Twelve Gauge Question

[WingHunter@Large]

Does anyone make his or her own wads for shotgun loads? I tried making a wad cutter from the base of a shotgun shell. I have some cork sheets and tried it out. It cut great but the wads are just a tad to big. Any ideas????

 

a shell will not work for a cutter as the casing is oversized for the chamber .
take and mic out the bore at the muzzle and then you can go down and get you a small peice of brass pipe or for that mater steel and ream a sharp edge.
i use old horse hair carpet pad , works great

 

[musketman]

I have some cork sheets and tried it out. It cut great but the wads are just a tad to big. Any ideas????

There are plenty of ideas in this older thread, have a look...

Click Here

 

[WingHunter@Large]

Musketman

Thanks for the help. I am new to this whole black powder thing. I just bought a Pedersoli 12ga shotgun. For a few years now I have been tossing the idea of hunting ducks with black powder with my hunting partner. I guess I am just looking for a new challenge. I think my partner is going to buy one for next season.

I was a bit worried that my gun is choked OC and modified. Hopefully I can work with the loads and make it work. Any tips would be appreciated.
Thanks again.
WingHunter@Large

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Choke boring in muzzleloaders is just as beneficial as in modern shotguns. I've never had a problem getting a ML gun to pattern up to the standard for its' degree of choke. More of a problem is getting the two barrels to shoot to the same point (modern doubles also). You'll need to so some patterning. Some folks seem to have a problem loading with a choked muzzle but I've never found that to be an issue, perhaps because I don't use "cushion" wads. Improved cylinder and modified chokes should work fine for decoyed ducks just as they would with a modern double. Have fun! :m2c:

 

[musketman]

Hopefully I can work with the loads and make it work. Any tips would be appreciated.
Thanks again.

More powder (by volume) than lead will spread your pattern...

More lead than powder (again, by volume) will make a thicker shot cloud...

Stumpkiller has a cute jingle about this...

More powder,
Less lead.
Close in,
wide spread.


Less powder,
More lead.
Shoots far,
Kills dead.

 

[WingHunter@Large]

Less powder more lead when they fly will they die?
Less powder means less velosity. I would like to be able to kill a mallard from 40 yard to 20 yards. Is this going to be possible?

 

[Huntinfool]

Hey Winghunter what kind of shot ya plan on stuffin in that thing. Size and material?

YMH&OS, :redthumb:
Chuck

 

[WingHunter@Large]

I was thinking the only way this would work is with no 2 bismoth shot??? Currently I use steel with 2 or 3 shot. When we could use lead no 5 was the best. This is with modern shells.

 

[Rebel]

I use #1 steel for all of my waterfowl hunting any more. I tried BBB and #2 but the 1's seem to be the best all around as far as steel goes. Can use one load for both ducks and geese. I use a steel shot plastic shotcup, 1 1/4Oz of shot over 95 grs of powder. Bismuth would probably be better, but it is to spendy for me.

 

[musketman]

Less powder more lead when they fly will they die?
Less powder means less velosity. I would like to be able to kill a mallard from 40 yard to 20 yards. Is this going to be possible?

You can still use your favorite load of powder, just add a bit more shot to the load, that's all...

If you have a load for 1 1/8 ounce shot, use same powder charge and bump the shot up to 1 1/4 ounce...

This will give you the:

Less powder,
More lead.
Shoots far,
Kills dead

Velocity is not going to suffer that much to be noticeable...

:m2c: I (myself) try to keep all of my shot charges at roughly the same velocity, this makes "air time" for the different loads the same...

In other words, a 1 ounce load of shot will hit the 30 yard target at the same time a 1 1/2 ounce load will, this makes wing shots consistent...

 

[WingHunter@Large]

It seems getting real black powder is going to be rather hard to get for me. Any comments about Pyrodex? The only negative thing I have read is some ignition problems. Any comments about this? Pyrodex vs. Blackpowder?
WingHunter@Large

 

[Huntinfool]

I'd say you are right Bismouth would be the only way to go! :imo:

I don't think I'd trust steel shot in my 12 guage it has a modified choke!

YMH&OS! :redthumb:
Chuck

 

[Rebel]

I have been shooting a Navy Arms double barrel .12 ga for years now and have used nothing in it but Pyrodex RS. I have never had any ignition problems as long as i make sure the barrels are cleaned of oil before loading. I can shoot all day without having to swab the bores. I use it for doves, ducks, geese, rabbits, quail, and now have a rd. ball mould for it and plan to use it for deer and elk. I do use CCI magnum caps.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I now use Goex 3f almost exclusively but have shot plenty of Pyro RS and P grade in cap guns. It seems to me that if a gun has weak ignition Pyrodex (or any fake powder) will exacerbate the problem. Cap lock doubles usually have very good ignition and Pyro works fine. It also is easier to load successive shots due to the "lubricity" of pyro residue. The ML double is hard to beat, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

 

[momsworry]

I've been using 777 in FFG granulation in my Pedersoli SxS 12 ga. I find that it works well, ignites good. There is minimal powder residue, but what there is seems to make a nice seal for subsequent wads and they seat well/easily. I like the advantage of being able to hunt for a two or three day hunt without the worry of a thorough cleaning. Just a couple of wet patches followed by a dry one or two and I'm good to go again tomorrow. In my rifles however, both traditional I use Goex. I might add, the one time I tried 777 in my percussion sidelock gun, I did get the dreaded "crud ring". I found it fairly difficult to get out also. I've never experienced any such crud ring though, in the shotgun, no matter how many times I've shot it. I love this powder in the shotgun. I have no use for it in my rifles.

 

[WingHunter@Large]

I don't see any data for the 777. What are you using for your starting loads? Some one told me that 70% is about right. Any thoughts? Someone else said they wouldn't use 777 because it's not for shot guns. Who's right and where is some data to back up why you are right.
WingHunter@Large

 

[momsworry]

I know nothing of not using it in shotguns. A good rule of thumb when using this powder is to cut the load by 15%. Did someone say you can't use it in shotguns? I must have missed that one. I find that it works well in mine. I would start with about 60 gr. by volume and work up from there.

 

Ive worked up a load for my pendersoli 12 SxS for turkey hunting that consist of 90 gr of 777 1 over powder card 1 wonder wad 1 1/4 #6 shot and 1 over shot card and it shoots pretty darn good, but you all have got me thinking...is the 90 gr of 777 creating too much pressure?