and clean around the nipple holes .. Ballistol patch over the whole thing ..
Then the nipples , hammers & the area around where the barrel fits in gets cleaned. It’s about the simplest BP gun to clean to me.

 

[LME]

Hello. I have a cva gobbler series shotgun and tried over powder wads, over shot wads which were cardboard and we're easy to turn sideways in the barrel so asked someone about shotcups and tried it. These were for a 12 gauge to reload shells with. My question is are there some other type of shotcup or will these be ok to use?

Me and my machine are screwed up this morning? Don't know what I am doing?
Have you tried styrofoam? It is light comes in multible thicknesses .

 

[Loyalist Dave]

So roughly would 80 grs of powder equal an ounce and a half of shot by volume?

Nope,

Here is a chart. NOW you need to double check by actually weighing what the measure "throws", (about five times and take an average) as it has also been found that different makes of BP powder measures while all set on the same amount, may throw different amounts of powder. Also the size of the shot may throw off the weight, AND if you use steel shot for waterfowl, it's completely different as steel is much lighter...

Powder Measure used for Shot

50 grains = ¾ ounce

60 grains = ⅞ ounce

70 grains = 1 ounce

80 grains = 1⅛ ounce

90 grains = 1¼ ounce

100 grains = 1⅜ ounce

110 grains = 1½ ounce

120 grains = 1⅝ ounce

I think I got this ⬆ from @Brokennock . Works well for me, but what I did was to pattern my trade guns and my carbine. When I got the shot pattern right, I simply used that. Later I got this chart and it showed I'm using 1½ ounces of shot, with an 80 grain load of 3Fg (since I put my measure on 110 to measure shot). I weighed the shot and it was so close to that figure that I found the chart to be accurate for me.


LD