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grouse gunner
PostPosted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 7:34 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 380
Location: Northeast Ohio

Has anybody ever done any actual patterning with either of these products? I am going to but can't until mid summer. I'm curious about improving the efficiency of my modified choke model 12 for skeet. It's murder when I am right on target but I think maybe I'm handicapping myself a bit on the real close ones. It's choked .009 and is a great all around crusher... feathers or clays. No plans at all to alter it.

I'll report my findings but it will be quite a while.

Any thoughts or input on the spreaders?

Thanks in advance.

GG
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texasbilly
PostPosted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:54 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Central Pennsylvania

I have used the X-treme spreader wads on 12 gauge, 16 gauge, 20 gauge, and 28 gauge shotshells. I have found them to give uniform, and significantly wider patterns in all my shotguns that have tighter chokes. Example includes an Improved Cylinder (equivalent) pattern from my tight Full chokes 16 gauge double.

Note when reloading, you will need to adjust the amount of shot normally loaded to accomodate the bulk of the X-treme spreader wad. Also, if loading 28 gauge shells, the outside of each petal must be trimmed to fit into the hull.

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hoashooter
PostPosted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 8:11 pm  Reply with quote
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If you have time trim the petals off a standard wad and it will open up the constriction also.Kind of a PITA --but will work for a small number of shells-don't know how much you plan to shoot.
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XVIgauge
PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 8:13 am  Reply with quote
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hoa,
I believe that Texasbilly is talking about triming each petal of the X spreader insert, not the petals of the wad itself.
XVI

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XVIgauge
PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:44 am  Reply with quote
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Sorry hoa,
I misread your post. Now I know what you mean. I have done that very thing to make brush loads or spreader loads. Works ok.
XVI

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texasbilly
PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 3:58 am  Reply with quote
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In an earlier mesaage, I wrote "if loading 28 gauge shells, the outside of each petal must be trimmed to fit into the hull". What that means is that the X-treme spreader insert will fit quite well into a 12, 16, and 20 gauge hull. However, it is too wide to fit into a 28 gauge hull. In that case, the outside edge of each spreader petal must be trimmed so it is small enought to fit. The trimming does not affect it overall performance.

At other times, I have employed the technique of using regular wads (WAA12, Remington R16, etc) and trimming off the shot cup petals. This leaves only the over-powder wad, and effectively opens the shot pattern. Though I have found the technique to work, the unprotected shot leaves an incredible amount of lead on the inside of the barrel. The effort required to remove the lead made me abandon this pattern spreading technique. Now I use only the X-treme spreader to open patterns.

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Keith Groen
PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 6:10 pm  Reply with quote
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Yesterday, I tried out a box of 16 gauge Spread-Rs I got from Polywad. I have a Cylinder, Mod, and Full choke barrel for my old 2 9/16 chamber A-5.

Compared to Kent Gamebores, the Polywad in the cylinder gave a super-wide, unusable pattern. The modified barrel with the Spread-R had a pattern a tad bit tighter than the cylinder barrel with Gamebores, and the full barrel with the Spread-R gave a pattern close to the modified with the Gamebores.

I think the Spread-R in my modified would be a nice skeet gun if I needed to shoot skeet with that barrel.

Hope that helps,
Keith
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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:17 am  Reply with quote
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I've been using the 16 ga. version Polywad spreader inserts which basically are identical to the inserts used in Polywad's factory loads. I'm pleased to say they work great. I'm getting a very nicely distributed Skeet/ IC pattern out of both my AyA Matador and my Ithaca 37 pump. both guns have full choke barrels. The Matty is actually full/extra full. Even that extra full barrel shoots a wide open pattern. They are the best solution I've found to the problem of fixed tight choked guns. I've tried them all over the years too and these Polywad inserts beat everything else hands down for both effectiveness and ease of loading IMO.

These inserts sit on top of the shot just above the ends of the shot cup petals with the stem down in the center of the shot column. They work by retarding the flow of the shot as it travels through the choke. The shot leaves the barrel in a much shorter stream which flares faster than the normally longer, narrower stream of shot exiting a full choked barrel. The stem is the secret. The shot impinges on it and keeps it trapped in place so the top of the insert holds the shot behind it until the plastic wad leaves the bore.

The inserts work to perfection if loaded right and are available in sizes from 12 ga down th 28 Ga. There is no need to trim to size for the 28 ga. In fact, Jay Menefee the owner recommends using the 20/28 ga size in the bigger ga shells to obtain tighter patterns than Skeet.

When used as the first shot out of a full choked repeater, the polywad insert based speader loads are just great. A second shell with the 28 ga insert will act like an open Modified pattern or like Skeet II. I'd then load a regular shell for the third shot if needed. This will turn that old full choked pump or auto shucker into nearly the equal of a good double gun for following shots--better if more than two are called for.

You can order direct from Polywad. Buying in bulk will save you quite a bit. They are downright cheap to use this way. Give Polywad a call. They are on the Web. The folks there will take good care of you and can quickly explain the very best way to use these wonderful little gizmos correctly everytime. Its easy, its cheap, and its effective. Can't get no better than that. Try them.
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cedar16
PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 9:32 am  Reply with quote
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Grousegunner, I don't shoot skeet, but I can say that handloading the polywad inserts for grouse and woodcock really works, been using them for 10 years or so. My 16-ga IC barrel typically shoots 50% patterns at 40 yards. With the inserts, the pattern at 15 yards nicely covers the 30-inch circle and a bit more. It opens the modified barrel nearly as much. They are easy to handload, and if you have hulls with split crimps, just shorten the hull and roll crimp using the polywad insert as a top wad--in fact, I roll crimp all my spreaders--makes for quick ID in the field.

I have also loaded the BP spreader wad for a friend's tightly choked 12 gage, with similar results--turned his duck gun into a usable grouse gun.
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Citori16
PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 9:09 am  Reply with quote
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I use the Polywads for hunting and clays...makes a big difference. You can get lazy though with the Spred-R's, as I found out last season when I ran out of SPRED-R loads and went to regular...missed way more Woodcock than I'd like to admit Embarassed .

They are also handy for roll crimping.

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