SkyChief load works.

[hanshi]

I've known about the Skychief load for some time but have yet to get a chance to try it. I'd bet it will give me my best patterns so far.

 

[Britsmoothy]

You folks who aren't real familiar with SkyChief's load might want to follow this link to one of the many discussions about it.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/testing-skychiefs-special-load.107367/

I still think he should patent the load before some big company that makes shotgun shells starts loading it and selling it as a "Wonder Load".

That is a very good point indeed!
Although I doubt any benefit would show from a crimp closure case....... Best not go there here!
Good point though.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I tried it but with a very lightly lubed 1/2" wad, it didn't work well, I need to try it with a fully lubed wad. I did stack up three 1/8" hard cards over the shot and got a pattern improvement.

 

[bud in pa]

I have yet to try Skychief's load. Most of my small game is taken within 25 yds. The trees around here probably top out at 50 ft. so a regular load is adequate for most squirrels. It will be patterned for turkey season. The versatility of the smoothbore is why I use it instead of a rifle, because of the brush 50 yds. is an extremely long shot.

 

[azmntman]

I have had a few hairbrained ideas I got laughed at by the boys.....now patented and some guys drinking my mia tia on a beach somewhere as I type this

gotta have money to make money they say I dont agree completely but I'm "different"...mama said so

 

[azmntman]

I loaded the skycheif was like 20-25 years ago. Wasn't practicing or "working up a load". Just had no mentor for shot gun and seemed to me the big fat wad would need to be in front to hold the shot. I shot that way the whole time I had my pedersoli 10GA cuz nobody told me I was wrong and it was a decent pattern (I loaded dry wad on top, no clue about lubes back then either, I thought one HAD to use spit or Hoppes). Landed here, learned I was bassackwards and bought a 20 and loaded right and it was not a good (or useable) pattern. His method works fer sure!!

Those that know dont always know.......(thats when they include instructions LOL, the pedersoli had none.)

 

[Feltwad]

I think this thread was discussed a while ago it seemed then that a lot of shooters then found an improvement but personally I did not find a difference but if it some find it OK then use it .
Feltwad

 

[theoldredneck]

I'm open to trying different things because over the years have watched little changes in way something is done make things easier and or better. Was open to this because I used roll crimp shotgun shells without blowing patterns. Had used cards over shot in brass hulls shells. In muzzleloader smooth bores had used different things over shot without much difference in patterns. Then after reading about these loads started trying different ways of doing them. I think a person needs to do what works best for them, what they have confidence in. They work for me, wasn't sure I would like using a thick wad that felt wet over everything. Seeing the patterns changed that. Being able to read the different things people write on this forum has improved muzzle loading for me. I'm thankful for the forum and those that make it what it is. This has been a place to learn, buy things, laugh and enjoy the world of muzzleloaders. Thanks to everyone that makes the forum what it is. Thanks to the new guys that ask questions I had not thought to ask also.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I'm open to trying different things because over the years have watched little changes in way something is done make things easier and or better. Was open to this because I used roll crimp shotgun shells without blowing patterns. Had used cards over shot in brass hulls shells. In muzzleloader smooth bores had used different things over shot without much difference in patterns. Then after reading about these loads started trying different ways of doing them. I think a person needs to do what works best for them, what they have confidence in. They work for me, wasn't sure I would like using a thick wad that felt wet over everything. Seeing the patterns changed that. Being able to read the different things people write on this forum has improved muzzle loading for me. I'm thankful for the forum and those that make it what it is. This has been a place to learn, buy things, laugh and enjoy the world of muzzleloaders. Thanks to everyone that makes the forum what it is. Thanks to the new guys that ask questions I had not thought to ask also.

That is a very nice posting.
Good on you.

 

[bigted]

I am never disappointed when someone improvises a recipe and then swears up n down that the ORIGINAL recipe does not work as professed.

Altho I do not have a dog in this fight, I do plan to give this " skychief special " a try after I achieve accuracy I want with my 62 cal smoothie.

