Steel in 12 ga 2.75

[blarby]

Its a little too late this year, but I'd like to have some load work done to try for next year.

No experience loading steel- just lead.

I'd like to stick with STS type 2.75" hulls, if possible.


In looking through all of my books and charts, all of the steel components look Greek to me.

Thoughts ?

Help ?

What have you used that works ?

 

[JLDickmon]

from where you are, all you have to do is change the wad to the STS wad..

no voodoo..

open your choke one size for steel..

ie.. a lead FULL will be a steel REAL FULL and it won't last long with the shot crushing through it..

Green Dot & good ol' Unique be good powders to try.. Universal has a similar burn rate

 

[oneounceload]

Both Alliant and Hodgdon websites have load data for steel

 

[blarby]

The load data isn't the problem- its all the components they are asking for.

 

[Duckdog]

Buck Run Sports sells Sam 1 wads and a good manual that will get you going. For all practical purposes, all of the remington 2 3/4" hulls will use the same load data for steel. I load a lot of steel and there are many different options for hull/wads... and even a few substitutions once you do it long enough.

The STS / Gun Club hulls will serve you well with steel, with many loads capable of over 1700 fps for a 1 oz load.

With the Sam 1 wads, the only other thing you will need is felt or cork spacers, which you can make super easy. No buffer or anything else.

Be prepared to weigh every powder charge with Steel powder. I have a set of Lee dippers and get one close to the charge I am after and go from there. For the shot, it is just as easy to use a Lee adjustable shot dipper.

I do have a quite a few loads memorized, but they won't so you much good without the wads.

You can also go to duckhuntingchat.com and there is a forum on reloading that will help you an awful lot. Good luck.

 

[blarby]

1700 fps for a 1 oz load.

That would be nice

Sam 1 wads

See, thats the kind of greek i'm talking about.

 

[rbernie]

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/wad_page.asp

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Field-Wads/products/87/

 

[blarby]

Thanks, bernie !

Do you have a personal preference out of that list on the second link ?

these :

#3221275 MM 12 2-3/4" 1.800 1.530 preslit 1 3/16 34 1 3/4 49 1 3/8 39

Look like they might be just the solution........ but again, steel is a new world for me.

When I priced my steel loads this year, it reminded me of why I bought a loader in the first place !

 

[Duckdog]

Sam 1 is just one of two wads used in all of their recippies. They have 2 3/4" and 3" wads. I also use some stuff fro BPI, but they use compinents that you may not be able to pick up on the ground like you can Fed, AA and Remington hulls. They use Fiocchi hulls in a lot of their recipes. The RSI data is just plain simple.

Prescision Reloading also has some pretty good wads and components as well. They have a manual out called ligtning steel that uses their components and all of the loads are in 2 3/4" hulls and are some real burners!

I know I was in your boat some years back and the RSI data and wads made loading steel as easy as it could be.. plus, the loads really hammer down. Their manual has some pretty good explanations of why steel shoots like it does and how to make the most of it. Some of the others I have do not go into that. In any case, good luck!

 

[blarby]

Well, given my results, I guess I'd be happy with any steel recipes above 1600 FPS

in any hull

with any components !

This is becoming disconcerting.....

 

[oneounceload]

Why? most loads above 1200 are "blown" loads meaning the speed makes the load so poor pattern-wise, they aren't worth it

 

[blarby]

Why?

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=686694

 

[Duckdog]

Blown patterns??? When it comes to steel, speed kills. Trust me, pattern your gun and you'll see that patterns will hold together up to much higher than 1600 fps. I load and shoot a lot of steel every year, so I know from experience that you need to get that steel humping. 1200 fps will do nothing but cripple with steel, if you can even hit them. I use longshot to get lead well over 1450 fps and it also hold together. Just pattern the gun and use the right choke.

Go to duckhuntingchat.com and do some reading. There is a wealth of info there.

Like I mentioned above, RSI hs an excellent section in their load data booklet that really will help you understand steel better. Also, Ballistic Products has some very good reading on their web site as well.