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Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

I have a Sweet 16 Belgium A-5, choked a tight MOD that I really like but I keep shooting 23's at skeet with it; I need to open the pattern a bit. It's a fine pheasant/duck gun, all original and I don't want to have the choke opened up. My load is 1 oz. #9's in a Rem black GL hull. Which 16 ga. spreader wad would be best to use; how much are they and where can I get them; thanks !

Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 171 Location: western PA

If you are wanting a skeet or grouse load, I would try the Polly wad spreader and pattern them. I find that they can really open up the pattern on the tightly choked gun. If you only want to open it up a little, or if it patterns more like a modified or light mod, then I would try BPI's x-stream spreader. They don't open the pattern as much as Polly wad spreaders, but make a more evern pattern on the more open chokes. Polly wad spreaders seam to have a even pattern when used with tight chokes. At least that is what I have found with my guns. Someone else may have had different experiences with a different gun.

www.pollywad-shotgun-shells.com and www.ballisticproducts.com

Ben

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2350 Location: West MI

[quote="Wolfchief"]I have a Sweet 16 Belgium A-5, choked a tight MOD that I really like but I keep shooting 23's at skeet with it; I need to open the pattern a bit. It's a fine pheasant/duck gun, all original and I don't want to have the choke opened up. My load is 1 oz. #9's in a Rem black GL hull. Which 16 ga. spreader wad would be best to use; how much are they and where can I get them; thanks ![/quote]

I have experienced exactly the same effect with the 2 different spreader devices that Ben has. A guy I know put broken golf tees in the shot to act as a spreader along the lines of a polywad spread-r, seemed to work but displaced too much shot for what I do. Currently I use the polywad spread-r purchased from precision reloading http://www.precisionreloading.com but I think you can get them direct from PW. They open the pattern just right and act as an overshot card for the roll crimp. Another suggestion is to experiment with augmenting the petals on the wad you use. I cut the petals off of the BP's SG-16 creating a "brush wad" it works great. Although I'm not sure the SG-16 will fit in the Rem hull, I load BP's multi hull and spent Federal/Estate hulls. Hope this helps, Mike

Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 19

I've dealt with Jsy ever since he got started. I use his spredr inserts in 12, 16, 20 and 28 reloads. Great company to deal with. I'd vary the component and powder charges to effect the sort of variation you want.

Member Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 279 Location: Mn

Hi: I use the polywad and feel it is effective and easy to load. By the way, it is cheaper to buy them direct from polywad, though you have to buy a thousand at a time(can be in different gauges) Charlie

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Wolfchief,are you missing the same birds on the same stations?Is this a low/high house problem?If you are hitting 23 my bet/guess is you are shooting behind and or slightly below the low birds.If possible work on the ones you are missing with someone who has a clue watching where you are shooting.I'm not sure spreaders wil cure the problem here--not to pick on you but if you are behind the bird a miss is a miss Embarassed

Keep that barrel moving Cool

what Beesley said. Jay Menefee and company are a pleasure to do business with and their product is top notch.

Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 76 Location: north Texas

I've used several brands of the little cardboard X's (and even my own homemade ones when I ran out) to open up patterns in tightly-choked barrels. First time I patterned 'em, I was pleasantly surprised when they actually worked! Percentages vary with gauge, shot size, and amount of choke restriction you begin with. Seemed to me that the tighter the choke, the better they work.

The little poly wad posts look like they'd work even better, but I'm too cheap to buy that many of them when I can buy or make my own cardboard X's for the few rounds that require them.

xtm

Can anyone tell me how much shot the spreaders displace in a given load? Eg. the spreaders take up the same space as 1/8 oz of shot so instead of loading an ounce you load 7/8 oz plus spreader.

Also what difference to pressure and velocity do the spreaders make? Is there a simple calculation that allows you to put a spreader into pretty much any load and work out pressure and velocity?

Many thanks
Ross

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 1545 Location: Michigan

Kiwishooter,

I only have experience with the Polywad spreader insert.

If you wanted a 7/8 oz. spreader load. You would find a 1 oz. load that meets the specs. your looking for. The using this data, load the 7/8 oz. load with the spreader insert. By doing this, the FPS and the PSI should stay close to the given 1 oz. data.

Thanks Dave - just what I was looking for.

Ross

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

HOA: I appreciate your comment, but realistically, I think you would agree that a tight MOD choke is going to be more of a challenge to break the close-in skeet targets (some as close as 7-10 yards when you hit them) with than skeet, cyl, or IC would be...if that weren't true, then the competitors would be shooting field guns, Invector chokes would be moot, and people would be breaking 25 and 50 straight with just any old tight-choked field gun they happen to have. You see that some times with the very excellent shots, but not too darn often...if straights could be shot consistently with MOD and FULL chokes, you'd be seeing those guns used often on the line; we both know that's not the case...that having been said, your advice is noted and thanks to all....

Member Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 450 Location: Indiana

Wolfie

The next time I'm at the skeet range I'll bring my hacksaw and welder. We will cut 2" of the end. If that is two much we will cut 1/4" of the 2" part and weld it back on till we get the right choke. If you are still have trouble then I will let you shoot those misses with my LC. If you miss then you have a honest excuse. Old 16

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

Hey Oldie: I guess we learn something every day...a week ago I bought a Citori grade 6 , 26" barrel, fixed chokes IC/Mod, in 28 ga. This weekend, shot 2 25-straights with it at skeet...but I still say open chokes are best for skeet. Give me a call and let's go to the Nappanee gun show on 3/29...

Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 19