Over Shot Cards

[Mike Robinson]

Have any of you tried using a thin ((0.030") over shot card, and if you have, did it affect the patterns? I bought some from Ballistic Products today, and will test them in the future when it warms up. They claim it will not affect the pattern, but I won't be convinced until I try them, or hear from some unbiased results.

Thanks,

Mike

[Questor]

My buddy the shotgun enthusiast has tried them and there is no change in his ability to hit targets. He has never tested the patterns though. I would never use them because there are plenty of ready-made wads out there that don't require the hassle of manipulating little disks, also I get really good patterns from plastic wads in good loads, so why add the hassle?

It used to be that cards had a place for people wanting to shoot lighter shot charges, but there are so many good options for wads today that that reason for using cards has gone away.

[Mike Robinson]

Questor:

Thanks for the comments.

I've shot over 325 patterns in the last two years, and the pattern percentages (within 30") at 40 yards have varied from 40% to over 85% using my Improved Modified tube with various hulls, primers, powders, powder weights (velocity), wads and wraps. I also look at the percent within the center 21". When it warms up to at least 40 degrees, I intend to try some of my better patterns (higher percentage) with and without buffer, and with and without over shot wads. I suspect that the over shot wads may help with a nicer looking crimp in some cases, but I doubt they will improve the pattern, in fact they may hurt.

I'm looking for comments on actual pattern results at 40 yards.

Thanks,

Mike

[.45 COLT]

I can't comment on an overshot wad under a folded crimp, I've never patterned that, but I've patterned roll crimped shells with very nice patterns. The overshot card used with them doesn't hurt the pattern at all, or it doesn't seem to. No holes in the pattern, fairly even distribution. No way of comparing - with a roll crimp, gotta have an overshot card.

DC

[mcwoodduck]

I have used them.
They work very well to make the shell fold right when you use a small amount of shot. 
They also work real well to make goofy joke rounds.
I will take a shell put in my standard powder load for a 1oz load, use an over the powder card, then use glitter, confetti, or the real pain in the butt streamers to make joke rounds. Then I use another over the powder card, drop the 1oz of shot and use an over the shot card to make the shell stay together.
We try to get them in each others shell bags as jokes at the trap club.  the glitter works real well under the lights but only creates a small cloud during the day.  But back to your question.  Even with using glitter as a wad the 1oz shells fly and break birds even from the 27 yard line.  i have never patterned a shotgun for bird shot, turkey and buck shot, sure but bird shot is bird shot and there are too many variables in a shot shell load to make them the same and get the same results out of every shell to worry.  Over the shot cards disapear.  I have not been able to find one down range.  I think the shot runs right through it and shreads it.  But you will need a high speed camera to know for sure.

[coyotejoe]

I do a sideline business of cutting jug chokes (recess chokes) in cylinder bore muzzleloaders. A muzzleloader of course requires an overshot card. I've gotten patterns of 85% in 30" and 63% in 21" at 40 yards so if the overshot card does any harm it sure can't be much.