 

[Eterry]

I haven't tried the load...still too new to the smoothbore thing..but trying new things is always a learning experience.

I remember reading some of the things the "EXPERTS" told us to do from articles/books back in the 70's. Plastic one piece wads for cartridge shotshells come to mind.

if people didn't try new things we'd be writing this on vellum, using a quill, by candlelight, to be posted in the village square.

 

[Dr5x]

This is not from my experience but hearsay and won't stand up in court. But on my somewhat out date web site there is a letter from a New Xealnder who claims that getting a good fitting patch to seal off blow-by can give much improved accuracy. I also heard this from a smoothbore group in southern Michigan.

Just a thought

Dutch

I haven't tried the load...still too new to the smoothbore thing..but trying new things is always a learning experience.

I remember reading some of the things the "EXPERTS" told us to do from articles/books back in the 70's. Plastic one piece wads for cartridge shotshells come to mind.

if people didn't try new things we'd be writing this on vellum, using a quill, by candlelight, to be posted in the village square.

 

[Britsmoothy]

This is not from my experience but hearsay and won't stand up in court. But on my somewhat out date web site there is a letter from a New Xealnder who claims that getting a good fitting patch to seal off blow-by can give much improved accuracy. I also heard this from a smoothbore group in southern Michigan.

Just a thought

Dutch

Sir, no matter how tight a patch and ball is there is always "blow by".
That's why I now use a wad of sorts or another fire wall device be it patched ball or bare ball.

 

[Dr5x]

I said that was hearsay.
I believe that on my web site there is a letter from an old New Zealand muzzleloader who reported that getting a tight patched ball enabled him to outshoot riflemen.

Dutch

Sir, no matter how tight a patch and ball is there is always "blow by".
That's why I now use a wad of sorts or another fire wall device be it patched ball or bare ball.

 

[7TCU]

When a guy lets his mind get past all the whoopety poop about wads blowing up patterns (Thanks for that Skychief!), there's a question that remains in my mind about his load.

Specifically, is it's magic due to all that extra lube from the sopped top-wad? Seems to me it would have to cut down on erosion/deformation of shot rubbing down the bore, so as a result you just get more round shot in a load, and maybe better velocity from the shot along the edges due to less friction.

Okay, back to my neglected coffee cup now!

You nailed it. I got my tightest patterns with lube on top of the shot under the over shot card. I keep my loading simple powder 1 Nitro card shot a dab of lube and 1 over shot card if I need a tight pattern. If shots are close I skip the lube.

 

[Kevin]

I guess I Missed the "formula". When I used a fiber cushion wad I load like this: powder, nitro. cushion, shot, over shot. Now that I re-read the above I see the key seems to be putting the lubed fiber wad LAST. I would have never guessed that would work, but I'll give it a try. I'll have to build a gun to shoot it out of first, fresh out of smooth bored guns. Wait, I have a smooth .50, anybody try it with that small of a bore?

The skychief load works out of my 54 smoothbore. Really tightens it up. No holes in the pattern. Works best with #4s and #5s.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

This thread dates to 2019.

 

[Rob M.]

I patterned with #8 and #6 copper plated today using the same recipe as yesterday. Went out to 50 yards. While the density was marginal at that distance, I was shocked at how well it did. On fragile thin skinned small game such as rabbits, I could if I choose to, kill such game reliably at 50 yards. That to me is astounding for a 62 Cal smoothbore flinter. Inside of 40/45 yards this gun should be a real game getter if do my part. When I started, it was a 30 yard +/- gun. That was loading it the 'normal' way as most do.

Edit - Best comparison would be modern 3" 20 GA with a tight improved modified or maybe a full at 50 yards. Now nothing says I have to use SkyChiefs load all the time. Load 'traditionally' for anticipated close shots and use SkyChiefs load for anticipated moderate to far distances OR for closer turkey shots. This just made an already versatile gun much more adaptable to varying hunting needs.

Thats great ! Good range report , thanks !