Don't know, I don't use 1f, well, the brand I can get only comes as fine, medium and course.Grenadier1758 said:
The medium looks like 3f, the course like 2-1f.
I use the fine and medium.
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Why the "Skychief" load works?
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The medium looks like 3f, the course like 2-1f.
I use the fine and medium.
Grenadier,
Yes, with heavy charges, I used TS 6, or the coarser of Curtis & Harvey's powder.
(Still UK made at that time)
Yes, with heavy charges, I used TS 6, or the coarser of Curtis & Harvey's powder.
(Still UK made at that time)
Did a few patterns today, with a cylinder bore and an old double that does not feel like there’s any choke in the right barrel.
The load was equal volume FFG and #5 shot.
Regular load used a card and cushion over powder and card over shot.
Skychief used a card wad over powder and olive oil soaked cushion wad over shot.
All targets after the first one were at just 25 yards.
My single barrel 20 ga did not show much difference between loads. But I need to do more reps.
My double, using only the right barrel, shot much tighter than any load in the single barrel. And the Skychief load at 25 yards showed marked improvement.
I will keep working on it with both guns. I feel pretty confident the double with Skychief load would kill turkey to 35 yards. Will test it at that range next time,
Of course with 6’s I’d get a denser pattern. Just did not have any. I usually use 5’s for squirrels.
The load was equal volume FFG and #5 shot.
Regular load used a card and cushion over powder and card over shot.
Skychief used a card wad over powder and olive oil soaked cushion wad over shot.
All targets after the first one were at just 25 yards.
My single barrel 20 ga did not show much difference between loads. But I need to do more reps.
My double, using only the right barrel, shot much tighter than any load in the single barrel. And the Skychief load at 25 yards showed marked improvement.
I will keep working on it with both guns. I feel pretty confident the double with Skychief load would kill turkey to 35 yards. Will test it at that range next time,
Of course with 6’s I’d get a denser pattern. Just did not have any. I usually use 5’s for squirrels.
I tried my new old double 12 today for the first time. I was testing at 25 yds. Shot was number 6 lead. Powders were Swiss 1.5F and 2F. Mine is a percussion circa 1845-55 or thereabouts. I have one of those little English dippers that measure in Drams and Ounces. Didn't have my black powder measures with me, so I thought I'd try 3 drams of powder and 1 1/4 oz of shot. Didn't seem like too much. Man, that is a stout load I think. It sure does kick. Pattern looked pretty good on a target made from one of the sheets of a large desk top calendar though. My load sequence is powder, 1/8" Nitro card, shot, and an over shot card. Left barrel shoots a tad high and left, right barrel shoots pretty much center. Left barrel is .720 exactly at the muzzle and the right is .712, a bit tighter. 1st loads were with 2F.
Next, I tried 1.5 F. No real difference to speak of. Then I tried what I thought was Skychiefs load. I messed up by putting the over shot card in and then the oily fibre wad. Couldn't tell much difference. Next time, I'll leave off the overshot card and just go with the fiber wad on top of the shot.
Then, disaster struck. I had laid my shotgun on the bench with the muzzle up on a block used for aiming rifles. I turned to clean up some mess or other and the gun slid off of the bench onto a metal folding chair and went thru the opening in the back of the chair to hit the concrete. I guess I'm lucky, could have broken the stock but it hit right on the toe and broke a chunk of the toe off that leaves about a quarter inch of the butt plate hanging over on the toe. Anyone know a stock smith?
Now, finally, do ya'll think I could maybe drop down to say 70 or 75 grains of powder with the same load of 1 1/4 oz of shot and still have enough energy to kill a turkey at 30 or 35 yards? When I got home I poured my measured load into a blackpowder measure and it came to just a tad over 90 grains. I think that's a bit much. Isn't it?
Next, I tried 1.5 F. No real difference to speak of. Then I tried what I thought was Skychiefs load. I messed up by putting the over shot card in and then the oily fibre wad. Couldn't tell much difference. Next time, I'll leave off the overshot card and just go with the fiber wad on top of the shot.
Then, disaster struck. I had laid my shotgun on the bench with the muzzle up on a block used for aiming rifles. I turned to clean up some mess or other and the gun slid off of the bench onto a metal folding chair and went thru the opening in the back of the chair to hit the concrete. I guess I'm lucky, could have broken the stock but it hit right on the toe and broke a chunk of the toe off that leaves about a quarter inch of the butt plate hanging over on the toe. Anyone know a stock smith?
Now, finally, do ya'll think I could maybe drop down to say 70 or 75 grains of powder with the same load of 1 1/4 oz of shot and still have enough energy to kill a turkey at 30 or 35 yards? When I got home I poured my measured load into a blackpowder measure and it came to just a tad over 90 grains. I think that's a bit much. Isn't it?
OK..I saw the 12 ga loads under the 12 GA Load Thread. DUHHHHHHH. Should have looked there first I guess. I'll see if my shotgun likes em as well.
Just sick over the toe of my stock. Will look hard again tomorrow and see if I can find the missing piece.
Just sick over the toe of my stock. Will look hard again tomorrow and see if I can find the missing piece.
