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Thread: Overshot Cards with Slugs and Round Balls

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Overshot Cards with Slugs and Round Balls

    I know this has been discussed before but I can't seem to find the threads, or a definitive answer. Is it safe to use overshot cards with slugs and round balls. My concern, I guess, is that the card will somehow wind up between the projectile and the barrel creating a bulge. If safe, I want to use the cards with roll crimped RB and slug loads. Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
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    You're gonna get differing opinions. I'm in the camp of not using an over ball / slug card. Don't have evidence either way, but I fear the same as you.

  3. #3
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    NO problem doing that. A paper or cardboard overshot wad will go out the hole just like the slug does. Even if it slips to the side it doesn't have a chance against 11,000 or so PSI. So it's going out the hole.

    I use some of the Plastic Overshot Cards from BPI on some of my Slug loads when the top of the slug has no place for a Roll Crimp to seat.

    They go out the hole right in front of the slug.

    This is not a problem .

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Ive thought of overshot cards or plastic disks for loads of shot--like the name implies. im guessing the useful reason for using card over slug or one round ball would be to take up space to get the load column height the right length for good crimp.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I always use an overshot card in my round ball loads. The reason is that I don't crimp my shells. Instead, I use wax to seal them, on top of the overshot card. Never creates a problem...and accuracy is just fine.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    I've never had any worries about overshot cards. I use them with buckshot, round ball or slugs when, like mentioned above it gives a better base for the roll crimp or helps build your stack. My favorite for round ball and slugs is the BPI hard plastic overshots. For buckshot I just punch out my own from plastic water bottle caps. Gp

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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  8. #8
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    I don't know what to say about this? But I guess you need this type of thing to establish a baseline for Stupidity.

    The video was obviously done before the current Gun Sales boom as destroying a $200 gun that you could easily get $800 for now,,, to make a video doesn't make much sense.

    Instead of smashing that barrel if they would have jammed it in the mud instead, the results would have been more dramatic!

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Having had a shotgun come apart in my hands I tend to be a bit reluctant to stray very far from published data and generally accepted safe procedures... and I have no intention of flattening or bending a barrel to shoot slugs through!

    Having said that, an internet buddy told me he had accidentally shot a 0.735" RB through a full choke with no damage to the gun. I have read that in posts before as well. If that doesn't split a choke or bulge a barrel they are pretty tough! Also, for some of the English 12 bore Paradox type guns I have read that boolits were up to about 0.745" and rifled choke sections as small as 0.690" on the lands. That is a pretty tight squeeze though not a total blockage. These were not thick barreled guns! However, muzzle pressure is pretty low compared to chamber pressure at firing plus the slug has momentum to carry it through and swage it down. I suspect if the guys in the video had collapsed or plugged the barrel at a few inches up from the chamber results may have been different.

    While I have wondered if a card wad could get trapped between the slug and bore it seems unlikely even with hemispherical nose or ball, or even pointy slug. There is really nothing to stop the card and there is also likely some gas blow by that would be pushing it out the barrel in front of the slug anyway. As Randy said
    "Even if it slips to the side it doesn't have a chance against 11,000 or so PSI."
    A card wad would hardly compare to a barrel blockage with mud or slug that didn't exit.

    Longbow

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Thanks for the input guys. I thought it would not be an issue but a bit of assurance if always welcome.

    I didn't bother finishing the video, didn't seem related to my question and looked to be just plain........whatever.

    What I'm going to be loading are some 2-1/2" cases (cut down from 2-3/4) with black powder, fiber wads and round balls and lee slugs. I loaded up a handful but had trouble getting consistent roll crimps. I think the overshot card will help.

    Thanks again!!

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master


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    No, there is no danger in using an overshot card in any shotgun load, slug, buckshot, or other.

    I'm the one who has shot a .735" round ball through a full choke. The ball would have been bore size, about .730", and then hit the .700" full choke at around 1100 fps. I don't recommend anyone do it, but the choke, which was a Carlson's extended choke tube is just fine. It still measures .700". I even played around with a .743" ball, mostly in a rifled barrel.

    A thin piece of paper over your slugs will not hurt anything.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check