Shot cartridge

[Texasgunnut]

Anyone ever make a paper cartridge for use in a smooth bore? Kind of like they used for the Bess?

[country gent]

Your wanting a ready to load cartridge Im assuming. Measure your paper thickness and see what you have Here simple printer paper works fine. Measure bore of rifle and see what you have to work with. Last measure the bullet and add 4 paper thicknesses. ( 2 wraps) to start with and work from there to a light snug fit. turn a mandrel from wood or aluminum to size to hold bullet firmly. Measure a strip to give desired number of wraps and roll around tube with mucilage paper glue. Make tube long. insert bullet nose first and push thru to desired point. add powder charge and twist tail or fold over. In use tear tail of dump powder and ram bullet down with the paper as patching. Most printer paper is in the .003-.004 thick range so 2 wraps adds .012-.016 to dia, Here playing with paper thickness can make or break you. A good "speed load for use in the muzzle loaders. I made them up for hunting deer with my 50 cal renegade. Rifled and got very good accuracy from them

[rancher1913]

I do something like that, got the idea from a thread on this site. use end pieces from a womens hair perm kit(they sell just the ends which is what everybody said works best) sometimes I just put powder in them and twist it up for ready to drop down barrel charges and sometimes I put a ball on top of the powder for a complete load, the paper just burns up. some have nitrated the paper for a more complete burn but most found it was not needed.

[Texasgunnut]

I'm sorry guys I wasn't clear. I want these for shot loads for squirrel

[rancher1913]

same idea, just add lube cookie between powder and shot then twist up. paper might tear at lube cookie as you ram it down barrel but by then its done its job.

[country gent]

For that I would adjust the mandrel to make a tube of tracing paper 2 wraps at bore dia. insert a card board wad and shot with over powder wad. score sides with a razor at 3 or 4 evenly spaced points to insure it separates. Made long enough powder charge in back side and fold over. A piece of angle will hold the cartridge to score paper. Glue over shot wad in place lightly.

[GhostHawk]

Its been a while since I messed with Holy Black. But the advice given above for making a mandrel and using it for a bullet will work with shot. I would add some kind of card or seperator between the lead shot and the powder.

In theory it should work fine. Nitrate the paper if you like. Too cold or too hot outside but comfortable inside is a great time for rolling up some experiments. Then go test them on a nice day.

[Texasgunnut]

Thank you guys.

[Texasgunnut]

You mean like a modern shot cup?

[rancher1913]

basically yes, you have a bottom with 4 sides made out of card board, some make it out of old milk jugs.

[Texasgunnut]

To for the info I will have to give this a try.

[Adam Helmer]

Texas,

What caliber is your smoothbore in which you wish to fire shot loads? I have a .50 smoothbore Hawken flinter and a 12 gauge percussion for my Renegade caplock. In the .50, I use Wonder wads over the powder and another wad over the shot.

In my 12 gauge, I use modern plastic wads over the powder and a wad over the shot. I hope this helps.

Adam

[Texasgunnut]

its a 20 ga.

[bedbugbilly]

In my 20 gauge (.610) fusillade, I use a circle fly fiber wad under the shot.The wad is soaked in my lube and then patted dry with paper towel. I load in the conventional way. That said . . .

There's no reason that a shot cartridge wouldn't work - basically you'd be making a shot cup. However, keep in mind you have to have a wad or enough paper wadding to push the shot out of the barrel. Looking at the fiber wad, which has to be a tight fit, the problem I see is inserting the fiber wad - whether it be in a paper cylinder or whatever - when you insert it in the muzzle the cylinders going to have to be stout enough to get it in all the way without breaking open and spilling the shot out even if y9ou use paper as the over the shot card - so I'm saying that the cylinder you make has to be strong enough to not rip open when introducing in to the muzzle.

If you experiment, I'm sure you'll come up with a system that works for you and your smoothbore. The question will be if it works well enough to cut down on reloading time as opposed to dropping a powder charge in the barrel, pushing down a fiber wad, measuring and dropping the shot down and pushing an over the shot card in place.

Don't give up on your idea - you'll find a system that will work. Once you get it worked out, if it is too much of a PITA, then consider getting or making a shot 'snake flask" with a brass valve head that measures out the shot. Track of the Wolf carries them I believe, or just get the head and make your own.

Let us know whatBTW 0 you end up with - even if you still ram your fiber wad idown and use a pre-easured cylinder of shot to drop in it with an over the shot card incorporated it will quicken things up.

BTW - soaking your fiber wads (I use Circle Fly fiber wads) in melted lube goes a long way in keeping the fouling down i my Fusil. After a few shots, wet patch the bore and then carry on with the tree rats . . . or bunnies. Fiber wads are fairly cheap . . . but as you go on with your smoothbore - you can always make a cutter to cut then out of insulated sheathing. Usually a lumberyard will have some pieces that are broken or dinged up that you can get for a cheaper price - a 4 X 8 foot sheet will make a LOT of fiber wads.