Shot Loads

[hanshi]

Yesterday found me at the range with my smoothbore (.62) looking to work up a turkey/squirrel/rabbit load.  I've had the gun a year but hadn't gotten around to using shot.

Here's what I found.  For the most part cushion wads caused doughnut holes in the patterns.  My gun doesn't like #6 shot.  It LOVES #7-1/2 shot and likes #4.  All shooting was at 20 yards.  No difference was detectable between 2F and 3F so more shooting may be in the cards.

Best load was 75grns of 3F or 90grns of 2F, two op card wads, 80grn measure of #7-1/2 shot and one os card wad.  Substituting #4 shot was almost as good but patterned a bit low and right.  Both produced even, dense patterns, however.  The #7-1/2 patterns were good enough that 25 yards might be an acceptable distance.

The downside was the heavy fouling similar to that left from shooting blanks.  But at no time was loading or shooting affected.  My concern is the effectiveness of #7-1/2 shot.  Using #4 would necessitate a small amount of "hold-off".  Patterns were centered and dense with #7-1/2 and on turkey targets put 7 to 10 or more pellets in the head and neck bone with around double that number in the neck tissue. 

I'll appreciate any suggestions and comments as this is my first time loading a fowler with shot.

[roundball]

Pattern density, velocity, and pellet penetration are the balancing legs of the triangle.

A fairly well established rule of thumb regarding penetration that has worked out in the field for me, has been the use of strong metal tuna or soup cans to determine the max distance to still get penetration with whatever shot size is being used that will break into the small walnut sized turkey skull or the #2 wooden pencil sized neck vertebrae for a kill.

In your examples...set up a tuna can at 20 yards so you looking at its 3.5" wide bottom...and see if the 7.5s cleanly punch through...if so, move it out another 5 yards, etc...you get the idea.
The balancing act is while the big heavy #4s will penetrate at about twice the distance of the 7.5s, their pattern would be so thin you probably wouldn't hit those tiny vitals.
But if you go with #7.5s to fill the pattern to ensure killing hits every time, their penetration distance shrinks you back back up close.

Surprised to hear about the #6s not working which have always turned out to be my optimal turkey load in 3 different .62cal smoothbores now.
Using the 1:1.5 powder/shot ratio for medium size shot, mine has been:
80grn measure of Goex 3F
Two Oxyoke wonderwads
120grn measure of hard magnum #6s
Circle Fly OS card

Punches right through tuna cans at 40 yards...took one Tom at that distance...others in the 20s and 30s yard ranges.

[hanshi]

Thanks for the info, roundball.  While I'd like to get as much range as possible with my load, I realize that the penetration limit is it.  Got some dog food cans that should work quite well.

[northmn]

When coffee came in cans the old test was to see whether the shot penetrated the coffee cans.  6's might straighten out if a paper sleeve is used.  Also remember that the "magnum" shot will pattern better than chilled shot.  For turkey I would get a bag of ncikel coated 5's and use them just for turkey.  Most people like fine shot like 7 1/2's and even 8's and swear by them.  For pot shooting grouse they have their place for head shots.  I have seen too many grouse feathers and no grouse on shots flying away from me to like 7 1/2's.  I bought a bag of 7's that made a difference.  6's are not all bad.  Try about 1/4 fiber wad, lubricated with Crisco or some other lube to soften fouling and if you must use a card wad over the powder use a over shot wad.  For bench shooting I would use a liquid lube as uysed for patches.  I used to keep a cup of water on the loading bench when trap shooting and let wads float in that.  As to a barrel and shot sizes, I have seen modern guns that will pattern beautifully with one shot size and lousy with the same load but a different shot size.  Lot of theories but nothing really specific.

DP

[hanshi]

Dpeck, I have a .62 punch and punch out my own 1/8" and 1/4" felt wads and card wads.  The card wads I punched out were from a cereal box so were about like commercial os card wads.  I need to do more testing using the felt wads.  I'll be sure and introduce lube into the equation.

[jeager58]

try using swiss powder to see if the fouling is reduced.  my opinion is that swiss powder under lower pressure loads fouls less...phil