Many UK shooters will already be familiar with the Shooting Shed www.shootingshed.co.uk Proprietor Dave, with the help of wife Christel, also runs the UK Full-bore forum – see
The ‘Shed’ has been going a couple of years I suppose and kicked-off when Dave volunteered to make one or two hard to get bits and pieces for shooters. The first one I saw was a rear bag-rider. It was fitted to stock that a shooter had asked me to modify. It was when removing said bag-rider that I notice how nicely made and finished it was and how well it was fixed!
Anyway, have a look at the Shooting Shed website and you will find lots of other interesting bits and bobs which we all use – when we can get hold of them!
Dave is also involved in a unique ‘tubegun’ rifle, which I briefly got to see at the Bisley F Class Europeans last year and I’m hoping that he will shortly supply some more information on this interesting project so that we can run a feature in Target Shooter. Unlike many tubeguns – this is not simply a tube with an action slotted in – the action is a structural part of the rifle. With the addition of one or two accessories it can quickly be adapted to almost any discipline.
But, the purpose of this article is to review perhaps the smallest accessory offered by the Shed. If you use one of the excellent RCBS Chargemaster powder-throwers for your reloading you will occasionally become frustrated when the thrower persists in throwing ‘overloads’. This is only an occasional problem – I still wouldn’t be without my Chargemaster – but it is worse with certain powders.
Scan the internet forums and you will see a variety of ‘cures’ suggested – the ‘McDonald’s straw’ being the favorite (didn’t work for me!). The problem comes about as the powder is shunted along a rotating horizontal dispenser tube – bit like a powder trickler. As the scale gets close to the chosen weight and ‘asks’ for a single grain, the tube occasionally dumps a whole clump – producing the overload! Typically, in say 25 rounds, you will get one or two overloads but this can be worse with certain powders.
The Shooting Shed’s fix involves a small aluminium bush which is a nice push-fit into the end of the dispensing tube – and somehow solves the problem. Dave charges a tenner for this simple fix – which includes postage – a bargain I promise you. Yes, I could turn one up myself in a few minutes and, after a few attempts, I’d probably get the correct shape but, Dave’s done all the hard work for you so fork out a tenner and be done!
