Shot alternatives?

[joelvca]

... I do not champion ITX and just mentioned it as a new alternative in that it is advertised to be used more like lead.  It is soft enough not to register on the Rockwell scale like lead.  If you need to use plastic then so be it as that is the price we pay for the non-toxic regulations.

DP

DP, I want to apologize if I seem to be argumentative.  Partly it's the inefficiency of internet communication, and partly it's concern with the misunderstanding I've seen expressed on various muzzleloading forums of B.P.'s... let us say disingenuous advertising.  That 27.0 R.C is an arbitrary point that is also much harder than commercial "steel" shot, and the phrasing emphasizing the malleability of the ITX shot has lead some shooters to consider using it without any barrel protection, whereas it apparently requires the same measures as steel and the harder tungsten materials - it just won't deform non-steel-capable chokes, and does not require the velocities of steel shot.

I agree that one does what one must to comply with regulations.  Like many things, this is fundamentally an optimization exercise concerning how far from "traditional" one is willing to go and what other choices that requires. 

Regards,
Joel

[Daryl]

Just goes to show- one must be VERY careful about believing advertising - it is mostly lies - Every manufacturer today has the most, best, fastest, nicest, sharpest, slowest, softest, hardest, meanest - well - everythingest.   I've often worndered who all of them could have the 'estingest' product. Reminds me of a rifle advertizement about a particular muzzleloading rifle back in the 70's, but I won't repeat it here.  It sucked me in, so perhaps that's why I hate the b------s so much. My own dang fault.

 Be aware of spurious claims. All it takes is someone's interpetion of the addvert. or the advert itself to be off slightly off the absolute truth and when this is repeated a few times and perhaps with included changes it becomes fact - which is why they advertise the way they do.

[northmn]

I do not know how many people remember the old Herter's Company, but thye were masters at making fantastic claims about their products.  Ballistic products comes close with some of their ads.  Mostly they have a system of selling thier products, such that you have to buy their manuals to know how to load their wads.  Some of their products are very good, and some so so.  I have a bunch of their LBC wads I need to try, as the Sam co went out of business and had about the best wads for low pressure loading of steel (powder manufacturers guides).  They have grooves in them that I think should hold BP lube and help prevent plastic coating of the bore.  I plan on cutting off the plastic base and trying them like a sleeve as some have problems with the heavy wads slugging.  Steel as an alternative at close range is really not all bad for a lot of uses, it just needs the protection. 

DP

[joelvca]

I do not know how many people remember the old Herter's Company, but thye were masters at making fantastic claims about their products.

Lord, that brings back memories!  The George L. Herter Model Perfection (fill in the type of product).  Some of them were actually quite good, and others...

I plan on cutting off the plastic base and trying them like a sleeve as some have problems with the heavy wads slugging.  Steel as an alternative at close range is really not all bad for a lot of uses, it just needs the protection.

There is an interesting idea posted on another Muzzleloading Forum by a gentleman using the nom-de-forum of Runnball.  He basically uses a string and a cotton ball to fashion a drogue for a shotcup.  He uses them with unslit (or taped-up) shotcups to get up to modified patterns out of unchoked barrels, but I'd bet they'd work with slit shotcups as well, to ensure reliable shot release.  He calls them a "tampon shotcup" but I've proposed a more 19th-century sounding "cotton-tail drogue shot concentrator".  When I can ever get out patterning again, I want to try a couple of variations of shotcups rolled from 2 layers of light cardstock, including a cottontail-drogue version.

Joel

[northmn]

Just got a Precision Reloading catalog, which has a lot of shotgun stuff in it.  They now sell a non-toxic fo 59.95 for 2.2 pounds that sounds a lot like eco shot. Bismuth is still the best for the no plastic loads.  At the prices of good non toxic you can buy a box of Bismuth and dismantle the shells for shot.  Really does not cost any more than buying that box of shells.   Maybe it will be available for reloading again as it is available now for loaded shells.  Another shot alternative that would have to be loaded like steel but would be available in loaded shells is Heavy Steel.  This stuff is sold for about $30 for a box of 25.  The weight is between lead and regular steel.  You would get about 1.75 pounds out of a box or 25 1 1/8 oz loads.  Do not know exactly what the stuff is adn some say it could be more round.

DP 

DP