12 gauge reloading

[welsh95]

Hello, I am new to the hobby of casting and reloading ammo and had a few questions. The question I did have incase anyone were to know the answer was the shells I bought came pre primed and are high brass 2 3/4 inch. The wads I bought are CB1138-12, I have a lee 1oz slug casting mold and the primers are regular Winchester 209. From my reloading book it only shows 1 1/8oz shot weight with the wads and primers that match and it calls for Blue Dot smokeless powder. My only concern is because the slugs are only 1oz will the powder load be to much without the extra 1/8oz it calls for?

[Xfire68]

There is data out there for the Lee 1oz. You can not fudge the recipe here or there with shotgun loads. It's not as forgiving as handgun or rifle reloading.

Once you find the data buy the components listed and follow the recipe.

[g.willikers]

It might be tempting to get creative, because shotguns aren't real high pressure weapons, but the barrels aren't very thick, either.
So, it's important to follow the load recipes very closely.
If the load date doesn't include your components, it's probably wise not to use them in that combination.

[Xfire68]

I just did a search and this is the best I have seen posted to date.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/load14_04_25.htm

[Xfire68]

Ah go figure! The darn PT1205 wad is discontinued!

[Kosh75287]

I'm not really sure of where the commonalities between shotshell reloading and that of rifle or pistol cartridges, however, when a given powder charge for a heavier projectile is loaded with a lighter projectile, the result is usually lower pressure and performance. I doubt that the powder charge would be "too much", but the performance you seek may not be obtained.

In rifle and pistol cartridges, part of this is attributable to the powder charge burning in a space that is now larger from the lighter projectile occupying less of the cartridge's internal volume. Whether the same effect obtains in a shot shell isn't something I know much about. If the shot wad is in the same position vs. the powder charge with either slug weight, results with the slug you propose to use might closely resemble results expected with the slug weight listed.

[Xfire68]

Kosh75287, with shot shells simply lowering or increasing powder is a big no no. The rules that apply in metallic reloading do not in shot shells or at least not in the same ways.

There is no working up a load in shot shells. Short of being a expert with pressure equipment one needs to follow recipes as they are written.

Yes you will see some say they have done this or that with shot shells but they are dancing with the devil.

[Kosh75287]

Well, let me be clear on two points:

1.) I explained at the outset, that I was unsure of how similar shotshell reloading was to rifle & pistol cartridges.

2.) The OP's question was about varying the "payload", not the powder charge, and at no time did I advocate changing either, and particularly not the latter.

I have no doubt that switching out wads and powders willy nilly is to invite disaster. But (and this is a question, not an argument) if the wad & powder/ charge are kept constant, what IS the worst outcome of substituting a 1.0 ounce slug for a 1.125 oz. slug?

[Xfire68]

No if you read what he said he was wondering if the powder would be too much for the lighter slug.

My only concern is because the slugs are only 1oz will the powder load be to much without the extra 1/8oz it calls for?

So his concern is about the powder charge. He has a Lee 1oz mold and has cast these. I am pretty sure he is not looking to change out the slug but rather finding a suitable load to work with the Lee 1oz.

[oldandslow]

w95,

As others have mentioned shotgun reloading is quite a bit different from metallic rifle and pistol reloading. When I first started reloading 12 gauge slugs for pig hunting with my Rem 870 I found most of the answers at the "slug casting and reloading" forum at www.castboolits.gunloads.com. If you do a search over there you can usually find the info you need for safe loading. If you need help they are quite friendly at answering queations.

Another source of slugs and loading info is at www.ballisticproducts.com.

After trying multiple different smooth bore slugs and loads and being unable to get the accuracy I needed (3" or less groups at 50 yards) I finally bought a Savage rifled barrel for my 870 and started casting 770 grain full-bore slugs from molds made by www.accuratemolds.com. They shoot cloverleaf patterns at 50 yards with a 2-8 power Leupold VX3 scope and work well on pigs.

