Patterning a Muzzle Loader Shotgun

[54bore]

Figured i would share my experience in patterning my TC New Englander 12 Gauge shotgun. I bought the Barrel from a forum member, you could not tell it from brand new! (Thanks again Harleysboss!) He sent me a few bags of different wads, over powder cards, and the little thin over shot cards with the barrel. I read a bunch of articles on patterning a muzzle loading shotgun, the one that made the most sense to me was the simplest one, i havnt been able to find that article again (if i find it i will copy and paste it in here, its an interesting read!) The guy talks about dough nut holes in the pattern, his theory is ANYTHING behind the shot that weighs as much as even a single piece of shot could push thru the shot upon exiting the barrel causing the dough nut hole in the pattern, this made sense to me so I followed his loading procedure to the T and it worked FLAWLESSLY, my Little TC New Englander patterns like my Benelli nova!!
The procedure is as follows, pour your powder charge in, then INSTEAD of using the thick over powder Cards, and Large fibre wads, he uses 3-4 of the little lightweight over shot Cards on top of the powder charge (if you poke a small pin hole in the cards they slide down the barrel nicely!) then take another of the little thin over shot cards and push it down about 3-4" and dump your shot down on top of it, then he uses muffin mix sprinkled on top of the shot and keeps lightly tapping the barrel to settle the muffin mix in the shot, (this acts as a cushion to the shot) then take another of the little over shot cards and push the whole shot column down on top of the charge. Try this and i think you will be amazed at how well it patterns, it sure worked for me!

[54bore]

My New Englaner barrel is threaded for choke tubes and came with a TC Full, and a Cylinder choke. It is EXTREMELY difficult to load with the full choke in the barrel, i keep a choke tube wrench in my pocket, its very easy to pull the full tube and replace it with the cylinder tube for loading. I dont use any other cards/wads other than the little light weight over shot cards. When you shoot, the little light weight cards separate and fly away in different directions upon exiting the barrel instead of staying with the shot for a ways like the heavy cards do

[nagantguy]

Thank you for sharing that, I've been kinds looking at thinking about a muzzle loading scatter gun barrel for the encore. A fellow I know has one for sale , it might add some spice to spring turkey hunting!

[waksupi]

Read the sticky in this forum on the Muzzleloading Shotgun

[54bore]

Read the sticky in this forum on the Muzzleloading Shotgun

I have, its a good read.

[rodwha]

I've decided one of these days I need to get a .50 cal barrel for my Lyman to have bored to 28ga/.550" thinking it will do nicely for small game hunting, and maybe with a full or tighter choke, turkey if I can get a good tight pattern to about 25 yds or so.

"The guy talks about dough nut holes in the pattern, his theory is ANYTHING behind the shot that weighs as much as even a single piece of shot could push thru the shot upon exiting the barrel causing the dough nut hole in the pattern..."

I must say that I'm surprised a wad could make a hole in the pattern, that a card does so much better or negates it. But I've also wondered about being less "traditional" and using modern shot cups.

"if you poke a small pin hole in the cards they slide down the barrel nicely!"

Do these give you issues with air behind them? Nice way around this! Great idea!

"...its very easy to pull the full tube and replace it with the cylinder tube for loading."

Do the threads make loading an issue? I figured on keeping a wrench handy and loading without a choke installed.

[54bore]

I've decided one of these days I need to get a .50 cal barrel for my Lyman to have bored to 28ga/.550" thinking it will do nicely for small game hunting, and maybe with a full or tighter choke, turkey if I can get a good tight pattern to about 25 yds or so.

"The guy talks about dough nut holes in the pattern, his theory is ANYTHING behind the shot that weighs as much as even a single piece of shot could push thru the shot upon exiting the barrel causing the dough nut hole in the pattern..."

I must say that I'm surprised a wad could make a hole in the pattern, that a card does so much better or negates it. But I've also wondered about being less "traditional" and using modern shot cups.

"if you poke a small pin hole in the cards they slide down the barrel nicely!"

Do these give you issues with air behind them? Nice way around this! Great idea!

"...its very easy to pull the full tube and replace it with the cylinder tube for loading."

Do the threads make loading an issue? I figured on keeping a wrench handy and loading without a choke installed.

