Hi all, I was looking thru Lymans 5th and came across this recipe:

2 3/4" Federal Hull
Win 209 Primer
Z-16 Wad
24.5 grs Longshot
1 1/8oz payload
1237fps
6500psi

I loaded up a few and they loaded beautifully. You do need an overshot card to get perfect crimps.

Patterned them and they patterned very well (at least in the gun I used!). A bit tight, but not overly tight.

With the 1 1/8oz payload this should be a nice load for pheasants and prairie grouse in an older vintage gun.

Just thought I'd pass this on.

Best,

Greg

Man that's low. Many thanks for spreading the good word.....


Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Hey, it is a bit low, but by comparison, the RST 2 1/2" (plastic hull) 1oz 16ga is 1200fps and has a pressure of 6800psi. So this load is in the ballpark with RST and has 1/8oz more shot.

Best,

Greg

I loaded a bunch of that same load for an Evan 16 that I had. But then I sold the gun. Oh well. but it is a nice low pressure load. One would think that similar loads exist for 12s but I haven't gone looking for them just yet. meanwhile, I have a bunch of 2.5" 16s waiting for a gun to shoot them in.

Hey Brent, if you want some low pressure 12ga loads, these is a bunch on the Hodgon/IMR website.

They use Federal Gold Medal 2 3/4" hulls and 800-X powder. The load I use is:

2 3/4" Gold Medal Hull
Win 209 Primer
CB 2118-12 wad
23.5 grs of 800-X
1 1/8oz payload
1200fps
6700psi

As I said there are plenty more LP loads on that site.

Good Luck!

Greg

Thanks! That will give me something to do until it cools off

Here's another 12ga 1 1/8 oz load that I've "experimented" with extensively on pheasants:

Fed Gold Medal Hull
Fed primer
Fed 12S3 wad
21.7 gr Unique
1150 fps
7000 psi

Throws really good patterns through the guns I've tested with it. Pressure is low enough that I don't hesitate to shoot it through 12's with 2 1/2" chambers.

But when I feel the need for maybe 1 1/4 oz in the tight barrel (not very often), I just go with RST's 2 3/4" 12ga shells. Very close to duplicating the ballistics of the old Super Pigeon load: 3 1/4 DE, 1 1/4 oz shot, 1200 fps. Available in both 6's and 5's.

Those RST 1 1/4 oz loads are pretty monster like. I've shot a few turkeys' with them out of my old Foxes. They generate a good bit of recoil for sure. Falling into the FWIW, category, lots of gunsmiths use those as a Proof Load for classic doubles just to make sure everything is working right and to check for doubling.

OK Greg it does sound like a good 16g. heavy hunting load for pheasants etc. and it develops low pressure but 1 1/8oz at 1237fps is going to have heavy recoil even in a 12g, never mind in a presumably lighter 16g. gun. And recoil not pressure is what breaks old wood and causes casual shooters to develop a flinch.

I'm always amazed at the number of older guys who only think about low pressure. Wonder if they were out practicing on the high school football field instead of being at Physics class when it was still on the curriculum.

Tut, what? 1 1/4 ounce at 1200fps is a 'monster load' and used for proof testing by gunsmiths? Is one of them the Penna gunsmith who does up your custom guns? Better check the ballistics charts. The standard high velocity 12g. load is 1 1/4 ounce at 1325 or there abouts. Would you call that a 'super monster' load'? Fyi, it was used over decades for hunting by our fathers and grandfathers in all manner of 12g. double guns.

Do note that what Larry mentioned was the old Super Pigeon load @ 3¼-1¼, not the 3 3/4-1¼ High-Velocity load. A big difference between them.

Indeed there is. Like 33 ft-lbs of recoil in an 8# gun vs 26.3 ft-lbs. But that High Velocity 3 3/4 DE load is the Super-X formula, which has been around for a long time. And which is now regarded by some as a real slow poke, compared to the 1400 fps (or faster) 1 1/4 oz loads being sold as "Premium" pheasant shells.

Anyone got a useful 1oz load for Cheddite hulls in 16ga?---Matt

I have a good reload for 7/8 oz in a 16ga Cheddite hull (tested by Armbrust), but I don't reload 1 oz. I just buy them and reload 7/8 for targets after shooting them.

Hey Matt, what kind of vel. pressure are you looking at?

Best,

Greg

I’d love to hear about a good 1 oz 16 ga load in a 2 1/2” cheddite hull too! Anyone know of a good medium or low pressure load?

Hello Greg,

Ideally, I'd like to mimic the RST 1oz load and get 1200 FPS at under 7000 PSI. I have a bunch of primed 16ga paper Cheddites that I'd like to load up. Been looking through at number of reloading guides and can't find what I want. Appreciate any input. ---Matt

Hey Matt, I have some for plastic hulls in 2 3/4" plastic. I'll see what I can find for 2 1/2" paper.

Best,

Greg

2 3/4" is fine too Greg. I plan to just cut and roll crimp them to fit in 2 1/2" chambers anyway. Thanks again! ---Matt

Got it. One last question, which powder do you use or plan to use? It will narrow down some loads.

Best,

Greg

Not too picky as long as its currently available. Have Blue and Green Dot and Amer. Select on hand.

Hey Matt, here's one that's close:

20grs of Solo
Cheddite 209 primer
SG16 wad
6800psi
1160fps

That's about all I can find, sorry.

Hope someone else can chime in with some loads.

Good Luck!

Greg

Thank you Greg! That looks good.

I appreciate all the other suggestions I've gotten from this thread as well. Thanks to all who have responded in-thread or privately. ----Matt

Your welcome. You may even be able to bump it up a 1/2 to a full grain and get closer to what you want. But, you'd have to get it tested to make sure.

Take care!

Greg

2.5" Cheddite hull
Cheddite 209 primer
14.5 gr Am. Sel.
DR-16 wad
7/8 oz. lead
OSC and roll crimp
1103 fps
5966 psi
Pressure could be raised with a star crimp.

I have loads, but they run in the 9,000 psi range.

My “go to” 1oz load for 2 3/4” 16’s nearly mirrors the original turn-of the-century load that Drew has referenced in other threads. Using Universal it comes in at 1165 and 7100.
For my short chambered 16’s I’ve settled on a 3/4 oz load using International that measures 1150 and 6200.
They both use Cheddite hulls and Ched 209 primers.
You’ll find them on the Hodgdon site.