Slug casting and reloading can be a frustrating experience but things usually work well if you keep plodding along.

merry Christmas- oldandslow

[hartcreek]

You are new to reloading so you need to follow a recipe. Substituting wads can get you into trouble real fast. Dispite what others say here shotgun loads can be worked up......the problem is that you lack the experience loading. The best thing for you to do is get the proper wads to load you slugs.

[hartcreek]

Kosh the problem is that his wad will be for a specific powder charge range and he needs to find reloading specifications for using that wad with an ounce plus shot charge.

[dahermit]

Dispite what others say here shotgun loads can be worked up.

Name one authority (powder company, handbook, ballistics lab), that says it is o.k. to do that.

[BigJimP]

Don't be an amateur chemist...you cannot work up loads for shotguns...you need to follow the published recipes exactly. ( I've been reloading shotshells for many, many years / and I shoot about 15,000 shells a year in a variety of shotgun gagues )...not saying I'm an expert, but I know a little about it ...

If you have a 1oz slug...then find a 1oz recipe.../ start with the hull ..then the powder...then the primer and wad.../ you cannot mix hulls, wads or primers - not all 209 primers are the same, not all wads are the same, not all hulls are the same.../ find the velocity you want in the reloading tables...and match the powder drop to the velocity you want in the tables.

and you might find that reloading slugs is way more work than its worth - unless you're going to shoot a few hundered a month at least...!

[Kosh75287]

No if you read what he said he was wondering if the powder would be too much for the lighter slug.

Yup, I did read what the OP said. Unless I've lost the ability to parse sentences, the question implicitly postulates the powder charge not changing, and the projectile in published data being substituted for one of less weight, hence the term "lighter".

My only concern is because the slugs are only 1oz will the powder load be to much without the extra 1/8oz it calls for?

My degree isn't in English, but I'm usually pretty good with sentence structure and grammar. The first element of the recipe he proposed to change was the slug weight. He might be contemplating alteration of charge weight in light of having changed the slug weight, but the first quantity change I saw mentioned was that of the projectile.

Bottom line is, it's apparently bad Ju-Ju to deviate from shot shell data at all, so I'll defer to those in this string who have probably LOADED more shotgun ammo than I've yet shot. But am I wrong in postulating that, of all the components in a shot shell, switching from a heavier slug to a slightly lighter one is the least problematic?

[Nathan]

Well, whoa there!!

There are slug recipes and they work. I am using 3" WIN shells, Lyman 525 slugs in WT-12 wads. That is a book recipe. The powders are slower like blue dot and SR-4756.

The key is to get your wad/slug fit right to the barrel, then increase powder until you have reliable pressure and performance. If it were this easy, we would all do it. The struggle is as pressure increases, the wads deform, slugs deform, crimps fail, or pressure spikes/flatlines for no reason....

[hartcreek]

dahermit

I can give you four.

George Leonard Herter The Complete Handbook Of Methods and Data For Reloading Rifle, Pistol, And Shotgun Shells

Hercules Incorporated
Loaders' Guide
Hercules Smokeless Powders

The Lyman Gun Site Corp
Ideal Handbook
Reloading Ammunition
Number 38

Hodgedon Basic Loading Data



The OP wants to load shotgun slugs. The slugs weigh 1 oz. His load data is for a heavier projectile.

From my own experience I would have no problem loading those slugs BUT I use different wads so I can not say that his wads will work. I have not loaded slugs. I have loaded various charges of buckshot and found that as long as I uses certain wads and only varied the weight of the shot I had no problems but then I was using primarily Mossberg 500 and Marlin Model 19 shotguns.

Just because one works up a load in one shotgun does not mean that that load can be used in another shotgun brand.

For example my 000 12 gage load works fine in substancial shotguns such as the Mossberg 500 BUT that same loading will tear the lug off of a NEF/ H&R shotgun with just one shot.

When one loads slugs they have to have the correct barrel and the did not state what shotgun/ barrel combination he was planning on using.

[dahermit]

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