I cant say for sure that the over powder card, fibre wads are the cause of the doughnut hole in a pattern, but im willing to bet that it is. I think the heavier over powder Cards, Fibre wads outrun the shot the first few feet out of the barrel making a perfect hole in the center of the pattern, it sure seems plausible? My dad bought a CVA double barrel 12 Gauge several years ago, he knew nothing about muzzle loading shotguns, he bought the large fibre wads, over powder cards, and shot cards from TOTW, he did some reading on loading, he loaded his gun up the way he had read about and shot to check the pattern, he was getting a fairly large hole in the center of his pattern? He tried reducing powder, etc. i cant remember now what all he did to try and correct the problem? No matter what he did he stil had the hole in the center, he read an article about using 'Bees nest' he gave it a try and it fixed his problem!! My dads loading procedure is as follows, dump powder charge in, tear off a chunk of Bees Nest and push it down on top of the powder firmly, then a shot card, shot, and another shot card on top, it works like a charm! He threw everything else in the garbage and has never looked back.
When i say poke a hole in the shot card i am talking a tiny sewing needle size pin hole, you would be AMAZED at how much easier the cards go down, so far i have not seen any problems in doing this? You stil have to push them fairly hard, it just makes it a bit easier.
I never load my gun without a choke tube in place for fear of messing up the threads, it takes an extra minute to screw a tube in place, i will take that extra minute out of my day to insure i dont booger the threads in the barrel. I always load my gun with the Cylinder tube in place, once loaded i swap the cylinder tube out for the full choke. Loading with the full choke in place is a pain! It can be done, but its a nuisance.

[Col4570]

Been using my Navy Arms Double 12 gauge since 1975 and find that 2 1/2 Drams of 3f black powder,then a Card then a Fibre wad then another Card,then 1 1/4 OZ of Shot gives me a good pattern and reaches far out.I have also converted to Military Top Hat Caps.I carry small Plastic tubes for the Powder,plus a Shot Flask and a Range Rod.I prepare Wads by Glueing a Card each side of them making a ready made sandwich to save fumbling when loading.I follow the same procedure with my Flintlock Shotguns.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Fibre wadding behind the shot will exit at the same velocity, but is instantly subjected to more drag and will lag behind. That won't cause a doughnut pattern, and I wouldn't invest a lot of time and trouble in finding an article that says it can.

It is too solid an overshot wad that causes a hole in the pattern. It needs to be as thin and frangible as you can get. The least that will keep the shot in place (more demanding in a double gun) is what you need. I have framed pictures with a surround cut from extremely thick and hard card, and keep the middles for other wads. But this is the last material ever to use over shot. I even knew someone who claimed good results (though I never saw them or tried it) with discs punched out of unhardened, thin-sliced bread.

Behind the shot a good gas-seal is important, for gas leakage into the shot may cause it to fuse together. That also causes gaps in the pattern, and may leave you exercising your interpersonal skills if a lump comes to earth outside normal shotgun range. Thick felt with the edges rolled in lube is ideal, with card to stop leakage through the dry part of the felt. But in a muzzle-loader soft toilet paper or tissues aren't bad.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Been using my Navy Arms Double 12 gauge since 1975 and find that 2 1/2 Drams of 3f black powder,then a Card then a Fibre wad then another Card,then 1 1/4 OZ of Shot gives me a good pattern and reaches far out.I have also converted to Military Top Hat Caps.I carry small Plastic tubes for the Powder,plus a Shot Flask and a Range Rod.I prepare Wads by Glueing a Card each side of them making a ready made sandwich to save fumbling when loading.I follow the same procedure with my Flintlock Shotguns.

No mention there about what goes on top of the powder, but everything else is exactly right. This is hypothetical, but if you were sure of going from loading to a shot well above the horizontal, you would be fine with no overshot wad at all.

[54bore]

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[54bore]

Fibre wadding behind the shot will exit at the same velocity, but is instantly subjected to more drag and will lag behind. That won't cause a doughnut pattern, and I wouldn't invest a lot of time and trouble in finding an article that says it can.

Ballistics in Scotland, This makes sense, even though the fibre wadding is the largest of all it has a totally different feel about it, light for its size, (i stil dont use them and never will) the 'Culprit' for the hole in the pattern is the card in the center of the photo with the 3 standing together correct? The ONLY cards i use are the little thin over shot cards. I use between 3-5 of the little thin cards on top of the powder, my guess is it wouldnt matter if you put 20 in there, when these little cards exit the barrel they seperate and fly off in different directions. The felt gas seal behind the shot is something i have never done, it makes good sense! I will definately try it

[Col4570]

Yes I missed out the all important overshot card.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Another thing about pattern testing of shotguns is that you should fire at an aiming mark in the centre of a 30in. circle on several sheets of paper, and take an average of how many of the shot end up inside. The pattern wanders about as much as round balls from a smoothbore are liable to do (though for different reasons), and simply drawing a circle around the densest part of one pattern can give an unrealistic impression of what is likely to happen when you try to shoot something.