Does anyone load Minie ball for shotguns?

Oleg Volk · December 19, 2000, 02:00 AM

Seems to me that a round ball with a driving band would be just the ticket for rifled shotguns. Cheaper by far than sabot slugs and not much less accurate. Any reason why it isn't offered in factory loads?

I imagine it would be lighter than a comparable rifled slug (as light as a sabot slug) so they user could get lower recoil OR higher velocity with a flatter trajectory (basically 20ga recoil out of a 12ga while keeping a large wound channel).

Dave McC · December 19, 2000, 06:11 AM

It's been done before,Oleg....

First, a Minie projectile is not round, it's an elongated projectile that's pointed on the front and hollowbased. Very similiar to a Forster type.

Second, Eley and Kynoch used to offer round balls with driving bands for 4-12 bore rifled guns. Some were hollow, so one could fill them with black powder, or maybe black pepper(G).

The old "Punkin Ball" loads were plain round balls,roughly bore diameter. Later the name carried over to Forster type loads...

kerth · December 19, 2000, 08:39 AM

Oleg,

If your looking for a low cost projectile for a rifled shotgun I suggest the Lee "drive key " slug. It's available in 1 oz & 7/8 oz, loads in 2 3/4" hulls and utilizes a WAA12 wad as a sabot. My Mossberg 500 with rifled barrel throws a 1 oz slug at 1,620 fps and has pie plate accuracy to 75 yards (off hand/iron sights). I also have a reduced load for my non hunting season woods gun (snakes, varmits and such), it's a 12 ga NEF pardner cut to 11.5" length of pull/ 18" bbl (very light!). Velocity is ~1,000 fps and recoil is mild in the 500, tolerable in the NEF.

kerth

Cowgunner · December 20, 2000, 06:15 PM

try http://www.sixguns.com a writer has an article about loading round balls in his shotgun

Oleg Volk · December 20, 2000, 07:17 PM

But I can't find the link you mention. Could you post it?

December 20, 2000, 07:17 PM	#5
Oleg Volk Staff Alumnus Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 7,022	Great site But I can't find the link you mention. Could you post it?

December 19, 2000, 02:00 AM	#1
Oleg Volk Staff Alumnus Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 7,022	Seems to me that a round ball with a driving band would be just the ticket for rifled shotguns. Cheaper by far than sabot slugs and not much less accurate. Any reason why it isn't offered in factory loads? I imagine it would be lighter than a comparable rifled slug (as light as a sabot slug) so they user could get lower recoil OR higher velocity with a flatter trajectory (basically 20ga recoil out of a 12ga while keeping a large wound channel).

December 19, 2000, 06:11 AM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	It's been done before,Oleg.... First, a Minie projectile is not round, it's an elongated projectile that's pointed on the front and hollowbased. Very similiar to a Forster type. Second, Eley and Kynoch used to offer round balls with driving bands for 4-12 bore rifled guns. Some were hollow, so one could fill them with black powder, or maybe black pepper(G). The old "Punkin Ball" loads were plain round balls,roughly bore diameter. Later the name carried over to Forster type loads...

December 19, 2000, 08:39 AM	#3
kerth Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2000 Location: Huntsville, Alabama Posts: 130	Oleg, If your looking for a low cost projectile for a rifled shotgun I suggest the Lee "drive key " slug. It's available in 1 oz & 7/8 oz, loads in 2 3/4" hulls and utilizes a WAA12 wad as a sabot. My Mossberg 500 with rifled barrel throws a 1 oz slug at 1,620 fps and has pie plate accuracy to 75 yards (off hand/iron sights). I also have a reduced load for my non hunting season woods gun (snakes, varmits and such), it's a 12 ga NEF pardner cut to 11.5" length of pull/ 18" bbl (very light!). Velocity is ~1,000 fps and recoil is mild in the 500, tolerable in the NEF. kerth

December 20, 2000, 06:15 PM	#4
Cowgunner Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2000 Posts: 128	try http://www.sixguns.com a writer has an article about loading round balls in his shotgun