Buck and Slugs

[EMC45]

Anyone loading for 12ga. with Buckshot or Slugs? I know this is a reloading inquiry, but I couldn't find any Shotgun related stuff in the reloading section. I just ordered a mold for 1 oz. slug and a double cavity .319 buckshot mold. Let me know what ya got. Thanks, Evan

 

[RandKL]

What type of slug?

Lee keyed slugs load into standard 1oz loads using the same old wads. No buffering is necessary. Foster-type slugs will deform easily so your best bet is to use waxed fiber wads/buffers. I use one 1/2" and one 1/4" in a 2 3/4" Remington black or green hull. Powder load is the same as any other 1oz load. Use die-cut cork or nitro cards to finish the load for a good crimp.

Buckshot takes up more room in the hull than smaller pellets but aside from the space issue, it's loaded the same. I use Remington RXP-12 wads with the petals on the shotcup sliced off level with the base of the shotcup....I then hand load 9 pellets of 00buck and add approx 15 grains of Cream of Wheat buffering. That's for a 1 1/8oz load. It's as tight a pattern as any factory ammo and it's about half the price.

If you don't have a full reloading setup yet, you can simply head to Walmart and buy yourself a few boxes of 1oz target and 1 1/8 dove loads, open them up and dump the shot, and then reload them with your lead for fast and easy reloads. Lead is lead no matter the shape.

One note: I have NEVER loaded .319 buck pellets so I have no idea how much those weigh. The above was based on my own 00buck loads, not .319 buck pellets.

rich

 

[3006mv]

I am reloading the Lee 1 oz with 37.5 gr HS6 in WAA w/ Win wad. And 9 pellets of OO buck w/ same wad with 32.5 gr HS6. Both pattern well, wish I had a chronograph. They are low recoil loads and feel similar to factory tactical loads but actually pattern better (and are cheaper). Where did you get your pellet mold? I think mine are closer to 0.33" dia

 

[RandKL]

3006, ummm where'd you get your recipe from, bud? That's kind of on up there on the charts! Massive even. I need to get a copy of your books, man! Mine tops out at 32 grains of HS6 and that's for a 3" magnum shell pushing 1 5/8 of lead!

 

[3006mv]

for buckshot http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/LA1088.pdf the slug data was from a friend's dad who has used it on deer and hog for longer than I have been around. It is accurate out of my bbl but I have only taken deer with it. I experimented a lot before using Clays also with good results but have more HS6 powder. Maybe he got his data from here http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/SM3529.pdf but it is over their load recc in the WAA but would be under in the Fed Gold Medal. I feel pretty safe and confident with this load. Lots of factory load data in books are well under maximum for legal reasons I experiment a lot and work my way up I have exceeded some loads in rifle reloading but always check for pressure signs.

 

[RandKL]

I always swear by the Lee data whenever anyone trys to tell me they know best. If they say it, Lee, it's safe. Their entire charge table is one sheet of paper.

I've seen some recipes in books top 13,000psi, but I shoot a lot of older guns so I keep my loads right around the 3 dram level. 1oz at 1190-1250fps or so. Most are right around 10,000psi. I've just never seen that much HS6 in a load before.

How are you loading your buck pellets, bud? I think I tried every wad I could find and none that I know of would stack 3-3-3. When I load factory shells (dumped lead and replaced with buck) I go 4-2. Four layers of two pellets. That's why I always slice off the wad petals when I load my own. Only way I can get nine to stack right. I experiment a lot, too. I tried those plastic shot tubes they sell for skeet shooters on top of the trimmed wads, but they patterned no better than my factory loaded stuff. I just slice off the petals now.

My latest fun load is a Lee 7/8oz key duplex loaded with 3 00buck pellets. Those duplex loads, buck and ball, started showing up a couple of years back and they still run in the neighborhood of $3 a pop. I can load them for approx 40 cents a piece. Supposed to be a highly desireable HD round. They make a mess with over ripe melons, anyway.

Grab yourself some 7/8oz Lee slugs if you can and a bag of 00buck pellets. Buy a few boxes of Win 1 1/4oz heavy game loads. Your choice. Shot size makes no diff. You'll empty that out anyway. Open the shells and dump the shot, pull the wad and slice the petals off the wad. Reload that wad, count out three 00buck pellets and add just enough Cream of Wheat buffer to fill between the pellets but not cover their tops. Next, take a second wad and slice the entire bottom off it leaving just the shotcup. I know, I wish they still sold separate shotcups, too. I haven't seen any in ages 'cept in loaded ammo. Load the slug into that shotcup and load it into the hull on top of the buckshot. Here, I have to trim some of the top shotcup petals to get a good crimp. I use RXP's....no idea on yours. Crimp it and have fun.

They come in at the 1300-1330fps range, factory pressure, depends on what ammo you used to make them. The keyed slug isn't going to fly really slug-like, but they're only used as improvised balls anyway. Devastating round close up!

Damn, I can get long-winded. Sorry.

rich