doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Light Loads & Using Over Shot cards

Is there a preferred way to use Over Shot Cards with light loads? They do help me get better crimps on lighter loads, but some suggest that the card should go under the shot charge rather than on top. Does the over shot card adversely effect the pattern of the shotshell to any degree?

I use heavy paper instead overshot cards, which are thicker. I put over the shot, since I am just trying to insure no shot leaks out. My test indicate no pattern effect.

An over-the-shot wad could interfere with the pattern, but how much and the significance of the interference would have to be determined. A wad under the shot charge is for taking up space. I think corn mill is sometimes used. Over the shot is usually to keep the shot from falling out of a rolled, crimped, or Hardin crimped hull. I have loaded 3/4 ounce loads in a 12 gauge but used no filler or overshot wad, so it depends specifically on the load data. I think the wads I used held a range of 3/4 to 7/8 ounce.

Overshot legume



Perfect crimps
7/8 oz lead and a pinto bean in a windjammer 1 oz wad in a Federal 2 3/4" paper hull

Putting a Cheerio on top of the shot works for me. This is for loading 3/4 oz shot using CB1075-12 wad and Remington hulls, and Perfect Pattern powder. When I used Titewad the stack height was adequate to give a good crimp, but with the denser Perfect Pattern I got dished crimps. The Cheerio works well, and I have also used 16 gauge overshot cards (easier to get into a previously crimped hull than 12) which also solved the problem, but the Cheerio works fine, and is cheaper. The shape of this wad, with a post in the base of the shot cup, would not work well with putting anything in under the shot. Putting a few grains of rice in the cup under the shot would work, as it would fit into the recess around the post, but the Cheerio is easier and works well. I doubt it has much adverse effect on the pattern of #9 shot, and for me these are just for skeet practice anyway.

crimped, or Hardin crimped hull. It is Hartin, not HarDin just fyi

Thanks for sharing your thoughts-Mostly shooting skeet and have a bunch of 20 ga. overshot cards and will use up my large supply of CB wads.

Thanks. I typed Hartin and spell check corrected it, and I couldn't bother.