adkmountainken
40 Cal.
has any ever used tin foil to hold shot for a smoothbore load? i had never heard of this until recently and would love to try it in a short barred smooth pistol i have. would be easy to keep 6 loads in your possibles bag.
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
tin foil to hold shot???
- Thread starter adkmountainken
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
It would be a convenient way to store premeasured shot in your bag or pocket. How do you intend to use it?
With Shot in a a paper "cartridge", the paper is rammed down the bore after the ball or shot. Are you looking to use it as a premeasured shot container, a Cartridge or a shot cup?
As a shot cup, one would need to experiment with the shape of the cup, layers of the cup, etc., etc. just to find out how it performs (opens up) per your shot pattern on the pattern board/target.
If stored very long, due to the electrical interaction of touching differential metals, the aluminum will react with the lead shot and cause corrosion.
Please let us know how it performs for you.
Curious,
DanL
With Shot in a a paper "cartridge", the paper is rammed down the bore after the ball or shot. Are you looking to use it as a premeasured shot container, a Cartridge or a shot cup?
As a shot cup, one would need to experiment with the shape of the cup, layers of the cup, etc., etc. just to find out how it performs (opens up) per your shot pattern on the pattern board/target.
If stored very long, due to the electrical interaction of touching differential metals, the aluminum will react with the lead shot and cause corrosion.
Please let us know how it performs for you.
Curious,
DanL
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2019
- Messages
- 478
- Reaction score
- 369
I’ve never tried it but I would think if the whole unopened foil package was loaded , it would shoot like a slug. If foil was opened and the shot poured in and the foil used as an over shot wad. It would work fine in a pistol.
Interesting, not sure how well it would work though. Think that depending on how the top of the foil 'cup' is sealed, may not allow shot out of cup and leave it as a solid load. Would be interested in how it works out though.
adkmountainken
40 Cal.
i had just heard about it and was thinking of using it in my smoothbore pistol for squirrels while deer hunting. was thinking about using 1/2 of #4's in a piece of foil and siple fold over the top or one loose twist? originally was going to use 2 wonder wads but this sparked my interest.
I tried a variety of paper shot cups in my fowler hoping to get a tight pattern turkey load. If they opened up, I got a devastating pattern, unfortunately about half the time they slugged. I have never tried aluminum so I am only speculating but if paper won't open up, I don't see how aluminum could work well.
Test it out and let us know, I ended up having my fowler jug choked and using a Skychief load which did produce a devastating turkey load.
Test it out and let us know, I ended up having my fowler jug choked and using a Skychief load which did produce a devastating turkey load.
What caliber is your smoothbore pistol? I have successfully used paper shot cups in a .62 smooth pistol. My bore measurement also allows me to use conventional/modern plastic shot cups with a lubed wad under the Plastic shot cup/wad to assist in preventing any unwanted build-up.
I believe an aluminum foil shot cup will perform just as well provided you experiment and find out what it takes to have the cup open up properly.
Have fun,
DanL
P.S. Use the non-stick type
I believe an aluminum foil shot cup will perform just as well provided you experiment and find out what it takes to have the cup open up properly.
Have fun,
DanL
P.S. Use the non-stick type
Last edited:
adkmountainken
40 Cal.
i should have stated 50 cal smoothbore and only a 5 inch barrel shots will be held to under 10 yards for the pesky tree rats while deer hunting.
I would not expect too much at 10 yards with a smooth pistol especially 5". My .62 is 8" and with my best patterned loads, a kill shot 10 yards is possible but would be a stretch!
Experiment with different shot cups and material for the shot cups. It will extend your range a bit.
On another note, In both .62 smooth pistol and 41" fowler barrels, I have played with the new/modern #9 TSS shot (Expensive) and the plastic shot cup designed for the TSS shot. The range is extended considerably! However, unless you are just curious as to what it will do, TSS is too expensive to get a squirrel or two. However, I have successfully used it on turkeys in the fowler.
