Piston skeet wad for round ball slugs?

[wonderwolf]

Starting to perfect my slug loads and am wondering if this is maybe more of a turnkey option for a wad column that building a stack out of other materials

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Piston-Skeet-Light-12ga-25mm-wad-250_bag/productinfo/072PISKL/

Thinking a round ball plunked in the cup would be pretty easy. I'm not seeing any reason it wouldn't work?

[longbow]

It might work but I have found that you need good support under the ball or the wad tries to wrap itself around the ball when 10,000 PSI thumps it in the butt. I always add one or two 1/8" notro card wads under the ball. A scoop of Cream 'O Wheat on top of that before the ball helps too and you might get away with just using COW. The goal is to provide a solid seat for the ball and to support the bottom of the shotcup so it can't wrap around the ball.

Also of concern is ball size vs. shotcup petal thickness. I find a 0.678" RB is a good fit is some plastic wads but a bit loose in others. 0.690" RB's are generally too big for shotcups I have been able to find resulting in sheared petals and poor accuracy. 0.662" RB's are generally a sloppy fit in any standard shotcup but can be cloth patched to correct fit to bore or if loads are relatively light you might get away with Randy Buchannan's method of seating a felt wad in the shotcup then the ball and the compressed center of the felt wad centers and supports the ball. So, if you get a good friction fit to bore with the wad and ball you are good to go. Look for Ajay's (SuperBlazing Sabots) thread and look at his pics of slugs/balls and wads with fit listed. Very handy!

Short story is yes, it can work. If accuracy is good... say 4" or so at 50 yards, you're done. If accuracy is poor then look for wads. If the petals are sheared or wrinkled ball fit is poor. If gas seal is blown then likely not enough support under the ball so the seal is distorting when the cushion leg crushes. I can't comment on the wad you show as I have not used that one.

Longbow

[fcvan]

I have shot the Lee .690 RB in a BP 12 piston cup wad that is basically double ended, no petals. It works okay with some corn meal under the ball. I am shooting it through a REM 870 Express, with IC choke and keeping it in a paper plate at 50 yards. I have considered getting a full rifled bore but am thinking I will get that for the 20 ga my wife gave me and run RB through it or maybe slugs. That remains to be seen.