12ga for cowboy....

[RugerBob]

Hi, I am looking for some light loads for 12ga for cowboy shooting. I use to load for my SxS, but stopped when prices of shot went to $45 per 25lbs.
Now I use a mod 97, mfg date 1907 and it like factory winchester light load at 985fps. Would be nice to match that load somewhat.
Found some #9 shot this weekend at a show for $30 a bag and got 3 bags. So , now I want to laod again for shotgun.
Powders on hand are 700x, 800x and Unique. My shotgun load books don't cover much on light loading other than target loads.
And with light loads, do you prefer fiber or plastic wads, and do you use a over shot card?
I have all the material for this with win AA hulls.
Just trying to get other ideas here from some other loaders in the sport.

Thanks, Bob

 

[hAkron]

I'm not sure what the requirements are for CAS, but I have been playing around with some light 12ga practice trap loads. 7/8oz and 3/4oz. Clay buster makes some great inexpensive hulls for this purpose. They are quite a bit less hull dependant than other wads claim to be. I load them up in pretty much any fed or win 2 3/4 hulls I find on the ground. I use Red Dot powder. I can get you more specifics on exactly what I'm using if this is close to what you are looking for.

 

[oneounceload]

I reload a 3/4oz 12 and 20 gauge load using Claybuster's 3/4oz wads. Gives me 533 loads from a bag of shot

Hodgdon's website shows 3/4oz loads for 700x

800X is for heavy field loads

No 12 gauge light loads found for Unique

Clay buster makes some great inexpensive hulls for this purpose. They are quite a bit less hull dependant than other wads claim to be. I load them up in pretty much any fed or win 2 3/4 hulls

Need to watch this - Federal hulls are straight-walled, not tapered like WIn and Rem hulls and use a different wad to prevent powder migration resulting in ignition issues. Claybuster makes clones for Federal/Cheddite/Estate and other straight-walled hulls

 

[btg3]

A friend shared this recipe with me. Found I needed to add a shot card or grits for proper crimp. The powder does not burn completely, so it's not a perfect recipe, but it saves on shot and recoil is nearly eliminated. It is essentially a .410 load.

Compare properties for Unique and SR-7625 then determine what direction to take.

Gauge----------12
Hull-------------AA
Primer-----------Win 209
Powder Name--- IMR SR-7625
Powder Charge-- 20 gn
Wad------------- WAA-12SL
Shot------------ #9
Shot Charge----- 1/2 oz.

Avg Velocity----- 1107 fps

 

[ReloaderFred]

The Lyman Shotshell Reloading manual has some good recipes for light loads. I don't load Federal hulls, but do load Winchester AA and Remington hulls. I use Downrange wads from here: http://conniescomponents.com/downrange_xxl_7_8oz.html for all my Cowboy loads for our Model 97's. Your 700X will work well, as will Red Dot, but since you already have the 700X, I'd use that.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[gacajun]

I shoot CAS almost every Saturday. I don't have info for the powder that the OP mentioned but I'll share what I use...it replicates AA "Featherlites", now known as low recoil low noise loads.

409 primer
7/8 oz #8 lead shot
AA red hull
Gray wad
Clay's powder
#26 MEC bushing

The recoil is pretty light and it works for all of the knockdown targets we used in Georgia.

When I shoot black powder matches the shotgun shell load I use is the same above but in place of the Clay's powder I use 1.9cc of Hodgdon's Triple Seven FFg blackpowder substitute. I don't use a bushing, I use a Lee 1.9cc dipper and hand load each shell. I tried to use a Mec bushing but the Triple Seven powder clumps some times and I've had some shot shells that had no BP or a reduced amount. Hand loading them ensures that I have the correct amount of propellant.

 

[RugerBob]

Thanks for the replys.
I tried black powder, but takes to long to clean my 97.
If I go back to SxS I will go with BP again.

 

[RugerBob]

Well, using what I have I loaded with -
AA-grays, pink wads, 1 1/8 oz #8, 18.3 of 700x.
I have an ol DL-250 press and may try and get a different bushing for around 17.5 of 700x. But I did use current load at a SASS shoot this weekend and all went well.