16 ga Slugs or Round Ball

[gunboat57]

I'm fairly inexperienced with shotguns since I do most of my hunting with rifles. But I just bought a Sears Roebuck Ranger 105-20 bolt-action 16 ga shotgun. It was probably made in the early 1940s but is in very good condition. The 25.5" barrel is a straight cylinder bore.

First question, are hollow-base rifled slugs that fit the bore (.662") available?

Second question, if I wanted to cast round balls, is it better to have them fit the bore and sit on top of a wad or be a bit smaller and fit inside a shot cup?

My end goal is to shoot for fun and possibly hunt deer.

 

[rcmodel]

Hollow-base slugs don't need to fit the bore.

The hollow base can expand to fit the bore perfectly.

Try factory forster-type rifled slugs for accuracy before you bother with round balls.

rc

 

[PabloJ]

You are very lucky Nimrod Brenneke just released 2.5" 16ga classic slugs on American market. It is traditional 417gr slug with Vo 1350fps Eo 1686ft-lbs so you will not be kicked to death trying the load out. I would try this slug first.

 

[gunboat57]

This shotgun does have the 2 3/4" chamber which makes finding ammo easier.

In my own searching I've noticed it's hard to find just the slugs for my own reloading. I've found several places that sell slugs that have plastic parts attached to stabilize them, etc, but not just the plain ol' hollow based slugs for reloading. Anyone know of a source?

I know I can get a round ball mold, .662", from Lyman. I could put that on top of a felt wad without using a shot cup. Or, I could get a .620" RB mold and load the ball inside a shot cup. Nice thing is I've got lots of wheel weights to cast with. Don't have pure lead which I'd need to cast undersized hollow base slugs.

 

[artee]

Try the US made fosters first. Try Winchester/Remington/Federal. IF Federal makes a "tru ball" load in 16 ga., give it a go as it works very well in 12 and 20. It is still a Foster/hollow base slug, but with a plastic ball seated in the base to help it obturate to bore diameter for accuracy. Any available Brenneke load is a good choice.

Sixteen guage in general might be harder to find slug ammo for nowadays. It's fading fast in smaller stores and country locations. I've cast with the Lyman Foster/Hollow base slug mold for forty years in 12 ga. It works well in an Ithica deerslayer barrel. But as I don't cast a lot, nor shoot a lot of slugs, it is easier to just buy a couple 5 rd boxes a year. You can practice with other guns that are cheaper to shoot than shotgun slugs and much more shoulder friendly. Read up on the "wad slugs". Lyman has an air-gun pellet looking slug, and Lee some foster LOOK LIkE slugs that are designed far undersize for their gauge to fit inside common plastic shot wads.

Check out Cast Boolits (note the spelling, NOT BULLET)
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?36-Casting-for-Shotguns&
This forum is for ALL THINGS CAST. Shotgun is just a small section of it

Check out this guy. Big interest in 410 slugs. See how he modified a common Stevens bolt action shotgun for slug shooting. (Like adding some sights, epoxy to barrel so no drill/tap in THIN shotgun tubes, etc)
http://mcb-homis.com/

I get the casting/handloading/testing fun bit. Go forth and enjoy. BUT, if you're only doing that stuff TO Shoot, it really is simpler and MORE ECONOMICAL to just buy a few slugs each year.

 

[artee]

Rereading your questions, let me add:

I live in Shotgun land. S MI IN and OH are (or were till recently) shotgun only hunting areas. And the areas are BIG into hunting. So, the stores cater to this. Slugs are available where ammo is sold. Having said that, in the last 5 years, I've seen 28 Ga slugs more often then 16 gauge. And 28 ga slugs are as common as finding 10 college virgins.

On ball size. From what I've read (having played little with round balls and shotguns) I believe your choice depends on what diameter molds you can get. Find out the inside diameter of several brands and "models" of shotshell wads. They won't be the same. In 12 ga, they vary widely. Your best luck will come with whichever gives a tight (put can still manually push through) muzzle fit. If available molds fit the wads better, that's your path. If wad/molds don't match up well, or AS well as molds and your "slugged/sized" barrel, then build an old fashion wad column and a tight-fit-to-muzzle size ball. With balls and fosters, accuracy is ALWAYS better with hard cards under the slug itself, and a plastic gas seal overpowder wad.

