How hard does #OO buck and slugs be?

[tink77]

I seen on Lee's site that their slug mold should use only pure lead. My questions is how hard should #oo buck and slugs be, or should they be pure lead. If you are using wadding anyway does it really matter?

 

[Jason_W]

I'm pretty sure the alloy requirements are there to ensure the projectile can release from the mold, not because of potential bore damage.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Pure lead casts better from the Lee Slug mould. Use of w/w metal will give poor release from the mould.

On the other hand, I've gotten excellent results casting buck-shot from w/w metal. It's somewhat harder than factory pellets, even the plated ones and gives superior patterns.... Very tight if you slightly reduce velocities.

I've got a 10-pellet #1 buck load for the 20ga (.310") that will shoot 90%+ patterns at 40yds from a modified choke.. Typically 10" pattern at 25yds.

You can't get this performance from factory ammo, and no such load exists either.

With the slugs, I got poor casting from the Lee mould as the hollow base plug will "pull" plugs from the "partition", resulting in poor balance and un-even weights....

Besides, I've never gotten decent accuracy from the Lee "key-drive" moulds. I suggest you use the Lyman "sabot" mould that resembles an air-rifle pellet and is also loaded in a shot-cup (ie: Win AA-wad). This slug works equally well from a rifled or smooth barrel....

 

[243winxb]

Alloy for Buckshot & Lee Key Drive Slug

Buckshot should be hard so it does not deform on firing. Out of round shot will not pattern as tiight as hard or plated shot. Adding a plastic filler/buffer in with the buckshot will protect the shot. Buffer available at http://www.ballisticproducts.com/ The alloy used for mag shot contains 6% antimony. The Lee slug needs pure lead to release from the mould. The Lyman wasp shaped does not.

 

[rcmodel]

Hard buckshot will pattern better.

Factory hollow base rifled slugs (Forster Slugs) are very soft swaged lead so they can deform in the choke if necessay, and expand or flatten when they hit a deer.

rc

 

[Certaindeaf]

A lot of people overlook fullbore cast round balls. They're easy to cast (make them hard or soft as desired), very accurate and weigh like 750gr in 12ga. They have tremendous penetration.

 

[tink77]

Thanks.

 

[Nullcone]

very accurate and weigh like 750gr in 12ga

Cast of pure lead, I'd hope they weigh closer to 583 grains.

 

[Certaindeaf]

^
True. I realized my mistake. More like 1 5/16 oz. My error.

 

[Jason_W]

My Lee mold actually fell apart on me last week. I went to tap a slug off the center pin and it fell out. I'll probably need to find someone to weld it back on for me.

Luckily, two Lyman slug molds arrived via UPS later that day.