Range Report: .62cal Circle Fly prelubed cushion wads

roundball · Joined: Posts: 9 Location: Raleigh

August 18, 2007 - .62cal Cushion Wad Range Report

Muzzleloader:
GM .62cal (.20ga) Flint Smoothbore drop-in barrel on a TC Hawken stock (Barrel Jug Choked ‘Improved Cylinder PLUS’)

80grns Goex 3F
1 full Circle Fly prelubed cushion wad
90grns chilled #6s (1+1/4oz)
Circle Fly OS card

Outstanding 30" pattern at both 25 & 30 yards tested. Excellent load for crows, late season doves, long range squirrels, etc.

NOTE 1:
1/2 of a cushion wad was OK…patterns were usable, but slightly thinner than with a full cushion wad

NOTE 2:
Tried 90grns 2F instead of 80grns 3F, patterns were unacceptable, 3F is perfect

Admin · Joined: Posts: 68

Quote::

Outstanding 30" pattern at both 25 & 30 yards tested. Excellent load for crows, late season doves, long range squirrels, etc.

A quick question, why would it be good for "late season doves" ? What is the difference? Is it because of a different manner of flight? It is my "perception" that late season doves tend to not dart off or change direction as quickly. I may be wrong here though.

I tend to agree and like the 3F powder. The book calls for a 2F powder to be used in a .50 cal. rifle, but I use 3F instead. I do back off the grain load by 10% to reduce the pressure, but I like the fact that the 3F powder burns like a modern shotgun powder. It has a "quicker" burn and actually sounds more like a modern firearm. Also, there isn't as much of a "pause" between the percussion cap ignition and the main powder charge.

Haven't tried shooting a BP smoothbore shotgun, yet. Maybe in the future, I will.

roundball · Joined: Posts: 9 Location: Raleigh

Early season doves are usually close on top of you and 8s or 7.5s are fine for them...I'll be using 7.5's opening weekend for example.

Later season doves...that have survived...are usually more wary of hunters, are apt to flare further away, shots are usually longer, and there's also usually late season weather/wind involved, etc.

The heavier weight of #6's helps by boring straight ahead through wind and holding a pattern together for a few yards further than lighter shot...carries higher energy further to the target for a longer average shot kill, etc.
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Clarification about wads in my post in case you may not be aware of it:

Having a Jug Choke in a barrel causes the opposite effect when using different amounts of cushion wads from what is normally experienced when developing a smoothbore load.

Normally in a smoothbore, too large of a cushion wad tends to thin out a pattern by being blown forward into the back of the shot column at muzzle exit ...often a half wad, a smaller amount of wad, will give a tighter pattern than a full sized (heavier) wad...but just the opposite is actually the case when there's a Jug Choke involved.

Admin · Joined: Posts: 68

Thank you for the explanation.

I learned something new today. Very Happy