 

[DM~]

I've had NO problem finding 16ga. slugs at all, as long as you like Rem. slugs and sometimes Winchester/federal...

I see them at Cabels all the time, Dunhams too...and sometimes even at WW...

DM

 

[gunboat57]

I think I see some confusion about nomenclature, kind of like when people say "bullet" when they mean "cartridge".

What I can't find are the slugs themselves, the lead that comes out the muzzle when you fire. I have no trouble finding rifled slug ammunition.

 

[ugaarguy]

I've moved this to Handloading and Reloading in hopes you'll get some better answers.

 

[plmitch]

Try Corbin, slug swaging tools.

 

[RMc]

I'm fairly inexperienced with shotguns since I do most of my hunting with rifles. But I just bought a Sears Roebuck Ranger 105-20 bolt-action 16 ga shotgun. It was probably made in the early 1940s but is in very good condition. The 25.5" barrel is a straight cylinder bore.

First question, are hollow-base rifled slugs that fit the bore (.662") available?

Second question, if I wanted to cast round balls, is it better to have them fit the bore and sit on top of a wad or be a bit smaller and fit inside a shot cup?

My end goal is to shoot for fun and possibly hunt deer.

Loading a single .662" lead ball in your cylinder bore 16 gauge barrel should prove reasonably accurate and far easier to cast well. The myth of the inaccurate round ball slug load started when ammunition companies began loading undersized round ball loads to prevent problems in choke bore guns. The undersized ball was indeed inaccurate. A bore size ball, tumbled in alox lube, seated directly on a felt wad, (even better a felt wad with the center punched out), over hard card wads will work. Roll crimp or fold crimp will work.

 

[blarby]

Second question, if I wanted to cast round balls, is it better to have them fit the bore and sit on top of a wad or be a bit smaller and fit inside a shot cup?

From my experience in 12 and 20 gauge loading, RB's were more accurate inside a shotcup with large fingers on the petals to center the sphere(s). Nice thing about roundballs instead of slugs is that you can always get at least two pieces in for your trouble- just make sure and either cast them hard so that they dont deform when they impact themselves during firing- or if preferable and you have room in your column; put spacer wads between them as well. Hardcast RB's will always deform less, be a little lighter for size ( handy once you start chasing that optimal load weight, believe me) and as a result fly truer. Hardcasting slugs can cause issues with choke constriction(s).

Multiple big bore roundballs can be quite effective, and quite accurate if done right. Commercially, Dixie-Tri-balls have made a name out of that single loading by doing it right !

Good luck !

PS. I have a lot of really good 16ga once fired remington black field load hulls if you want them. Your best recipes are going to be using this hull or the more expensive Nitro27 remington hull ( same internal volume and shape- Nitro27's have better repeated crimpability) regardless of where/who you get them from, I would try remy hulls first !

 

[RMc]

Regardless of the direction you go, here is a source of ready cast lead balls and ball molds. Many of these lead balls are in odd sizes not otherwise readily available.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/127/3

My earlier response on felt and card wads was predicated on the ready availabliity of .662" ball molds. Also, if you want, accurate single ball loads are very easy to assemble with black powder or pyrodex. Just make sure you clean the barrel interior with water afterward and then run a good gun oil coated patch through the bore after cleaning and drying.

Best to you on your quest for useful and fun round ball load for that handy 16 bore.

 

[gunboat57]

Many thanks for all the helpful input!

Because my 16 ga is a true cylinder bore, .665 at muzzle and just forward of the chamber, I think I'll get some .662" roundballs and try to make some reloads. I'll adjust my wad thickness so that I can still use a star crimp.

I have a 12 ga Lee Loader tool, but I think I can use its crimp starter if I put my 16 ga shells in a tube made from a 12 ga hull. That will keep the 16 ga centered in the 12 ga crimp starter.

16 ga components are kinda rare where I live in western PA, but over in Ohio I think the 16 ga is still fairly popular.

 

[gunboat57]

Blarby, I sent you an email.