Shotgun Question

[rafsob]

Hey guys I'm getting read to set up my TC New Englander for turkey hunting and found some shot cups in my local toy shop. They were made by White and have ribbed walls. It was made specifically for a White ML shotgun. It asks that you cut pedals in the sidewalls. One of my friends said it should work in my New Englander.

Question is, "Has anyone every used these in any MLs other then a White barrel and do I have to cut them pedals or can I shoot them with out the pedals?

Thanks.
Larry

[cayugad]

If you did not cut the shot cup... how is it going to open? Wouldn't you be shooting basically a slug because the shot would have to wait for the shot cup to fall away. I never shot one like that. I use the 3-1/4 turkey cups but all of mine come with a slight cut. They are for the Knight TK2000.

[lemoyne]

Herters used to make a shot cup like that, it takes careful regulating of the powder and shot load to get the pattern just right. When you get every thing just right the shot cup separates from the shot out a ways and your pattern holds together for an extra 15 yds. The down side is that it acts like a slug at close range we used them for goose hunting because where we hunted the shots were long.
Lee

[Gotbuck]

A slug is what you'll get, see the photo of my TK2000 shots I'm getting on a regular basis. I shot this with 100 grains of powder, I know shoot 110 grains, with my TK2000 not sure about the New Englander.

[rafsob]

Thanks for all the inputs guys. This is all new to me and interesting for sure. Hopefully I will get a chance to try some of these loads next week.

One of he things I like about these cups is that White made them so you can load them past a choke tube! I will try different patterns on the pedals to see which one works best. I will be using Goex ffg powder. What amount of shot should i look to use and how are you guys measuring the shot. Don't have anything that measures in oz.???

[Semisane]

What amount of shot should i look to use and how are you guys measuring the shot. Don't have anything that measures in oz.???

I just use my powder measure and use equal volumes of GOEX FFg and shot. In my 12 GA Pedersoli double, 70 grains volume in my TC U-View measure and 70 grains volume of shot (almost exactly 1 oz.) for a pleasant shooting light load for doves and rabbits. For a heavy load, 95 grains of powder of powder & 95 grains volume of shot (1.25 oz.).

I haven't used anything but GOEX in that gun. But if I were to use Pyrodex I would cut the volume of powder down to something like 65 grains of powder & 70 grains of shot for light loads, or 85 grains of powder with 95 grains of shot for heavy loads.

If you want to compare your loads to modern shot shells that list "DRAM EQUIVILENT" for the powder load, a dram is 1/16 oz., or 27.3 grains of black powder. I just checked a box of Winchester 2 & 3/4 inch "Rabbit & Squirrel" shells with 1 oz. of #6 shot, and it lists the powder charge as 3 & 1/4 DR. EQ., which would be just under 90 grains of black powder.

[arcticap]

Sometimes the more shot the better.

POWDER MEASURE SETTINGS TO
MEASURE OUT OUNCES OF BIRD SHOT
50 grain setting = 3/4 ounce of shot
60 grain setting = 7/8 ounce of shot
70 grain setting = 1 once of shot
80 grain setting = 1 1/8 ounce of shot
90 grain setting = 1 1/4 ounce of shot
100 grain setting = 1 3/8 ounce of shot
110 grain setting = 1 1/2 ounce of shot
120 grain setting = 1 5/8 ounce of shot


Here are some equal volume type loads:
oz. shot-----Dr. powder-------Grains
3/4-------------2--------------55
7/8-------------2 1/4----------62
1---------------2 1/2----------68
1 1/8-----------2 3/4----------75
1 1/4-----------3--------------82
1 3/8-----------3 1/4----------89
1 1/2-----------3 1/2----------96
1 5/8-----------3 3/4----------102
1 3/4-----------4--------------109
1 7/8-----------4 1/4----------116
2---------------4 1/2----------123
2 1/8-----------4 3/4----------130
2 1/4-----------5--------------137


More info. about shotgun loads:

http://www.circlefly.com/html/muzzleloaders.html

http://members.aye.net/~bspen/starr.html

[rafsob]

This is great info guys and thanks for it. Hey Semisane, what would be a good shot load measure for turkey?

[Semisane]

I'm not a serious turkey hunter rafsob, so have never played around with heavy loads in my shotgun. Also. I suspect your New Englander can handle heavier loads than can my light Pedersoli double. When I do turkey hunt*, I use 95 grains of FFg GOEX and 95 grains of #6 shot, with two circle fly card wads between the powder and shot, and one overshot wad made from a styrofoam food box. I consider this a 25 yard max load.

(* My turkey hunting consists of putting a hen and a jake decoy out on one of my food plots, and sitting in a camo folding chair reading a book in thick brush off to the side of the plot. If a tom comes along and decides to kick the jake's butt - fine, I get a shot. If nothing comes along - well, it's always a good book. I leave the serious turkey hunting to the other guys in the club.)

[pacecars]

I use the Whites in a White and have been using 3 cuts in them. I did notice while patterning the gun at 40 yds I found most of the shot cups at about 10-15 yds and most looked reuseable.