CAUTION: The following post includes loading data which is provided purely for informations purposes and may contain errors. Always use published sources for reloading data, NOT the data contained in this post. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.
If the charge bar is throwing a little light, I don't worry about it. A dozen or so pellets isn't going to make a big difference, so just pattern what you've got and see how it works. You may want to see what it drops with a variety of shot sizes and see how they compare, just out of curiousity.
I tend to be more concerned about the powder weight. For specific loads, you can tune a bushing with either strips of tape (to reduce volume) or a judiciously applied round file (to increase volume). If I'm a couple tenths of a grain UNDER, then I'll leave as is. If I'm OVER, and the load is a maximum one, then I'll add some strips of electrical tape inside the bushing until it registers how I want.
It's one reason why I usually try to load "middle of the road" loads, where there's at least one loading listed with more powder and one load listed with less powder than the one I'm using. When you're not operating at the extremes, you've got a little more leeway.
For example (from
www.hodgdon.com):
A 7/8 oz load I often use is:
Remington STS Hull
7/8 oz. shot (typically #8.5)
Clays powder
Rem. 209P primer
Rem. TGT 12 wad
The powder charges are listed as:
16.4 gr / 6,300 PSI - 1200 fps
17.5 gr / 7,100 PSI - 1250 fps
18.9 gr / 7,400 PSI - 1300 fps
Now, when I load this, my bushing is throwing about 17.8-18.0 grains of powder. I'm aiming for the 1250fps load, but the data shows a safe (yet max) load of 18.9 grains. I could monkey with the bushing, but since it patterns well and is within safe parameters, I leave it as is.
I've got a favorite load for pheasants, which is driving 1 1/4oz of #5s at a high rate of speed. It's safe as is, but a max load... so I load those very carefully and weigh each and every powder charge.