Best 12 gauge shotgun shell powder for clay shooting

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mookiie

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Can anyone tell me their favorite shotgun powder for 12 gauge clay loads for 1 1/8 once shot? The Lyman manual I have list several - red dot, green dot, etc. What is your favorite powder and why? would be great help in choosing the correct powder for me. I would also consider loading slugs later at some point so if your prefered powder works for slugs that is a plus. Also if you ave found a powder to be the most versatile when it comes to shot weight.

Thanks!
 
Red dot and clays are extremely popular with most shooters, but i prefer Green dot (still use them all though) because it's more versatile and yes green dot works well with slugs if you are not after top velocities, but so do the others. Green dot will get you a little more velocity with the lighter loads, but it takes a little more of it. 700x is also a good choice for clays. I guess it depends on whether or not you're trying to save a few pennies.
 
E3 is an excellent target powder clean burning and useful down to 7/8oz loads. good in very cold weather. it is made by alliant and american made.

Bull
 
First thing - drop your payload to 1oz - your shoulder will thank you down the road

Trust me on that and the targets will break just fine.

Next, you need to determine what hull, primer and wad you are looking to use as well.

Do not bother with Lyman - google up the reloading centers at Alliant and Hodgdon powder sites

There are a LOT of potential powders for reloading, but shotgun reloading is not done the same way as metallic

Both Claybuster and Downrange make clones of the factory Rem and Win wads -at half the price

For 12 gauge, use Remington hulls - they will all load using the same data and you will get more reloads per hull
 
Agree with everything oneounce said, especially Remington Hulls. Those puppies are great!

I use 700X for my 12GA reloading. Works just great.
 
I've loaded most of my shotshells with Red Dot over the years. I've flirted with the Winchester AA powders but haven't found anything that impressed me as being better than the old Red Dot. You can buy Alliant Promo in kegs for less money now and it loads the same as Red Dot. I've read that its just Red Dot without the dots and if I was loading for trap and skeet again I'd surely give it a try.
 
I already got wads from claybusters that mimic Win AA12 hulls. Could I drop my charge to 1 oz even though the hulls I have are for 1 1/8 oz loads? Or would I have to purchase new wads? I also got Fiocchi hulls that are primed already.
Thanks

Also could anyone let me know about how many reloads you get per hull? How do you know when they are at the end of their lifespan?
 
I've been using Titewad powder with clay buster wad and a 1oz load in AA hulls. Seems to work fine. I use hulls until the ends look badly burned or start to split.

I shoot at the Winchester range in East Alton and you have to use their ammo. So I get about 200 or so new hulls every month.
 
I get 12-15 reloads per hull, but I don't load barn-burner loads. When the hulls split, it's time to throw them away.

Fiocchis are a straight-walled hull, you'll need different wads to prevent powder migration and get a complete burn at proper pressure. Federal or Federal clone wads should work nicely.

You might be able to drop 1 oz in those wads and get a nice crimp, but you might need to adjust your precrimp a little. Otherwise, a Cheerio on top before crimping works well
 
I also got Fiocchi hulls that are primed already.
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Get some federal 12s0 wads for those hulls with one ounce loads. There is no 12s0 clone and there is no worthy 12s0 replacement. If you do plan on loading some 1 1/8 ounce loads you'll want to pick up some federal 12s3 wads or the replacement from claybuster which is a decent wad, but not quite as good or useful. Don't even consider the federal type wads from downrange. For your one ounce loads in the tapered hulls Winchester, claybuster, and downrange mfg. have some good stuff.
 
Oneonceload - why do I need different hulls for the Fiocchi straight walled cases? The hulls I have look to have a base that would keep the powder contained, am I missing something?
 
I shoot at the Winchester range in East Alton and you have to use their ammo. So I get about 200 or so new hulls every month
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You ever shoot at the handgun range there? I have been shooting in the tuesday night centerfire bullseye league this season, its a great time.
 
Not different hulls, different wads.Fiocchi and Federal hulls are straight walled while the AA and Rem hulls are tapered
The result is a different fit, the tapered wads do not seal as well giving powder migration, poor pressure, potential bloopers, etc

Both the Alliant and Hodgdon sites will tell you that
You CANuse the respective clone wads from Clay Buster and Downramge, just match up their clone to the factory ones
 
blarby said:
Great advice.

.155 bushing of unique, or less for lighter loads. great days.
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NEVER, EVER trust a bushing to determine your powder drop! "Or less for lighter loads" is equally bad advice! Use a scale to determine how much the bushing is dropping, and match the bushing to the desired powder drop. Use a loading manual or data from powder manufacturer's website to determine a recipe, not flying by the seat of your pants.
 
DRFSMD is absolutely correct, Never, ever rely on powder bushings as a means of powder weight charge. I load a lot of clay loads, and other 12 ga type loads, and have never found a bushing to drop what is published.

GS
 
Lot's of powders to choose from. Red Dot, PROMO, WSL, American Select, WST, Clays and E3 are amongst those I have used. Currently I use either PROMO or WSL. One can fabricate somne real light recoil loads with WSL.
 
Per Alliant Powder Company Literature, more 100 straights in Skeet have been shot with Red Dot than any other powder.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
ljnowell said:
You ever shoot at the handgun range there? I have been shooting in the tuesday night centerfire bullseye league this season, its a great time.
Click to expand...

No, never been to the pistol range.They open the shotgun range early on the first Wednesday for us old guys.
 
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