Any high performance waterfowl loaders here?

[esheato]

Any tips/tricks you care to share?

I'm ordering a Steelmaster next week. Been reading Ballistic Products Status of Steel manual over the past few days.

I spoke to their tech today for a bit and cleared up some inconsistencies with their manual. The brain haze is starting to fade.

I'm planning on loading 12 ga. 3" with a 1 oz load of steel threes with a roll crimp (1600 fps or faster). According to their manual, it's easily attainable. They even have some 7/8 oz loads at over 1700 fps.

I've got a shopping list a mile long...

Ed

 

[Seafarer12]

What powder are you going to use?

 

[esheato]

The loads I was looking at vary...Herco, Steel, Longshot, 800X.

The 1 oz load I referenced above was utilizing Longshot.

Ed

 

[NuJudge]

I like 3/4 oz of steel at 1850 fps

If you really want to load high performance, you need to weigh powder and shot charges, not volumetrically measure. The really high performance loads use really difficult to meter powders (eg 800X). The steel shot does not meter as well as Lead also. The pressures these loads run squeeze the safety factors a lot.

I use 2.75 Federal Gold Medal cases, Winchester primers, SAM-1 wads, 3/4 oz of Galvanized #2 steel, and 800X. I also need some 20 gauge wool wads under & over the shot to adjust the crimp.

I use a Lee scoop-type shot measure to roughly measure each shot charge, then put the proposed charge on a scale to weigh it.

The effect on a duck is quite noticeable. The fastest commercially loaded steel shot I've seen loaded is 1550 fps. Observing ducks shot with it on the same day at the same range, the 1850 fps did a much better job. Not as good as Lead was, and not even remotely as good as Hevi-shot, but much better than 1550 fps Steel.

 

[esheato]

Thanks NuJudge. That's the type of information I was looking for.

Throughout my reading, I've learned one thing....velocity kills when it comes to steel.

I'm hoping for 1700 fps plus for a 7/8 to 1 oz load. Should be easily doable in a 3" configuration.

Also, I was planning on truly handloading these. One at a time, with individually measured shot and propellant. I mean, I have 250 days before next season starts.

Ed

 

[hithard]

Do search for Pit Blind, and look for Ned's Armory in the forum section. If Ned can't help you I don't think anyone can. This guy and his forum are in touch with the boy's across the pond. Who by the way are shooting over 1800fps!

I use a 2.75" one ounce, of three's, at 1600. That's through a chrono, so it's the real deal. Dead stuff out to 60. Using those fed. top gun hulls. Also shot a 7/8oz load at 1650 early in the year, both these loads just tore right through birds. Put it to work on some specks, no problem.

Alliant Steel powder is the one you want though, check it out.

Good luck.

 

[esheato]

I've heard a lot of good reviews about Steels performance...thanks for the tips!

Ed

 

[FredT]

I too like the Ballistic Products stuff. I load for my SP-10. You are on the right track.

 

[Seafarer12]

The down side of Steel powder is it doesn't meter well so you have to weigh out each charge of it. They don't even attempt to give you bushing information for Steel.

 

[hithard]

take your bushing and drill it out, Keep stepping up a size until you get close. then fine tune. Also, I do not load one shell at a time. I'll do 25 at each stage. this will allow you to control the metering of powder better, as the loader will not be subjected to so much movement. This movement will cause the powder to compact, causing the big variances in wieght. You will have to fine tune the charge, but it gets you very close.

don't worry about a double charge, it won't fit in the hull. As a matter of fact you will have to slowly crimp most of your loads. To keep from crumpling the hull. come down a bit on it, the rotate the shell a bit, come down a bit more, and then rotate, you'll feel it all come together for you.

Ask questions, Ned is a great guy and has alot of knowledge, tap the source, and fore go the learning curve.