Loading a Pedersoli Howdah Hunter 20 Gauge...

Over powder cards need to be 18 gauge, around .645” and stiff to serve as a gas seal. For shot, you will use a fiber wad as a cushion above the over powder card. It will help keep the shot from deforming and give better patterns. A little lube on the fiber wad will diminish fouling. With ball, the ball, wrapped in a lubed patch will be loaded over the over powder card.

Circle Fly make a whole array of cards and fiber wads.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/171/1

Over powder cards are hard, like .125” thick, never ever lubed. Fiber wads are like 0.5” thick and soft. You can lube the top of the fiber wad but don’t go overboard.

I think that some folks split their fiber wads in half when they're really thick to get twice as many wads out of them and as a way to conserve them.

Here's an extensive review that shows loading and firing it.
hickok45 admits that his experience is limited, but there's always something to learn by watching others doing it.
He said that he soaked his wads in Ballistol which one of the primary ingredients is like a pharmaceutical grade [laxative] mineral oil.
That same ingredient is in Bore Butter.

i have a very nice percussion 45 cal kentucky type pistol. when i carry it in my truck for protection i use 30 grain of powder and a couple of wads the two round balls on the wads then a patched round ball on top to hold it all in place. it is not ment for 20 yard shooting but close up and it will do the job. i know it is only one shot but it wont miss and will give a chance to get out of their fast after the first shot. if you think it cant happen to you i have had really rally bad dudes twice in my life try to corner me in so they could get at me in my life on a lonely hiway. i got away but if i couldnt the gun i had would come into action. also had a drugged out guy try to stop me buy contant slowing down in front of me and not letting me pass. he wanted me. when i showed him my ithaca pump police 12 gauge he defecated his pants, hit his brakes and turned aroiund and shot the blank out of their as fast as his old long boat type car could go. you howda will be a good companion. dont over load it and put 3 balls with wads infront of the modest charge. it would make it a good companion on a rural high way trip. their are bad guys every wheres even out in the wide open spaces. one just shot out a back window of one of my pickups from the road. as i posted elswheres.

Texasgrillchef said:

1/8" thick fiber wads
1/4" thick fiber wads
1/8" thick cork wads
1/2" fiber wads.

Now my question is this, as i have seen about a fozen different options to loading.

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I don 't personally know from experience, but some guys are reporting that they are doing well with tighter patterns from a cylinder bore shotgun with a fiber wad over top of the shot. So, I'd be trying a lubed 1/2" wad between powder and shot, and then try the 1/4" and then the 1/2" on top of the shot, instead of an overshot card. I'd probably use 55 grains of 2Fg and 3/4 ounce of shot.

LD

Loyalist Dave said:

I don 't personally know from experience, but some guys are reporting that they are doing well with tighter patterns from a cylinder bore shotgun with a fiber wad over top of the shot. So, I'd be trying a lubed 1/2" wad between powder and shot, and then try the 1/4 are reporting that they are doing well with tighter patterns from a cylinder bore shotgun with a fiber wad over top of the shot. So, I'd be trying a lubed 1/2" wad between powder an" and then the 1/2" on top of the shot, instead of an overshot card. I'd probably use 55 grains of 2Fg and 3/4 ounce of shot.

LD

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Perhaps I misunderstood, but I would discourage use of a lubed wad over powder without an overpowder card. The hard overpowder card serves as a gas seal and keeps lube away from powder.