I got an irresistible deal on a fixed cylinder bore barrel. So far it seems like a great noise maker. Of course I started testing with cheap birdshot loads. I’ve been rolling self healing targets with it and it seems to Peter out about where my steel pistol plates are. My next attempt was comparing #4 shot and it seems slightly better. Both are cheap 1 1/8 ounce loads. But the #4 shot is 1255 FPS instead of 1200 FPS. The number four shot did seem to swing the 6” steel plate slightly better. Not sure if it’s due to the higher velocity or higher energy per pellet on target. And 9mm seems to swing the plates just as well with less recoil and cost per round.
Have any of you put a cylinder bore through the wringer before? How do I make it sing? Do I need even larger shot? Are light specialty loads with super high velocity the ticket? Do I need high brass maximum payload loads? Cast cheap buckshot or round balls? Or is it a lost cause?
And one final question. I’ve seen wads from BPI for steel/nontoxic waterfowl loads. Little to no cushion section and thick shot cup. They say that they need to be slit at least 2-4 places 2/3 or 3/4 of the length of the wad. Has anyone tried the wads without as many slits, or not slitting them as deep as recommended?
Thanks!