I do not place a hole or notch in my cards. I like to hear the "hiss" coming through the vent or nipple, as the compressed air escapes. I feel that the compressed air helps to get the powder into the vent or the nipple for faster ignition and it also blows the vent or nipple clean. I just hold the ram rod down a little as I prepare for the next item to go down the barrel. I have not had a problem. It is just something that after awhile, you get used to and do it. I have tried all kinds of homemade and modern shotgun wad or cups to try yo get a tighter pattern. None, seemed to work for me consistently. Some shots would go to the patterning board in the form of a slug and then some shots would work beautiful. But, I never got repeatable patterns. I am not a scientist, so I can only report what works for me. It seems as if shot cups, need a constriction in the muzzle, to "pull" them out of the shot stream, to get consistent patterns. I feel if you want to get consistent patterns, you have to forget to a degree, what you know about modern guns with restriction chokes. You want your components to be light and able to flutter out of the shot stream very rapidly. I have no knowledge using a jug choke.
