Making your own can be a lot of fun.  You can make it out of buckskin with brass charger nozzles from Track Of The Wolf or you can make the whole thing from scraps in your shop.

Either way the result is both satisfying and a coversation piece.

I would guess the snakes, and the shot bag are of "English" style from the end on them.
 
Do you have a preference for the "English Style" over the "Irish Style" ??
 
I have tried many times to make a completed "shot cartridge" for the smoothbore, but that is a "tinkering man's" game for sure. VERY time consuming. But, should I ever master this little trick, I think I would stay with it...it could well be the better option..I'm not sure.
 
Anyway, having tried both the Enlish and the Irish, I have settled on the Irish for ease of operation in these old arthritic hands.
I still make a two part cartridge which seems to work just fine...1.25oz of shot in one bag, 85gr FFg in the other bag...and could be faster, maybe...than just loading from the shot bag.
 
I normally load 85gr FFg, then a OP wad, then a .250 fiber wad, then 1.25 oz shot, then two OS cards.....makes for a great Grouse, Quail, Chucker load.
 

 
 
The cartridges, two part cartridges, take a lot of time for me to put together and I haven't settled on a good paper yet for wrapping.
 
This should give you an idea of how I wrap that "cartridge".....
 

 
 
 
I use a little bit of pure Lanolin to lube the base of the completed "cartridge".
 
Like I said, It works..but dog gone, it's a slow process buillding these things.

You know RR, I shoot a 'paper cartridge' Sharps from time to time. I use 'flash paper' to make up the powder charge. I wonder what would be the effect if you took an 'over powder wad' and used it for a 'divider' in a 'flash paper' tube to separate the powder charge from the shot and yet have it all in one 'cartridge'?

You would then bite (rip open) the powder end, pour it down the bore and ram the shot end (with flash paper wadding) down on top. Might not even have to use an over shot card if you put some wax on top of the paper cartridge to 'seal' it.

Good Morning Jay.....Merry Christmas.


Where would I find "flash paper"?
I do quite a bit of "paper patching" for my 45-70, and I use an "onion skin" type paper that is 25% rag content with a thickness of about .002, I tried that but it was just too fragile, unless I just carried it to the range and layed it down where I could get to it easily....not really for hunting, or carrying around.

I'm using brown paper lunch bags. I tried "butcher paper" but that was too thick and stiff to manage properly.
My system of using two cartridges, one for powder, one for shot, them running the powder bag down on top of the shot has showed promise, but that requires rolling two bags also. Someone suggested using a "dime roll" and just folding it over but there is more to it than just that.

Maybe Alboy will get in on this and let us know what he's doing?

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

'Flash paper' can be had at your local magicians shop (prestidigitation?), Dixie Gun Works, Inc and I understand bookies use it to keep records on that can be 'flashed' if the cops beat down the door.

For 'wax' I would use melted beeswax (on the shot) and a touch of 'model glue' (I use Duco Cement) on the fold over the powder. It's listed as 'extremely flammable' as well.

Jay
 
With the flash paper do you still have to tear it to get consistent ignition?
 
Smokepole was showing me how he used this idea but as I remember he carried premeasured powder in film canisters with shot in paper rolls. He also mentioned that some friends of his used sticky notes paper of the appropriate size. The rest of his set up resembling what Jay pictured. Personally I have not persued the problem. Intend to some day.
 
For hunting I have found 10 shots available as always more than sufficent. That could change in a good dove or quail hunt but resupply from the truck so far has not been a problem. I find I shoot much less and hit more often because the slow reload makes me choose a much higher percentage shot before I commit.
 
Attached is my possibles bag with a hunting load for geese. The short capper holds 10 #11 caps. The powder measure is from a cut down 50 BMG case and throws 1 7/8 oz by volume. The two  tins are a small amount of 4F in case of moisture contamination I can "fuse" the offending nipple and extra caps. Nipple pic. Wide mouth pill bottle of shot that will hold a minimum of ten shot measures, I find screw top better in the field than pop off or child proof. A baggie of over shot cards which is the only carding or cushining I currently use.
 
Load is powder, 3 cards, shot, 1 card. Patterns very well in both of my sulphur burner shotguns. This is almost the simplest load possible and a good starting point for new shotgunners. Then get as complicated as needed to get you gun to shoot.

Oh yea and my nasty looking foot because of being on blood thinners makes me look bruised all the time.