? Testing the SkyChief load....

[Iron Jim Rackham]

I suppose if someone is looking to take offense, they’ll always find a provocation. Never said I’ve “personally tested this load in every 12 gauge muzzleloader out there.”

I said “I've shot several hundred birds and clays over the past several decades and have found nothing performs better in any 12 gauge than 82 1/2 grains of 2FG, 4 pierced overshot wads,1 1/4 ounces of #6 shot, and 1 pierced overshot wad.”

Clearly, it’s a personal preference based on my experience. I’ve only been shooting muzzleloaders since the mid 60’s which would be insufficient time to shoot every 12 gauge out there.

I candidly don’t care what people like to shoot, nor am I attempting to, pardon the pun, muzzle anyone. I mistakenly believed the forum was intended to facilitate the exchange of ideas for the benefit of the readership. Perhaps I’m mistaken. My apologies if my contribution is unwelcome. The load cited works well in all the guns I’ve owned or used, whether choked or cylinder bored, but this naturally confines my experience to less than 100 guns, and is thus a rather small sample of all shotguns ever made.

As stated, I’m a wing shooter, and cited 12 and 20 gauge loads that work well for that purpose. It’s not copyrighted. It’s not an article of faith or matter of conscience. It’s simply proven a very effective load in any of the guns I’ve used it in. You may use it, discard it, or print my comments and burn them at the stake as heretical.

 

[Brokennock]

I suppose if someone is looking to take offense, they’ll always find a provocation. Never said I’ve “personally tested this load in every 12 gauge muzzleloader out there.”

I said “I've shot several hundred birds and clays over the past several decades and have found nothing performs better in any 12 gauge than 82 1/2 grains of 2FG, 4 pierced overshot wads,1 1/4 ounces of #6 shot, and 1 pierced overshot wad.”

Clearly, it’s a personal preference based on my experience. I’ve only been shooting muzzleloaders since the mid 60’s which would be insufficient time to shoot every 12 gauge out there.

I candidly don’t care what people like to shoot, nor am I attempting to, pardon the pun, muzzle anyone. I mistakenly believed the forum was intended to facilitate the exchange of ideas for the benefit of the readership. Perhaps I’m mistaken. My apologies if my contribution is unwelcome. The load cited works well in all the guns I’ve owned or used, whether choked or cylinder bored, but this naturally confines my experience to less than 100 guns, and is thus a rather small sample of all shotguns ever made.

As stated, I’m a wing shooter, and cited 12 and 20 gauge loads that work well for that purpose. It’s not copyrighted. It’s not an article of faith or matter of conscience. It’s simply proven a very effective load in any of the guns I’ve used it in. You may use it, discard it, or print my comments and burn them at the stake as heretical.

Your contribution is most welcome.
My hackles get up when such things are stated in a form that comes across as blanket universal truth, or as, "This Is THE Way," instead of, "this is what works for me in the circumstances I am shooting with."

I do find the notion that the tighter pattern generally produced by the Skychief load seams to be thought of as little value to the wing shooters. Would this not be dependent on the nature of the wing shooting being done? Duck hunters use some tight chokes sometimes. Trap shooting?
I am not a good wing shooter, even with modern guns. For some reason I do okay on live game, not great, but okay, however I am a terrible skeet shooter, as much as I might enjoy skeet. Anyway, a couple years ago I bought an antique 16 gauge double in had coveted for a while, choked mod and full, I planned to have them opened to improved and mod, but, I seem to hit live birds better with those tight chokes than I do with my usual more open ones. Maybe a tighter pattern could help in some wingshooting situations too?

 

[Eterry]

Iron Jim, just for clarification and my own edification, what do you pierce your over powder wads with? Also, do you use a standard over powder wad or the thicker nitro wad?

I'm always looking for something different to try.

Thanks,
Et

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

I don't use over powder or cushion wads. I only use 5 or 6 pierced overshot cards. In my experience the weight of over powder or cushion wads has a tendency to create donut patterns. On discharge, the heavy over powder and cushion wads tend to disrupt the shot column creating patterns that create a "circle of immunity" around the target. Since muzzleloaders take more time to reload than breechloaders, common courtesy suggests you don't want to bore your friends my slowing things down just to miss and make smoke. I need a load that is consistently reliable and allows me to break 10 birds for 10 shots.

I no longer have a dog, thus don't like to disappoint the canine host or irritate their owners by missing, for which reason I prefer the most reliable load possible. I enjoy teaching others to shoot, and it's easier to initiate a shooter into muzzle loading when they can see how effective the old arms can be. Before the end of the hunt, my host uses one of my fowlers to bag a bird. It's ensures a standing invitation when your host can bag a pheasant or partridge with an old fowler or artistic recreation of one.

Pierced overshot cards keep the muzzle loading components simple. You don't need to carry over powder or cushion wads. All you need are pierced overshot cards, powder, and shot and you're ready for the field of range. I pierce the cards with a small awl to allow air to escape while reloading and thus release pressure. The four cards I load on top of the powder effectively clean the bore. I top off with a single overshot card on top of the shot column, or use two overshot cards in the left barrel of flintlock doubles.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I don't use over powder or cushion wads. I only use 5 or 6 pierced overshot cards. In my experience the weight of over powder or cushion wads has a tendency to create donut patterns. On discharge, the heavy over powder and cushion wads tend to disrupt the shot column creating patterns that create a "circle of immunity" around the target. Since muzzleloaders take more time to reload than breechloaders, common courtesy suggests you don't want to bore your friends my slowing things down just to miss and make smoke. I need a load that is consistently reliable and allows me to break 10 birds for 10 shots.