Experimenting is most of the fun of these black powder toys.
DanL
Experiment with different shot cups and material for the shot cups. It will extend your range a bit.
On another note, In both .62 smooth pistol and 41" fowler barrels, I have played with the new/modern #9 TSS shot (Expensive) and the plastic shot cup designed for the TSS shot. The range is extended considerably! However, unless you are just curious as to what it will do, TSS is too expensive to get a squirrel or two. However, I have successfully used it on turkeys in the fowler.
Experimenting is most of the fun of these black powder toys.
DanL
Yes, and they don't work all that well, they become a canister shot and explode on contact.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2019
- Messages
- 8,332
- Reaction score
- 9,697
(Joke)-Don't let's let anyone know we might be using Tin! That'll be the next thing there's a "shortage" of! (Joke)
You can do that in NY? Hunt small game and big game at the same time?
Maybe the difference is ML season...
I've used PostIts and they worked well, but as said, would sometimes slug. If they did not slug they made for a nice pattern. I've been meaning to try them again and cut some slits in them so when I tear open the top the slits will grab air when exiting the muzzle. I wrapped the paper around an appropriate sized dowel and dropped the whole thing into the barrel after tearing the top open.
At least with paper it will degrade over time.
Maybe the difference is ML season...
I've used PostIts and they worked well, but as said, would sometimes slug. If they did not slug they made for a nice pattern. I've been meaning to try them again and cut some slits in them so when I tear open the top the slits will grab air when exiting the muzzle. I wrapped the paper around an appropriate sized dowel and dropped the whole thing into the barrel after tearing the top open.
At least with paper it will degrade over time.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2019
- Messages
- 8,332
- Reaction score
- 9,697
I'd stick with traditional materials overall. Sometimes we get carried away with thinking up ways to improve the proverbial mousetrap.
Lots of states don't allow two guns at once when hunting. Until a few years ago you couldn't carry your CCW when deer hunting, but we fixed that!
I think in PA we can't carry two types of ammo. Or obviously two guns. Except it's OK to CCW.
So when the seasons overlap, you can only be hunting big game or small game.
But they change things so often it's hard to keep up.
So when the seasons overlap, you can only be hunting big game or small game.
But they change things so often it's hard to keep up.
I would stick with paper. You can let it rot away, aluminum foil would need picked up every time.
They used to use nitrated paper (flash paper/gun cotton) so it burned up when you shot. That would probably be your best bet for patterning. It burns as fast as bp, and may be gone by the time it left a shotgun barrel no matter how you twist it up. You can buy it or it's easy to make it if you don't mind playing with full strength Nitric and Sulfuric acid. I think the wads were literally just nitrated cotton balls.
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2019
- Messages
- 208
- Reaction score
- 237
Be Careful using GunCotton in muzzle loading firearms, as it is a type of smokeless propellent!
Instead consider true nitrated paper, made by soaking the papers in a saturated solution of KNO3 (potassium nitrate aka saltpeter). After soaking a few hours, lay it Flat to dry evenly before using. It burns completly up at nearly the same speed as black powder. You could also cheat and dissolve some black powder in lieu of using KNO3.
Instead consider true nitrated paper, made by soaking the papers in a saturated solution of KNO3 (potassium nitrate aka saltpeter). After soaking a few hours, lay it Flat to dry evenly before using. It burns completly up at nearly the same speed as black powder. You could also cheat and dissolve some black powder in lieu of using KNO3.
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2019
- Messages
- 414
- Reaction score
- 398
Most small game seasons remain open during deer season, turkey and some waterfowl being the exceptions. Also, you may not carry a pistol afield during the open season of any game that can not legally be taken with a pistol, so no pistols afield during turkey season. I argued this one to death with a game warden friend of mine, he said it doesn't matter if you only want to shoot squirrels with the handgun, handguns can't be used to take turkey, therefore the state won't allow a handgun afield for any reason during turkey season!
