- Joined
- Jul 15, 2022
- Messages
- 468
- Reaction score
- 728
I came across something and wanted to share my findings. Might be nothing new not sure, but here it goes. I have a bunch of 12 ga shot cups that I harvested out of older 3-1/2" shells that a neighbor gave me. He was going to dispose of them as the brass and primers were very corroded from several years of hunting waterfowl. After cutting the shells open to harvest the steel shot and shot cups (which is what I was really after) I used these shot cups in my Knight TK2000 and started patterning this gun. I have over powder, cushion wads, and over shot cards that I'm using with these shot cups. I shot several shots at 30 & 40 yds, only to find the patterns very erratic. Off to one side, then high. There was no consistency. I then took a closer look at the shot cups, and noticed that one of the four slits cut in the cup was not as deep as the other 3 slits. I looked at the all of the cups, and they were all consistent with one slit cut shallower than the other three. I thought for a second, could this be a possible answer to my erratic patterns?
So here's what I came up with. I measured the deepest cut slits from the base of the cup, and took a forstner bit and drilled a hole in a piece of scrap walnut I had laying in the shop to that measurement. I then put each shot cup into the block, and cut all the slits with an exacto knife to the same depth. Back to the range.
I loaded up the TK with my load (90 grs Pyro Select, over powder card, cushion wad, shot cup and 2oz of #5 Lead shot, then 2 overshot cards. set the pattern board at 30 yds, and shot! HOLY COW, absolutely awesome pattern. New piece of paper, loaded up, shot again! Same results. I didn't shoot at 40 yds as I know any turkey at 40 will be in serious trouble with my patterns at 30 yds.
So, have any of you ever done anything like this? I cannot believe that having ONE SLIT cut shallow would make such a difference, but it really did!
So here's what I came up with. I measured the deepest cut slits from the base of the cup, and took a forstner bit and drilled a hole in a piece of scrap walnut I had laying in the shop to that measurement. I then put each shot cup into the block, and cut all the slits with an exacto knife to the same depth. Back to the range.
I loaded up the TK with my load (90 grs Pyro Select, over powder card, cushion wad, shot cup and 2oz of #5 Lead shot, then 2 overshot cards. set the pattern board at 30 yds, and shot! HOLY COW, absolutely awesome pattern. New piece of paper, loaded up, shot again! Same results. I didn't shoot at 40 yds as I know any turkey at 40 will be in serious trouble with my patterns at 30 yds.
So, have any of you ever done anything like this? I cannot believe that having ONE SLIT cut shallow would make such a difference, but it really did!