I no longer have a dog, thus don't like to disappoint the canine host or irritate their owners by missing, for which reason I prefer the most reliable load possible. I enjoy teaching others to shoot, and it's easier to initiate a shooter into muzzle loading when they can see how effective the old arms can be. Before the end of the hunt, my host uses one of my fowlers to bag a bird. It's ensures a standing invitation when your host can bag a pheasant or partridge with an old fowler or artistic recreation of one.

Pierced overshot cards keep the muzzle loading components simple. You don't need to carry over powder or cushion wads. All you need are pierced overshot cards, powder, and shot and you're ready for the field of range. I pierce the cards with a small awl to allow air to escape while reloading and thus release pressure. The four cards I load on top of the powder effectively clean the bore. I top off with a single overshot card on top of the shot column, or use two overshot cards in the left barrel of flintlock doubles.

To be honest, this is how I load at 90% of the time.

 

[Rich]

Smokinfeathers, that's great to hear. I've used the load in my New Englander too with great results. Really like those shotguns.....they handle beautifully.

Good luck with the squackers, Skychief.

I have used the Skychief load exactly as he described it. It work exceptionally well in my 20ga fowler. Many squirrels, a couple of turkey, and several dozens of dove. Will not change anything, it works too well.

 

[Art Caputo]

I preparation for turkey season I decided to give the Sky Chief recipe a try. Worked out very well with a very noticeable improvement in pattern density with my cylinder bore, 20ga Fowler. Shown: 8x10 inch pattern center at 20 yards with 1oz of #6 behind 70gr if FFG. I did find denser pattern centers placing an over-shot, thin wad between the shot and the oiled 1/2” wad. First photo-Clean bore. Second photo-fouled bore.

 

[Brokennock]

Nice. I believe the original Skychief load calls for said thin overshot card between shot and lubed cushion wad. Theory being that it keeps pellets from sticking to the cushion wad.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[Skychief]

Looks great Art! Thanks for going to the trouble of posting the photos.

Best regards, Skychief.

 

[Art Caputo]

Thanks! I think that load will work well for 20 yard shots on a turkey. While the load without the overshot wad between the shot and oil wad was too open in my fowler for a turkey load, it looks like it would be perfect with large, even patterns that would work nicely for shooting over my Brittany. I will try dropping to 71/2’s which would be perfect for this type of hunting with shots almost always under 25 yards. This is a load of 6’s on an 18”x22” board. Much more even patterns then my standard load...powder-overshot 1/8” wad-1/2” wad-shot-overshot card.

 

[Yewbender]

Tried out the Skychief load yesterday!

.62 Fowler 42” bbl cylinderbore
Load: 70gr 2F, Nitro card, 1 1/2 oz #6 magnum lead shot, over shot card, and 1/2” fiber wad lubed with Big Desert Lube. Big Desert Lube is a replacement for Whale oil...even has a fishy smell!

Here’s my 20yd target, hopefully a with wounder my way!

 

[Skychief]

Get the grease hot yewbender.

Best of luck, Skychief.

 

[Yewbender]

A big thanks to you Skychief

 

[Daryl Crawford]

My 20 yd with 70gr 2f, 4 OS cards, 80gr 5 shot, and an oil soaked fiber wad looks good, it will take the bird out to 25 yds. Not sure I want to push farther than that. At 25, 80gr 2f, 4 OS cards, 80 gr 5 shot and an oil soaked fiber wad did ok. The pattern was equally dispersed. on my target with enough pellets in the head that I'd hunt with it, but the 70 gr load head together better.
I will use the 70gr-80gr shot load for Turkey and keep the 80-80 load for birds on the wing. The pattern was so even. That just seems strange to me but that is what the target board says so I'll listen to it. If I get pics of old sheets I'll post them.

 

[Yewbender]

Sounds good Daryl! Good luck on them Jelly Necks!

The best part......is well will always be tinkering with our smoothbore loads for shot. Heck i have a couple other loads i can use but...they don’t have a lubed wad so fowling is bad and the pattern is not as dense as Skychief load. I was pulling my hair out the last 2 years try’n to get a dense patter for my cylinder bore. See’n Skychief’s load saved my hair! I know after turkey season is done im sure i’ll be testing more loads in the Skychief form.

I have no desire to jug choke my barrel, get a turkey barrel, or use plastic shot cups. I’m fine with the shorter distance then my modern turkey gun. Heck i’m even going to dress in my period clothing and moc’s. No decoys, and calls will be turkey wingbone and just the sounds i can make with my mouth. Talk about making a sport harder as my bubby tells me but this is what i want to do...enjoy doing. Just wish i would have do it years ago.

 

[smo]

Good Luck YB!

 

[Skychief]

Yewbender, hope you have a great hunt! Your post above reminds me of why I fell hard for smoothys. The concoctions that one can dribble down their bores is truly endless. As are the results.

Then there's the versatility of using round ball with them. Shot a buck with mine in '18. I still consider it one of my favorite hunts/trophys.

Have fun and stay safe. Those turkeys will learn to hate you and your smoothbore (words stolen from a friend. Sorry Spence!).

Best regards, Skychief.

 

[Yewbender]

Thanks smo and you too.

Skychief, i agree 100% with you on the versatility of the smoothbore. My round ball load is 70gr 2F, .015 pillow tick’n lubed with mink tallow hunting/ spit all other shooting. I figured how to aim/sight picture mostly shooting a smoothbore friendly woods walk course...15 to 60yard shots at round and square gongs from 4” to 12”. 2 years on this course. Anyway the last shoot this year. there were 20 shooters and just 6 of us had smoothies. I finished 2nd place with 17/20 hits! It was an awsome feeling! I almost felt bad for the guys with 2 sights on their gun MAN I LOVE SMOOTHIES

 

[Skychief]

 

[BillinOregon]

Hmmm. Still haven't shot my beater Bess. Y'all are giving me the itch! Good luck to you bird hunters.