lube in a shot load

[walt53]

Just wondering where in the shot column you lube and what lube you use.  thankswalt

[Mauser06]

In my jugged gun, I don't.


Had some loads in my colerain turkey barrel I used lubed wads in. I'd put down a card wad or 2 ontop of the powder..or a nitro wad (dense cardboard almost) then shot cards or a nitro card ontop of the shot column to hold it in.  I shot some complex loads looking for turkey patterns...

[walt53]

I should of said I was only using an over powder card an a over shot card how and where would you lube .sorry about that. walt

[Mike Brooks]

Fiber or felt wads are for carrying lube.

[Daryl]

Fiber or felt wads are for carrying lube.

As used in choked guns.

In an un-choked gun, better patterning might come from just using thin card wads over powder and shot.

Some guys are using a lubed felt or fiber wad OVER the shot will help with the fouling and may improve patterns - you have to try it in your gun to find out.

[Mike Brooks]

They are all different. I have had some cylinder bored barrels shoot really well with fiber wads. I almost always get good patterns using 1/4" to 1/2" lubed felt wads. (blanket material type felt) All depends how you lube and what you lube with concerning fiber wads. too much lube makes them heavy and they will temporarily pass the shot and blow a doughnut in your pattern.

[Mauser06]

I never had much luck with the thicker fiber wads. Like Mike said, I believe they were distorting the patterns when I tried them. Using them other ways, or cutting them down may have helped. 


I did have luck with thin (1/16 I think)" wool wads lubed and stacked. They are light and in theory, would fall out of the shot and not turn into another projectile. The wool and finer wads can help the pattern by absorbing some energy as the load is fired which helps keep the integrity of the shot column.


In my jugged barrel, I shoot a nitro card above and below the shot. Seems odd because they are dense and hard and have some weight..but I've never recovered one..I tried a lot of loads trying to get the jug to shoot well.  That worked best so far.


Each gun is different. Patterning is enjoyable to me. An excuse to shoot. Every little difference can make a dramatic difference in the pattern.

[walt53]

how would you lube just using cards if you were hunting, a dab under the os card. any suggestions appreciated. walt

[Black Hand]

Just wondering where in the shot column you lube and what lube you use.  thankswalt

I lube my entire pre-made shot load (think Tootsie Roll of shot wrapped in brown paper and dipped in melted deer tallow) as well as the over-powder and over-shot cards. With a lubed load, lubing the cards (in my case) is likely superfluous, but it makes me feel better....

[Black Hand]

how would you lube just using cards if you were hunting, a dab under the os card. any suggestions appreciated. walt

I drop my cards (thin cards made from shipping envelope and thick cards made from poster board) in melted deer tallow, let them soak for a minute or so, fish them out and allow to cool on a paper towel or sheet of newspaper. I wipe off any excess tallow and store the cards in a small tin.

[walt53]

SO basically what your saying is all I have to do is soak a over powder card in some olive oil for a minute ,put it over the shot and that is enough lube.  If that's the case i'm thinking my patch's are being way overlubed . How often do you normally have to wipe while shooting, or doe's that depend on the gun.
 By the way mine patterns well with cards .thanks for all the good advice it's much appreiated. walt

[Daryl]

Lube is NOT necessary. I have shot an entire BP trap shoot without using any lube and only the thin "B" wads above and below the shot. 3 under the shot, one over - no other wads. Yes, it ws dirty and turned the water black when cleaning - that was not a problem.
This is the gun I used and won that shoot with. 11 bore H. Whall.







photo upload sites

[Mike Brooks]

I always lube and use a 1/4" or more lubed felt or at least a 1/2 of a cushion wad that has been properly lubed. You can get of 25 rounds of skeet with out jamming up this way. I suppose if you're just hunting and taking only a couple shots you wouldn't need lube. I always load for hunting with lube anyway.
 I tied  the national record for the "Flint Feather duster" at F-ship in '86 with a flint gun with a 41" cylinder bored 20 bore using lubed full cushion wads. Shot tight patterns and never had to swab. Never missed a bird.

[R Whittington]

I’ve never used lube in my shotguns. (2) .125 card wads over powder, thin cork over shot. The cards going down scrape the bore. Never had any problems, and shoot all day. Great patterns.

[Mike Brooks]

Lubed wads are the norm at F-ship on the trap, skeet, and sporting clays ranges where I learned how to load shotguns. Probably different where ever you go I suppose.