I am at a total loss as to how to load this TC New Englander (12 ga.). From what I have researched that I can use wads or shotcups. I can say that the gun has a choke tube, but I have not pulled it yet to see what it is. I will be getting one for turkey.

Can someone tell me what they do when shooting this shotgun. What will I need to have fun shooting this prize. How should I set my gear for in the woods. I am going to try and set it up for turkey hunting.

Thanks!

I have used a T/C NewEnglander 12 ga for several years now. I have tried many combinations for patterning, and the best I've found is a simple procedure.

I use card wads I cut from old milk cartons with a .740 diameter punch I had a kid at the local vocational school make for me in machine shop. I put 90 gr of ffg Goex in then follow with 2 card wads. Next is the shot which is 100 grains volume using the same adjustable measure. Follow that with another card wad and it's ready to cap & shoot.
Be sure all wads are fully seated!!!!!! They can trap air and move back up in the bore if you aren't careful. You can take a small punch or needle and make a hole in the center of the over-shot wad to let air out, but I don't bother - I just use caution in making sure the wad is fully seated.


edited to add:
Forgot to mention it, but I found "winchester-weatherby-mossberg" (the older models that fit all those brands before they changed sizes) choke tubes will fit my NE. They are about 1/16" shorter than T/C (they recess at the muzzle when screwed in), but work fine for me.
An advantage to the card wads is they can be inserted (sideways) through a tight choke.

My grouse load is 80 grains of APP 2f then a plastic shotcup. Be sure to push that all the way down FIRMLY onto the powder charge. As Wabi so well warned, cards and wads can trap air. You will feel it as you push them down. After I have the wad down, I drop an equal amount of 7-1/2 bird shot from another shot cup. After that I put two thin over the shot cards. This will knock snot out of a grouse at 25 yards.

Another good load is dump the powder (and I have used the needle in the over the powder card as well) and push a over the powder card. Then I push in a fiber buffer wad. This keeps the shot off the powder card. I like to smear a little bore butter or lube on this wad. Then I dump shot from a shot cup down the bore and then an over the shot card. This is another good hard hitting load.

Handy shotgun data for the new smooth bore shooter...

(this is from my book of notes on the .62 caliber but should apply to your 12 gauge.

BLACK POWDER DRAM TO GRAIN CONVERSION
DRAM MEASURE-------GRAIN EQUIVALENT
2½ --------------------68.0
2¾ --------------------75.0
3 ----------------------82.0
3¼ --------------------89.0
3½ --------------------96.0
3¾ --------------------102.0


LEAD SHOT SIZE AND WEIGHT
Shot#---Diameter---Weight ea.--------# pellets/oz (approximate)
#2 -------.15" -------4.86 gr ----------------------90
#4 -------.13" -------3.24 gr ----------------------135
#5 -------.12" -------2.57 gr ----------------------170
#6 -------.11" -------1.94 gr ----------------------225
#7 -------.095" ------1.25 gr ----------------------350
#8 -------.090" ------1.07 gr ----------------------410
#9 -------.08" -------0.75 gr ----------------------585

1. Measure and pour the correct powder charge down each barrel. If shooting a double barrel gun it might be wise to charge each barrel at the same time to avoid confusion as to what has been done in the loading process.

2. The over powder wad is next. Depending on the choke of your weapon, these wads can be snug to very tight. Start an edge of the wad and then finish it off by pushing it down on top of your powder with the ramrod. Seat the wad firmly on top of the powder.

3. The fiber cushion wad comes next---unless you are using a plastic sleeve type at this time. Fiber wads are not loaded dry. If not pre-lubed---Wonder-Lube , Natural Lube 1000 or another readily available lube can be used. Push the cushion wad firmly down on top of the over powder wad. If using a plastic sleeve, seat the sleeve just as you did the cushion wad.

4. Measure and pour the desired charge of shot down the barrel.

5. The over-shot card wad is next. Again---firmly push the wad down the barrel till it is firmly seated on top of the shot charge.

6. Return your ramrod to the thimbles.

Gauge/Caliber/Weight/gr.
8 .835 875
10 .776 700
12 .730 583
13 .710 538
14 .693 500
16 .663 438
20 .615 350
24 .579 292
28 .550 250

I hope this helps. Also you have to take the choke off to load the plastic wads sometimes. There is a choke tool that will help you take the choke off. I made one in the shop after looking at one on the Thompson Center web sight.

I cut my own wads for 12 ga., the Late V. M. Starr used card board and so do I. I use a lot of milk carton boxs for wads Get a gasket cutter in .75 and it should work well . IMHO cushion wads are a waste of time and Money, unless your selling them.

Use 2 card board wads over powder and 1 for over shot. My son has a NE 12 like yours, we have killed hundreds of pigeons at the farm with it. and My H&A, set you measure at 70 gr and use that for shot and powder is hard to beat. I have also harvested 3 Turkeys with #5s using my crud CB wads David has more, My brother Bryan and Nephews have taken close to 15 birds with an old origonal 16 Ga single using 60 gr V for Both shot and powder.

I have a 12 ga barrel for my H & A Underhamer and that is the load we use for it also.

Read and learn: http://members.aye.net/~bspen/starr.html

Hey Wabi and Screwbolts, a word of caution about wads from milk cartons.

This may have been a one-in-a-million occurrence, but I want to tell you about it anyway. Up until last year I had an original 1800's vintage Belgian made double barrel 20 Gauge that I used to use wads cut from milk cartons in. These were the cartons with a light paraffin coating. Now this gun had a fairly rough bore, but was solid and shot well.

One time when I was "vigorously" pushing a milk carton wad down the bore there was a distinct flash and small "pop" when the wad was about a quarter of the way down. Scared the bejesus out of me. There's no way to tell with certainty what caused it, but my theory is that friction of the rough bore + the paraffin coating + perhaps a granule of powder trapped where the edge of the wad met the bore all came into play. Anyway, for the rest of the day I sure pushed those wads down gently, and stopped using paraffin coated wads after that.

Thanks guys for the help.

And David that is a wealth of data on this subject. Thank you!