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I have a couple of questions:

1) How is the Poly-Wad spreader any different than the over shot card I use in my roll crimp loads, besides the little pin in the center? How does it work to promote load spreading?? What can be expected for good results?? Can you gain a complete choke restriction?? Go from modified to inproved cylinder??

2) What do you have to do to tighten up a load?? I already use plastic shot cups, is there a powder / wad / hull combination known to make for a tighter load??

Thanks, rudyc

I was always told that to tighten a load you either:

a. used harder plated shot (or steel)
b. used some form of buffer in the shot cup
c. slowed down the loads velocity
d. I've also been told that you should use a plastic wad.

You'll have to experiment with your particuar gun and situation, but any one or all three together should tighten up you patterns. Letter d. above is in reference to the oldtimers that I've hung around with over the years. All of them claimed that when the plastic wad was developed, it made all the chokes at least a step tighter (i.e. Mod to Full). Don't know if this is true, as I'm from the era of the plastic wad and have never tried fiddling with fiber shot cups and such.

Can't help you much on the poly wad spreders and such, I've always used the promo loads or loaded cheap chilled shot and stepped up the velocity a bit if I wanted spreader type loads. It has worked well enough for me over the years so as not to try anything else.

*Last edited by brdhnt on Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:44 am; edited 1 time in total*

Rudy,

I've done quite a bit of work with the Poly spreaders and have access to some other tests also. THe plastic post divides the shot charge and starts separating it as soon as it starts out of the barrel. I have found in modern guns that it will open the choke usually one degree. In some of the tighter barrel dimensioned and tighter choked older guns, it will open it several degrees. There is no discernible table that will tell what it will do in your gun. You will just have to try some and see. They do work though and Polywad has tried them in a bunch of different guns and loads and they do what they are advertised to do.

To tighten up your loads, work up a good load (mid-range for the choke) and then try using different shot. In my experience, chilled shot gives the good patterns, hard shot (4-6% antimony) tightens it up, copper plated shot tightens it even more and nickel plated shot not only tightens up the overall pattern but also the center core density.

Hope this helps.

TMB
________
Herbal store

Having used the Poly wad spreader insert for several seasons now, I've come to really depend on them for closer in work, even in some of my more open choked guns. They work very well and are dependable as the sunrise. they have prevented me from pureeing more than a few birds with too tight a pattern in close. Makes for much better table fare. the inserts are also very useful on a skeet range too if your gun is tightly choked

I also got the skinny on how they work from the owner and inventer, Jay Menefee himself. The insert pin is the secret. The shot impinges on it and keeps the disc trapped in front of the shot until the column leaves the barrel. This obstruction in the front of the shot column forces it to remain a very short, compact one until its free of the muzzle. Once free, the shot column upsets itself as the pellets crash into each other and start scattering sideways. This causes the column to spread very quickly.

Its the opposite of what a full choke does which is to string out the column so the pellets draft behind each other in a more orderly fashion. The enlongated column and does not spread as quickly as a short one once its out of the barrel, because the pellets do not bang into each other as much. Hope this helps you understand how the inserts work--and how your chokes work too. Open chokes throw shorter, quicker spreading columns. Full chokes throw longer, slower spreading columns. Now, you know why.

Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Carroll County, Oh.

I use the polywad disk also and have great results with lead shot. I wonder has anyone tried them with bismuth shot? Would the shot be to fragile? Would the shortened shot column cause a problem at the choke? The shotguns I use the in are Rem. 1900 12 ga., Lefever Nitro 16 ga. & 20 ga. The Rem. was my fathers and the 16 was my grandfathers.

I don't think the plastic stem or pin will cause any problems with bismouth. It's made of the same material as most plastic wads. Any damage to Bismouth shot usually is done in the choke and also during the setback that occurs when the powder charge goes off. Setback compaction causes the shot column to crush the bottom layers of shot. The spreader disc is on top and would not add greatly to this setback damage.

Plastic shot buffer minimizes the setback damage as well as a thin felt wad in the bottom of the shot cup. The buffer also helps the shot flow better through tighter choke constrictions.

If I were using bismouth and needed more spread, I'd try the Polywad spreader and use less choke to boot. I've found these inserts will help open up even an IC or tighter skeet choke to some degree. Using a lighter shot charge is also a mart idea to limit pellet damage to close in game birds.