modern wads for bp shot gun

[04jeep]

Any one use them and what type seems to work the best,im shooting t/c new england with cly bore,im looking to shoot 1.5-1.75
0z of shot for tukeys....

[arcticap]

I've used standard Winchester AA wads and they worked well. First I ball up a little bit of newspaper and compress it by tamping it down on top of the powder to serve as an over powder wad. That seals the bore, protects the plastic base and cushions the shot load.
Then some more lightly compressed newspaper can work as an overshot card on top of the wad full of shot.
However CVA made some specialty plastic BP wads that are rated for a slightly heavier shot load than standard plastic wads.
I haven't tried them but they hold up to 1.5 ounces of shot rather than the approximately 1.25 ounces that a standard shot wad holds.
Plastic wads can also be overloaded a little bit too since the over powder wad will contain any extra shot spillage.

[Screwbolts]

04Jeep,

My son has a 12 bore NE from TC with the same cylinder bore and he has harvested many turkeys with it using #5 shot. Our not so modern method of loading is using plain old cardboard for wads. (just like the late V.M. Star did) I cut the wads from old shoe boxes, tablet backers, and really like the waxed pasteboard milk jugs. I use a 3/4" gasket cutter to punch out the wads. We simply dump the powder put 2 layers of old non sexy card board on the powder then dump the shot and use 1 layer of the old fashioned card board over the shot. I know this is not store bought fancy plastic wad or thin plastic over shot cap.

This system works in my 12 bore Modified choke barrel that I fitted to my Hopkins and Allen under hammer also.

We use the above system with both Black and Pyrodex powders. Never have shot T7 and have no intention of ever trying it. Have lots of Black and Pyrodex in storage.

We also use 4 oz Elmer Glue bottles for both powder and shot flasks. empty the glue rinse wash and dry, remove the label, then cut the very end from the spout leaving the raised plastic ring. This will allow you to use the original orange cap to snap back on the spout. These fit perfectly in your coat or shirt breast pockets and are very handy to pour from. I have one I use with rifles that has a chaulk bottle cap/spout on it, this is a little smaller in diameter for poring powder into a small measure, but the original glue spout is hard to beat. I have used this same bottles for more than 20 years.

Just happened to realize my cardboard wads are very modern, our ancestors/ for fathers, hunters of the past, the great people that gave us the freedoms we have today, didn't have any cardboard to use or make wads from. Wow, I just realized how modern I am!

[MO Archer]

I have used CVA, Knight, and Winchester AA shot cups and have not seen a good pattern yet out of my ML 12ga. But, I have not really went out there with everything and just spent the day to find out what works. I always go out with an idea of what should work, try it, get disappointed and go home. I plan to spend a full weekend if I have to this spring to find a good combination.

I was really glad to see Screwbolts post because not using a cup seems like a great option too.

I will say this, if you buy the Knight cups, they hold 2oz of shot. You will have to either shoot that or cut them down.

The modern shotgun cups you asked about are the cheapest option for a cup, but usually hold less shot than the ones made by CVA or Knight.

I will be trying that elmer's glue bottle trick. It sounds really practical.

[wabi]

I own a 12 ga NewEnglander with the screw-in tubes. I've also shot several other ML shotguns and have to agree the best method (as Screwbolts described) is the V.M. Starr loading system of 2 card wads over the powder & 1 over the shot.
Unless you are using steel (or other hard non-toxic) shot there is no real need for a plastic wad. The Starr method has given me the most consistent patterns from several shotguns & chokes.
Here's a link to a story by V.M. Starr - http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/starr.html

[Gotbuck]

I get all my wads and over shot cards here.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/pro...mber=3221235US