I don't know what you saw in the 12 g load thread, but yes, you can reduce the powder a bit. Even 2 3/4 drams will work, and you'll get a lot tighter pattern. (About 75 grains. ) Try it and see how you go.
Good luck finding the bit of stock!
Good luck finding the bit of stock!
Well, I didn't find the piece of stock, but I am making progress on the load. I was amazed at the density of the pattern with
70 Gr Goex 2F
2 thin over shot cards over the powder
100 grains of #6
a whole olive oil soaked, fiber wad on top of the shot.
Its a killer at 35 yds. Nice and tight in the center. Just for grins I set a REAL TIN can on a fire ant bed at 45 steps. Got 9 pellets to penetrate both sides and about 3 that dented it.
Have no clue as to velocity and energy figures, but I do believe it will kill turkeys, coons squirrels, possums armadillos and other turkey egg eating critters. 'Cept for the stock, I'm pretty happy.
Other powders I tried this morning.
All with 70 grains of powder
100 grains of shot and the same wad combos.
Swiss 2F and Swiss 1.5 F. Both were hotter it seemed, had a bit more open patterns.
The next test I'll do is to drop the Swiss 2F to 65 grains and see if it patterns better. Got plenty of Swiss 2F for my rifles but only 1/3 of a pound of Goex.
Bottom line, put me in the "I don't know why it works, but it does" camp.
70 Gr Goex 2F
2 thin over shot cards over the powder
100 grains of #6
a whole olive oil soaked, fiber wad on top of the shot.
Its a killer at 35 yds. Nice and tight in the center. Just for grins I set a REAL TIN can on a fire ant bed at 45 steps. Got 9 pellets to penetrate both sides and about 3 that dented it.
Have no clue as to velocity and energy figures, but I do believe it will kill turkeys, coons squirrels, possums armadillos and other turkey egg eating critters. 'Cept for the stock, I'm pretty happy.
Other powders I tried this morning.
All with 70 grains of powder
100 grains of shot and the same wad combos.
Swiss 2F and Swiss 1.5 F. Both were hotter it seemed, had a bit more open patterns.
The next test I'll do is to drop the Swiss 2F to 65 grains and see if it patterns better. Got plenty of Swiss 2F for my rifles but only 1/3 of a pound of Goex.
Bottom line, put me in the "I don't know why it works, but it does" camp.
:hatsoff:
B.
B.
Can't get it to work.
???
Are there two riverrat43's here?
Three posts up you say, "Bottom line, put me in the "I don't know why it works, but it does" camp. "
and now you say you, "Can't get it to work." ???
Are there two riverrat43's here?
Three posts up you say, "Bottom line, put me in the "I don't know why it works, but it does" camp. "
and now you say you, "Can't get it to work." ???
maybe pictures? I noted the same and went up to the last post he was replying to and still didnt make since?
Skychief
69 Cal.
:metoo: :idunno:
Somewhere Grenadier 1758 referred me to the reference section where Claude posted some charts of loads. I was telling him I couldn't get it to work. Might have been the wrong thread...I have the flu and can't think straight...Sorry for the confusion. Nope Zonie...looked in the mirror and there was only one. Sick and ugly but only one.
Riverrat,
You got a good dense pattern with 70 grs, and that's expected to help a lot.
Did you try this load with a thin overshot wad as well? ( no thick lubed wad?)
Most blown patterns are through too much powder.
Richard.
You got a good dense pattern with 70 grs, and that's expected to help a lot.
Did you try this load with a thin overshot wad as well? ( no thick lubed wad?)
Most blown patterns are through too much powder.
Richard.
Could it be that each individual gun patterns differently ,
so each individual gun could require its very own powder / shot load for maximum proformance . :shocked2: :stir:
Sorry Guys I couldn’t resist.
Still can’t figure exactly what that wet wads does... :wink:
so each individual gun could require its very own powder / shot load for maximum proformance . :shocked2: :stir:
Sorry Guys I couldn’t resist.
Still can’t figure exactly what that wet wads does... :wink:
Very definitely Smo.
That's a cardinal rule with M-loading shotguns, find out what they like. Even same make will all be different. No 2 alike where loads are concerned, but Some loads are closer to working 'all round' than others.
That's a cardinal rule with M-loading shotguns, find out what they like. Even same make will all be different. No 2 alike where loads are concerned, but Some loads are closer to working 'all round' than others.
No,RJDH, didn't try it that way. I also didn't put the thin card under the wet fiber card. When get over this crud, I'll be back out there trying different combinations. That's one of the thing I like about this sport, so many variations...so little time ! Am really happy that I know that I have a turkey load out to 30-35 yds. Season starts 15 March I believe.
This flu' takes some shifting Riverrat.
My mother, (92) passed away with it. We had it for 6 weeks. Just now getting over it.
Hope you throw it off real quick!!
Richard.
My mother, (92) passed away with it. We had it for 6 weeks. Just now getting over it.
Hope you throw it off real quick!!
Richard.
Richard , My condolences to you and your Family.
It is lousy.
Mine is leaving me now but it started back in November!
My wife is starting to recover from it too.
Best wishes.
B.
Mine is leaving me now but it started back in November!
My wife is starting to recover from it too.
Best wishes.
B.
