doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Reloading 2 1/2"

I'm happy with RST 2 1/2" Max lites but at $10 a box I would like to reload the empties. I bought the short kit from MEC and I bought short wads from Ballistic Products but I can't find a recipe. Ballistic Products has some recipes for 2 1/2" but all are too high pressure (they advise not to shoot damascus).
Hodgdon has a recipe for 2" but not 2 1/2". I also bought the roll crimp tool from Ballistic Products and some over shot wads but I didn't buy any over powder wads or gas checks because I found no suitable recipe. To make roll crimp shells I would have to buy 2 3/4" Fioche hulls, the Ballistic Products jig for cutting them down and their clamp for holding the shell while I do the crimp. All that would be fine if I just had a recipe. I decline to shoot 2 3/4" shells in my ancient English 2 1/2" gun, just on principle. So, where do I go from here? I also decline to make up my own recipe or mix components. I want a published recipe for a 2 1/2" shell at five to six thousand PSI. Is there such a thing or should I stick with buying RST or equivalent?
Please help.
Thanks.

I have BP's older reloading guide for old doubles at home. I will look tonight to see if any were that low in pressure. The other consideration would be to roll some black powder shells. You could cut off the old crimps off and get your low pressure from using black powder. If you do much roll crimping I find the older hand crank ones easier to use than the drill bit kind.

Richard,

At risk of being tarred and feathered, a suggestion. If you have the older Hodgdon reloading magazine they list a number of loads if 11-1200 fps works for you. Look at 7/8 and 1 oz. loads using 7625 and PB that stay in the l/t 6000. You are set up for roll crimping, cut back the hull of your choice from the load selection to about 2.35"--just below the star crimp. I prefer Federal Gold Medal hulls as they roll crimp to perfection. Using any of the major brand wads--Win, Fed, CB etc--the loads will fit nicely. The reason I'm about to be lambasted is I've read that shortening the hull can have adverse effects on pressure. IF my flawed logic applies, it doesn't make sense. I'm not forcing components, I'm only changing the crimp and I've also read that roll crimping will show a tad less pressure than star crimp. If you can't get your hands on the Hodgdon catalog go to their website for exactly the same information.

Good luck, and I sincerely hope your post gets some additional response. I'm sitting on a couple hundred Gamebore hulls I'd like to load. Despite what I said above, I'm too much of a wuss to wildcat with a shotgun.

Steve

Dwight,
I've been waiting patiently a year and a half for BP to come out with their new and revised "Reloading for Fine Doubles". Any chance I could borrow your old copy for a week? I'd be willing to pay postage both ways.

Steve

Uhhhh, Cobb, why is it that shortening a hull increases pressure?? Anybody??

If you look at Hogdon site you can find several mild pressure loads. Some are listed for 2 3/4" hulls. Most of the time you need to add cards to take up unused space. Loading the same load in a 2 1/2" hull without the spacer is a reasonable solution. Paper hulls are easy to trim and "look right" in doubles. IMHO.

Federal Paper hull, Trim the hull if you must but use a over the shot barrier if you do not get perfect crimps. I use clear plastic film over the shot made from a zip lock bag and a regular six point crimp. It seals the crimp if you do not get complete closure in the center of the crimp. This load is directly from the Hogdgon data chart.

Federal Paper Hull
Lead Shot 12 1 oz. Clays Rem. 209P Rem. TGT 12 18.5 6,000 PSI 1180

Note that the roll crimp uses less of the case for crimping than a fold crimp. The internal capacity of a 2½" roll will be nearly identical to a 2 3/4" fold, so same wads should work just right.

If you must load 2 1/2" loads, I'd recommend you use a cut down compression formed hull. Could happen that you ill need to take a swag at a load and send it out for pressure testing.

Rocketman,

I don't understand why shortening the hull would increase pressure, either. I was working up loads for a friend's 2 7/8" 10 gauge and ran across a disclaimer that you can't put loads designed for longer hull in a shortened hull without adverse pressures. Based on my logic, shortening the hull and using roll crimps shouldn't apply, but I'm no ballistician. Can't defend the position, just put it in there to see if one of the "best and brighest" on this website could/would show me the light and the way.

Steve, my email dwtbeske@hotmail.com Send me your address etc and I will see what I have at home. I also use fed gold metals a lot and they work great.