doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com RST spreader loads?

How well do they work? I'd use them in a very full choked Lefever 20 gauge for quail.

Any loads Alex and Morris and crew crank out are tested to the 9th. power before offered to us-- I have been using their 12 and 20 loads since 2009, 100% satisfied. I have only used Poly-Wad spreaders in 12 gauge- in my re-barreled Smith 2E live bird gun- Full and Fuller- 32" ventilated rib- The Poly-Wads in the right barrel do offer a closer to modified pattern, but in my book- OK for SC, but for real pigeons and pass shooting, I like the F&F tight patterns.

Can't speak for quails here where I live in MI-- but I would not hesitate to use RST spreaders in your vintage LeFever 20 gauge. Years ago, when I had a good grouse dog and some productive coverts, I owned and shot a DS LeFever 20 bore- 28" DT- best grouse gun I ever owned, wish I had kept it--

Joe I have used there 12ga spreaders in a Wm Evans pigeon gun to shoot Skeet and I am a believer !!!!

I've shot a few patterns with the RST Spreaders #7 1/2 shot in 2 1/2" 16 ga 7/8 oz (.015" constriction choke) & 2 1/2" 12 ga 1 oz (.030" constriction choke) & compared them to the 28 gm Poly Wad Spreader loads in the same 16 & 12 ga bbls.

From my limited & non scientific testing the Poly Wad 28 gm loads definitely opened up more than the RST but the Poly Wads had some mighty big holes in the patterns @ 20 yds. while the RST Spreaders opened the pattern about 1 increment in choke & provided excellent patterns @ the same distance.

I'm planning on using the RST Spreaders in both of those bbls for grouse & woodcock this fall but I've had the 12 ga .030" bbl opened up to .018" & I need to pattern it again.

I suggest you talk to Alex Papp or Morris Baker @ RST. They can tell you what performance to expect out of a full choke.

I think both the Poly Wad & the RST Spreader loads have their place depending on what you are wanting to accomplish.

Agree with Brittany Man that the Polywads give you more "spread" than the RST spreaders. As he noted, depends on how much you want. And Jay at Polywad knows that sometimes the spreader loads will give weak centers. There are a couple of very easy solutions to that if you're reloading your own. One is to load a thin layer of shot on top of the spreader disc. The other is to modify the disc somewhat. I've done the latter, by punching 3 little half moons around the edge with a paper punch. Still gives good spread while filling the center.

Does anyone know the configuration of the spreader insert in the RSTs?

I'm thinking about opening one up to look. I have a flat of 28 gauge RST spreaders. My Arrizabalaga 28 has .039 in one barrel. I don't expect the spreaders to do much good in that one. The Parker Repro full choke is very tight also.

An Alabama friend who hunts grouse and woodcock here says he used spreaders once in his 28 gauge and wouldn't again for fear of hitting his dogs.

I just patterned 16G Polywad Doublewide #8's in my Simson 76E. The gun has .008" and .016" constrictions.
The patterns were very week and very very light in centers.
Bob Jurewicz

Can you guys help me with this because I'm not very smart, but why don't you just ream out the chokes or send your fine gun for choke tubes and just forget about these spreaders?? ;-)). Just kidding. Didn't someone many moons ago, maybe Orvis ?? make some spreaders with odd shaped shot? Maybe even square, but very out of round shot? It seems to me real soft, out of round shot would work pretty good as a spreader and maybe nO holes in the center of the pattern?? Anyone have any experience with this out of round shot?