1shot
09-05-2012, 09:33 PM
Good evening,
I have recently (after 25 some odd years) discovered the delightful Twenty gauge, and so- decided to do some experimenting with my 870 Express.
I want to play around with roundball for sheer simplicity, and stay with the smoothbore barrel (for now). So I researched online and found that most people are using .600" down to .570" in their 20 gauge shotguns.
Now I can see the .600" ball working reasonably well, provided you cut the shotcup petals off. But the .570" inside of a shotcup is no good for me, because I only have access to Claybuster wads which have a rib running down each petal to the tune of .035"... Thats a problem waiting to happen if you run the math.
So how does this sound; Based upon the bore being .615".
.535" pure lead ball at 230 grains.
Claybuster wad, .035" petals X 2 brings us up to .605" and is an easy push-fit through my skeet choke. I have wadded up some paper scraps beneath the ball, in order to bring in in and maintain a proper crimp.
Now to an actual recipe.. I have remington hulls, winchester primers and am going with 14 grains of Unique. Its a very light projectile with almost zero bore interference compared with the outward forces of conventional "shot".
I'll try these out this weekend and report back.
I have recently (after 25 some odd years) discovered the delightful Twenty gauge, and so- decided to do some experimenting with my 870 Express.
I want to play around with roundball for sheer simplicity, and stay with the smoothbore barrel (for now). So I researched online and found that most people are using .600" down to .570" in their 20 gauge shotguns.
Now I can see the .600" ball working reasonably well, provided you cut the shotcup petals off. But the .570" inside of a shotcup is no good for me, because I only have access to Claybuster wads which have a rib running down each petal to the tune of .035"... Thats a problem waiting to happen if you run the math.
So how does this sound; Based upon the bore being .615".
.535" pure lead ball at 230 grains.
Claybuster wad, .035" petals X 2 brings us up to .605" and is an easy push-fit through my skeet choke. I have wadded up some paper scraps beneath the ball, in order to bring in in and maintain a proper crimp.
Now to an actual recipe.. I have remington hulls, winchester primers and am going with 14 grains of Unique. Its a very light projectile with almost zero bore interference compared with the outward forces of conventional "shot".
I'll try these out this weekend and report back.