doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Low Pressure reload for 12 ga 2.5 in

Choice of star or roll crimp can also make a pressure difference. I've seen reports of 200-500 psi less when star crimp recipes are roll crimped and at least one report of a recipe where there was no difference. As in all hand or reloads, component variance from a published and tested recipe without testing is a no-no. The pressure differences in using different primers in some loads are eye openers and maybe barrel openers.
http://www.armbrust.acf2.org/primersubs.htm

Ducks, here are the 2 loads I've been using in my 1866 made double. Both are straight of of the Hodgdon manual, using AA hulls/24 grams shot (7/8 oz)

700-X, Remington 209P, CB1100, 16.0 gr, 4,100 psi @ 1150 fps
7625 (if you can find any), Remington 209P, CB1100, 23.5 gr, 3,000 psi @ 1150 fps

Both loads have worked very well, I'm just about out of 7625 so I was forced to switch to 700-X. It works, but doesn't meter as well as 7625.

I've always just substituted a shorter wad. I find a recipe say using a Claybuster wad with a 1oz load [ CB-1100 ] and instead use a CB- 1138, meant for a 1 3/8oz load. It will have a shorter cushion length which means a shorter stack height giving you the necessary room to fold crimp. If you're going to roll crimp then just cut off a 1/4" of shell, you'll have enough room. I've also always just used the 2 3/4' data for my 2 1/2" shells. Good luck - Paul

When in doubt you can have any load tested for both pressure and velocity for not that much money. I've done this for many different loads over the years and once I have a load I can use if without worry. Some loads were fine a a couple were not. No surprise in a reload is a good one. I'd rather spend a hundred dollars to know my load is what I want than just guess. Fingers are fairly expensive to restore to function and few things make me want to cry these days more than a new crack in the stock of one of my guns.

KY, I believe Precision Reloading will do it for $5 a shell. I had called CB'ers and ask if what I was doing was ok. He said without testing he didn't want to say, but if were him , he saw no problem. I had mentioned I was loading low pressure. All their wads have the same skirt so pressure wouldn't change if one wad was subbed for another. JMHO's.

I have used PR. Usually I send several different loads at the same time. So if one or another does not work I have others to use. Mostly I like having several different combos to fall back on if one key component is hard to locate when I am trying to reload. I do have about 20 different powders on hand but sometimes the primer to powder to wad combo eludes me. So I just look up plan b or plan c.

Sad to say several favorite loads are hard to make because of discontinued powders. That's why I recently bought over 30 pounds of PB for low pressure loads. I buy stuff when I find it and just store it for future needs. It will be a very odd yard sale when I am gone. I am going to wish I was there to pitch through the stuff.