12 gauge nitro cards

[Redgum]

I don't do an aweful lot of 12gauge reloading, I inherited the press and twenty kilo's of shot so slowly using that for the bit of pigeon shooting I do. Just finished the tub of Green dot off, and what a pleasant powder to use, great pattern and it really does feel 'soft' recoil wise. Now starting on the Red dot and am reducing shot down from 32gr to 28 so can use same powder bushing. To get a good crimp on the cartridge I need to increase wad length, I can do this by using two slightly smaller wads that I have instead of one longer one and a nitro card. Will leaving out the nitro card make alot of differance on a pigeon load.

[Lord Geordie]

I don't do an aweful lot of 12gauge reloading, I inherited the press and twenty kilo's of shot so slowly using that for the bit of pigeon shooting I do. Just finished the tub of Green dot off, and what a pleasant powder to use, great pattern and it really does feel 'soft' recoil wise. Now starting on the Red dot and am reducing shot down from 32gr to 28 so can use same powder bushing. To get a good crimp on the cartridge I need to increase wad length, I can do this by using two slightly smaller wads that I have instead of one longer one and a nitro card. Will leaving out the nitro card make alot of differance on a pigeon load.

Bearing in mind your Nitrocard is your gas seal I wouldn't miss it out.

[Redgum]

Just adding an extra nitro card would make up the differance with the original sized wad I'm using, or setting to with my other stock with a razor blade would do the same. Hoping that the Red dot works as well as the Green dot, with a 32gram load of 71/2 shot the Green dot made for a deadly pigeon load that was very low on recoil. I normally use 32gr kent velocity's 6's for pigeons but as the reloading gear didnt cost me anything I started reloading 32gr greendot with 71/2 shot, even with the smaller shot I was surprised on how hard hitting these were at the ranges I shoot at and sometimes further. Its a shame it costs so much to reload otherwise I would stay with the green dot (have two full tubs of red dot to use up)

[fruitloop]

if you leave the over powder card out you will make a damp squib load .

as the cushion wad will fall apart before it gets to full pressure if you have a wad punch just cut out some thinner nitro cards

[Vince Green]

Green Dot with 32g and fibre wads is such a quality load. Its worth paying the extra, cheapest isn't everything. It reminds me very much of the old Nobel 80 powder. All I can say about the nitro card is if it wasn't important the cost conscious cartridge companies would have found a way of doing without it and they haven't.

[Redgum]

Thanks for all the great advice, like I said I don't reload shotgun carts normally due to cost but I do load alot of centrefire, completely differant worlds. I will try the red dot as I have two pound of the stuff to use but if not happy will invest in some green dot. As a young lad I loaded hundreds of 12gauge for the old chap but we used plastic wads so not much experience with fibre. All makes perfect sense using the nitro cards. Had a quick look at clay and game to price up components for going back to loading shotgun and not buying carts but I worked it out it would cost me over a pound a box more to reload and finding the time is another factor. Certainly brings back some good memories of when the press was new and the day I was first allowed to reload for my father in his old office. Whether shotgun or centrefire I do find it very satisfying using homeloaded ammo.

[Guest cookoff013]

if you look at the nitro cards after firing, they take one hell of a beating. as you would agree, put 10000psi through something and its going to change.

i never reload fibre without them.

 

infact, there are some cartridges made with 2 nitro cards, to change the stack height......

[clakk]

the only place ive seen people not use em are on shotgun world the american forum some of the peeps on there only use 2 fibre wads instead of a nitro cards .they dont give a good reason really for doing this but as yer man said that card is your gas seal.they say it works but would u risk blocking your barrell with a misfire for a pennies worth of card

[sitsinhedges]

I don't really see how nitro cards seal in the same way that obturators do. A fibre wad would have far more capacity to expand and seal the bore with the nitro card just providing something with sufficient strength to support and push the wad out without obliterating it.

 

IMO, of course.

[Lord Geordie]

The nitro card forces the wad against the shot. The wad then expands under pressure to help seal.

 

Without the nitrocard the pressure behind the wad could simply obliterate the wad, more so if it's the type of wads I was given recently. Paper mulch type. There is a huge cloud of confetti upon firing but they do a fab job.