What might you change? Any change may reflect on the character of the load – so make only minor adjustments. If we are recreating the Mona Lisa, we don't want to use a mop to finish the details of her smile.

First, the Curmudgeon wants you to consider the weight of felt, fiber or an overshot card wads, a few tiny grains in most situations. These can be changed, in order to achieve a proper crimping height, without affecting character. In fact, if a proper crimp is achieved, where otherwise it would be deeply dished or uncloseable, you are in fact retaining the load's character.

A load designer has no idea what shot size you may select for your load. Pellet size will affect volume, even if the payload weight remains the same. Load designers consider target loads to be using "smaller" shot and field loads "larger" shot. How big and how small, exactly? Sometimes enough variability between designer and your reloading bench to put final fit out of whack.

If your load is using "smaller" sized shot, placing a wool-felt or a cork wad under the shot (usually in the bottom of the shotcup) will lift the shot column without disturbing the pressure curve.

Adding an overshot card (OS) or plastic seal (COS12) will improve crimps by providing a flat surface. Improved crimps deliver consistent shot to shot pressure which means consistent shot to shot patterns. Adding an OS card under the crimp take about the same volume as 1/16 ounces of small shot - hardly any. The COS12 sucks up about 1/8 ounces of small shot space. Do I use OS cards? Yes. "My crimps are better than your crimps…" (If you don't).

With regards to filler wads, often the 1/4" felt wad is very fluffy and two 1/8" felts may not quite make a 1/4" felt. The1/8" felt material is not made as starchy-stiff as thicker felt. And when it comes time for you to choose, it’s cork or wool felt – either way. Both almost too light weight to measure. One pellet of shot weighs far more than a filler wad.

Adding a filler wad is beneficial for hunting loads; a cushion under the shot in the wad makes for far easier crimping, allowing for load adjustment and setback, a condition for better patterning.

If the load is ridiculously low or high at the crimping station, consider putting this load aside until you are able to double check the formula. If still in doubt – check with the source, compare each component to that called for by the recipe. Use a scale, never trust bushings to represent a certain weight unless you've "seen it yourself."

The knowledgeable loader already knows to never change anything fundamental - the main components of a shotshell load. Don’t change the payload weight of the shot load, the amount or type of propellant, or the basic wad. Hull types also play key roles in load character and should not be changed.

The Curmudgeon's valuable dog training time was recently interrupted with this question:

"Will filler wads get caught in my barrel and blow up my shotgun?"

"WHAT?"

Please hold a mental image of the plastic wad or nitro card screaming along ahead of the propellant gas. The filler wads and OS cards are AHEAD of the plastic snowplow (i.e. wad). The wad and OS card cannot get behind the wad while traveling in the bore.

Everyone exits the room!

The Reloading Curmudgeon