Range results part 2
 

Ive been curious to do some 25 yard patterns since it seems most small game hunting is at 20 yards or less. Here in GA #2 is the largest shot size you can use for small game. So I decided to test some #5s out the 10 and 8 ga at 40 then some #2s and such at 25 yards figured id be generous and add 5 yards. I noticed with one of the 8 ga loads the fiber wad blew threw the 1/2" plywood at 40 yards :eek: .

that 10 ga #2 load looks like it will wreck a raccoons day or I suppose any small game critter. Now raccoon may get dropped from the small game category soon if so maybe I can then test the Ts on them. The duct tape is about 4-5" wide.

Not sure what caused the wad to do this but yeah it went straight through 1/2" plywood at 40 yards. Thats some tough fiber whatever it is :rotf:

Milton,
I don’t want to argue or anything, I just cannot imagine a fiber wad could do that? Are you sure there wasn’t a previous hole in your plywood and a few shot tore your target there?
Stan

No worries and it was a fresh target the large hole was the first thing I noticed. Im thinking perhaps some shot/lead became imbedded in the fiber and thats why it did that? My best guess anyhow, I have noticed wads can do odd things if the shot doesn't separate from them like it should. I cant remember what specific load that was but the pattern wasnt good so I tossed that target and tried again.

I think my favorite is the 10 ga 1 3/8oz of #2s, should be Thors hammer on any tree dwelling animal. Heres what the T shot did at 25 yards on a piece of printer paper/deer target in the 10 ga, theres a few holes from the previous shooter circled in green.

your big hole was of what you said some how your lead was wasstill with the wad thus acting like a slug load......I did this one time I loaded up some 8 ga loads my wadswere down in the plastic wad about 1/8 of and inch thus making slugs out of them....good patterns on that deer....charlie

Nice targets Milton,
You obviously do way more patterning than I do, so I’m sure you’re right.

In my limited experience with fiber wads under shot, I thought they pretty much disintegrated after exiting the muzzle.
some of the RST 10 gauge loads looked like confetti being thrown, what ever filler they were using.
Stan

I read on a muzzleloading forum that sometimes with the 1/2" wads, shot gets trapped in front of them because the wad is trying to push through the pattern as it goes down range. They said thats why they usually segment their fiber wads into 1/4" pieces as they fall away from the shot column better.
Honestly all the stuff I read about how shot and wads perform etc I think the only way to know for sure would be setting up a 120k fps camera.


I was figuring most trees here dont get taller than 60ft/20 yards so when hunting squirrels or raccoons or any tree dweller your ranges are going to be fairly close. We do have some pines that are taller than that, but the animals seem to prefer the longer spanning branches of the oak trees as well I suppose pine trees dont offer as much coverage for them.

These are what I will pattern next time, 8 ga with a 4 slit wad with the #5s.

I've seen several postings recently on the fringe gun boards about making home defense slugs by loading regular shot loads and sealing the case with melted parafin. Gives me a little pause about usig overshot wads and sealing with a thin liquid glue/cement/waterproofing. Test targets I have seen show they do just what you show, exept there are few individual shot, due to the entire shot load being saturated. They are supposed to fragment on a wall and not go through two or three.

I have also seen mention that this can happen if you use a thick cushion wad.THe first layers of shot can be impressed into it with a heavy load or high wad pressure. A lot of people recomend an overshot wad over the cushion wad for that reason.

If you are sealing/cementing the overshot wad, it may have been a lump of shot from the top of the shot string rather than a wad.

Ive had some wads I didnt slit do that recently, they were barely just starting to open up at 40-50 yards. I had 4" patterns but most of the shot was staying in side the wad and slugging. I think what happened there is I was playing around with different glues for the overshot card, but I think it was causing the overshot card to glue to the top of the shotcup basically making it a enclosed cylinder.

I have seen a few of the muzzleloader shotgun guys say they dont even use a wad they load the shot right on top of the nitro card. To me though that sounds like a deform alot of your shot. I would like to know though at what point do you get diminishing returns with fiber wads with setback. I have noticed with fiber wads if you can recover one after firing they are alot softer, seems they are tenderized when going down the barrel.


I have some paper shotcups curing right now for the 8 ga I am curious how they will turn out.