What size cards/wads for choked barrels?

[PaulF70]

I've got a Pedersoli 12 with Modified left barrel and IC right.

I find 12 gauge wads especially hard to load without tearing. I know some use 13g but I worry about having shot move in the field due to the loose fit. Has anyone ever had issues with this?

BTW I'll be patterning this gun using "normal" and "Skychief" loading soon and will post results.

 

[Grenadier1758]

With respect to a choked shotgun, the "Skychief" loading shouldn't be necessary as the choke is already built into the barrel. What can be used is the thin over shot cards in 12 gauge size. These can be curved to fit past the choke restrictions and the button on the loading rod will turn them to properly fit the bore. Two or three cards over the powder, a scoop of cornmeal, one more over shot card, then the shot and a final over shot card and you should be ready to take a shot at the patterning board.

 

[PaulF70]

I've heard of people still getting better results with it with chokes. These are moderate chokes, too.

This gun is for turkeys. I want the longest range possible.

I already know it does Ok at 40 yards with "normal" loading, very curious to see how the Chief load will compare.

I already have wads and cards and won't be using cornmeal in either case.

 

[nhmoose]

40 yards is plenty to me. Watch your setup and don't go nuts calling.

 

[Zutt-man]

I've heard of people still getting better results with it with chokes. These are moderate chokes, too.

This gun is for turkeys. I want the longest range possible.

I already know it does Ok at 40 yards with "normal" loading, very curious to see how the Chief load will compare.

I already have wads and cards and won't be using cornmeal in either case.

I’d love to see pics with specs of your results. My next flintlock will be a turkey gun

 

[Zutt-man]

40 yards is plenty to me. Watch your setup and don't go nuts calling.

I would say this is normally true. However, depending on location and terrain, sometimes 40 yards is ‘close’

 

[DocHolliday]

I've got a Pedersoli 12 with Modified left barrel and IC right.

I find 12 gauge wads especially hard to load without tearing. I know some use 13g but I worry about having shot move in the field due to the loose fit. Has anyone ever had issues with this?

BTW I'll be patterning this gun using "normal" and "Skychief" loading soon and will post results.

As to the Ped and SkyChief’s loads, I have a couple of Pedersoli doubles. The 12 and 10 have screw in chokes. The 20 bore has fixed mod/cyl. In the large bores, I have gone to cyl/cyl with SkyChief load in left bbl and conventional in the right. SkyChief’s load out performed screw-in turkey choke at 40 yds using cyl choke (by a wide margin). This has proved quite successful for me. In the 20, I have settled on SkyChief’s load in right bbl (cyl) and conventional in left (mod). I have to remember that it’s backwards and the right side is “tight” barrel not left.
SkyChief’s load was designed to perform best in cyl bore IIRC

 

[PaulF70]

The gun with Sky loads and 13 ga wads, card performed quite well against my Ruger O/U at 40Y today. Will post targets in another thread.

 

[ke6wym]

I've got a Pedersoli 12 with Modified left barrel and IC right.

I find 12 gauge wads especially hard to load without tearing

Hello Paul, I have a 12 gauge Pedersoli double with a full choke & modified barrels. The best wad I have used is a Flex foam filler wad I found at Ballistic Products. Unfortunately these don't seem to be available any more. I have switched to a felt wad that is available, in 1/4" size so I use 3 of them. They work fine & go down the barrel easy. As for the Nitro or over powder card, this is a little more difficult to get started. I turn the card sideways and push it past the choke, then turn the card flat. This also works for the overshot cards. 1/8" Cork is also used with a little more difficulty for wadding. The hardest to get down the barrel are the fiber wads. When I use these I sort of disassemble them shove them down and rebuild them down on the nitro card. This is dune by sliceing them in section or just pulling them apart and pussing them down. Or just shred them and push them down like a wad of fiber. You are just trying to get some padding between the powder & shot to cussion the blow and not scatter your shot. The best pattern out to 40 yards is that flex foam. Why it's not available any longer is anyones guess. I've thought about cutting some of my own out of some old memory foam...

 

[Stub]

I just bought a CVA 12 gauge double barrel. I assumed the barrels were cylinder bore. Before the gun arrived I sent away for 12 gauge over powder, cushion and over shot wads. My plan was to try different loads including the Sky load. I soaked wads for the sky load. I dipped some cushion wads in melted Crisco for more standard loads.
We live at a large lake and there are a lot of homes and cottages near by so I normally wait to shoot until I get to my club. But I had to experiment. Without loading powder I put the wads up to the end of the barrels. All the wads were way to big, .740. My barrels measured .721 and .7125.
I was able to load the over shot wads because they would bend a little. So I loaded the right barrel. 60 grains 2 F bp, 3 overshot wads with a hole punched in each to allow air to escape. This was followed by70 grains by volume #4 shot and 2 more overshot wads.
I set up a target 20 yards away in the back yard. I aimed and tried to pull the trigger. The hammer wouldn't fall. At first, I thought the gun was in the half **** position. That wasn't the case. I pulled the trigger harder (north of 12 lbs), bang.
The pattern was even but high, no holes.
I don't know if the barrels are just under sized or they are choked. For now I ordered some wool cushion wads to try. I don't know if the cushion and over shot wad I have can be used by turning them or pulling the cushion wads a part. Since the cushion wads get bigger when soaked the Sky load seems out of the question.
So far at least I have one load that seems to work.
The left barrels trigger pulls at about 4 lbs. Go figure!

 

[PaulF70]

Yikes. I have no CVA shotguns but their inline .50 rifles are fantastic.

 

[ke6wym]

My barrels measured .721 and .7125.

Messures like a choke, Improved & modified.

 

[Stub]

Figuring out what works with a new gun is plain fun. If the barrels are choked that's good. As for the trigger pulling so hard, I put a piece of leather on the nipple and pull the trigger with the gun empty. It seems like the more I use the trigger the lighter it pulls.

 

[PaulF70]

Blocking the nipples to dry fire is a great idea.

Reminds me of a girl I used to know also...

 

[Stub]

 

[Stub]

Blocking the nipples to dry fire is a great idea.

Reminds me of a girl I used to know also...