Shotgun Load question

[wright561]

Sorry for this extremely rookie question but I just bought a CVA Trapper back in the summer. I plan to use it strictly for turkey hunting. I am not exactly sure which or what type of cards to use when loading. Here's what I tried and this didn't work too well at all. I poured in powder, then put in a plastic wadding made by Knight, poured in shot and then put a flimsy styrofoam card over the shot that didn't wanna stay in the barrell at all. It got very frustrating very quickly. All this also had to be done by taking the choke out because the wadding wouldn't fit in with the choke in.
Could someone please give me help on loading, starting from the basics since I'm a rook? Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[AZ-Robert]

Personal preference leads to lots of variation in this sport, but here is one look at the basics. I suggest a good place to start is right here:
[url] http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/tableList.aspx?catID=2&subID=37&styleID=118[/url]

That is a page from Track of the Wolf's online catalog. It is a bit like a Chinese menu - you want one from column A, one from column B, and one from column C :grin:

As you can see, you want a pretty thick card to go on top of the powder. This thing is usually called a "nitro card."

On top of the nitro card, you will want to put a cushion wad of some type... it goes between the nitro card and the shot. Opinions vary on whether that wad should be felt, veggie fiber, 1/8" thick, 1/2" thick, pre-lubed, etc.

Then you put your shot down and on top of that goes your over shot card. Some folks use two cards instead of just one.

Check out what Bob Spencer has to say on the subject here:
[url] http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html[/url]

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I'd start by getting 1000 CircleFly overpowder card wads for about $7.00. That is really the only wad you need to buy. After smapping a cap to assure that your barrel and nipple are clear, drop 80 grains of 3f Goex or 90 grains of 2f or Pyrodex RS. Start a wad past the choke by turning it edgewise. Flatten it out with the large head of the ramrod and seat it tightly on the powder. Now seat another wad such that the edges crushed by the choke are 90 degrees to the first and seat that firmly also. Now drop 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 ounces of shot. Now split another card wad to 1/2 or 1/3 its original thickness, which can easily be done with a thumbnail, and seat that firmly atop the shot but do not pound on the shot. Cap and fire.
If you have trouble loading due to fouling build-up, you will need to lubricate the bore. Squirt a few drops of liquid lube down the bore after the overpowder wads are seated or place a dab of paste lube inside the muzzle before seating the overshot card.
Shoot at a large (at least 3'x3') paper or cardboard target to see where your pattern centers at 25 yards. Adjust the powder and shot charges to obtain the best density and placement. When you got it all togather at 25 yards you can move out to 40 yards, which is the standard distance for shotgun paterning.
With a full choke tube you should have no trouble getting 70% of your pellets inside a 30" circle at 40 yards. I've never found any advantage or pattern improvement from plastic shotcups but some claim they help.
It takes alot of shooting and pattern checking to determin the "best" load for an individual gun but the load described is a good place to start with a 12 guage choke bored gun. Have fun! :grin:

 

[AZ-Robert]

Tried to edit the post to add:

Stay away from plastic and styrofoam - you want cards made from cardboard and veggie or cloth fibers (felt). Also note that things made for modern guns are undersized and won't fit well in your BP gun. You need to get stuff made for a BP gun.

 

[pmwest]

Good general info on shotgunning:
IBHA

Another source for wads:
Ballistic Products

 

[Runner]

I use a thick over powder wad, 120 grains volume of number sixes, and the improved choke tube. My Trapper patterned low at 30 yards so I bent the barrel until it hits pretty close to point of aim. Look over the barrel, not down it. 90 grains of powder, a 6 mm over powder Nitro card, 120 grains volume of number sixes, thin over shot card. I took my bird at a little over 40 paces last year. The Improved tube will pattern better than the full with a lot of loads. I do not remove the choke to load even the thick over powder wad. I use a short starter and then the ramrod places it straight. Steel shot is harder to figure out. Lubed wads blow the pattern and I don't use them. If you need lube to assist loading, I would say run a lubed patch between shots or after you are fully loaded. That load kicks like a mule. Get used to where the gun patterns using a 60/80 or 70/90 load so the gun doesn't beat you up. 2f produces a lot less recoil than 3f does, making the gun a lot more pleasant to shoot.
Good luck!

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Normally you would be right about modern components being undersized for BP ML, but there are exceptions.

The thicker walled 20 ga. steel shot cup is a good snug fit in my .62 Getz smoothy bore and it holds right at 1 1/4 oz of #6 lead shot. I load with 70 grn. 3F BP, thin over powder card, one lubed wad, shot cup, then a thin over shot card. Patterns better than any other load in the fusil de chasse 46 inch swamped oct to rd bbl.

 

[wright561]

Sweet! Thanks for all the info guys. I just ordered the wads from CircleFly and I am now trying to decide what type of shot snake to get. Thanks for all the help. It sure makes you feel better when you at least have some idea that what you're doing is somewhat right. Now it's time to wait for the weather to clear up and get to patterning this thing. Thanks again!

 

[AZ-Robert]

The thicker walled 20 ga. steel shot cup is a good snug fit in my .62 Getz smoothy ...

Neat! You reckon all cups made for steel shot are like that? Or is it a brand name issue? What brand you using?

 

[Rebel]

The Multi Metal shotcups from Ballistic Products work good for me in my .12 ga. The .20 ga. ones should be good in a .20