I'm giving a professionally restored 1925 Sterly 12ga to a family member who has little experience with shotguns and doesn't own one. A MEC 600 and ingredients will go with it.
To keep it simple, after looking over my powders, I'm thinking of starting him on IMR 700-X, which has done everything for me on upland and waterfowl. Are there disadvantages to 700-X?
Other than it's a little dirtier than more recently developed powders, none at all.
It's been said to 'not meter well' but those complaints are largely from the folks who use small charges in pistol calibers (where it works very well by the way).
I've found it reliable in colder temps even with Fiocchi 616 primers.
Good choice.
Great choice, I use to shot a lot of trap and skeet. Nothing but 700-x AA Halls Win 209 primers, claybuster wads or AA, 1 1/8 oz loads. Thousands of rounds if not 10s of thousands. Can’t go wrong. Never had a issue or miss fire. I shot in Alaska winter league and the stop for us not shoot was 30 below. We would shot at temps around 25 29 below. Only issue was split halls and your cheek freezing to the comb from your breath.
better you give him a gift certificate to rst...
Look here
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/shotgunLots of loads in the 6-7K psi range
Mike
It always patterned the worst for my sixteengauge reloads. So I stopped using it.
Unique is my goto powder for everything including bismuth loads.
My two cents.
700x has been my goto powder in 12ga 2 1/2" loads for trap, skeet and SC. I load 11/16oz of 9's for skeet and 7/8oz of 8's for trap and SC. Back when I was shooting competitively it was 700x under 1 1/8oz in a 2 3/4" hull, I was a lot tougher then and my shotguns heavier. I also loaded 170gr cast bullets for my 300 Sav to hunt fox when pelts were $100/ea, most of my target loads in the 38 Special and 45 ACP used 700x. Bismuth and ITX loads get PB, I stocked up when I saw it was going away. Coyote loads and .224 light loads(222 Rem, 5.6x50R) get 800x.
16ga 2 3/4" target loads back in the last century used it also but have gone with Greendot in them when going to 2 1/2" for all my 16ga target stuff.
Thank you for comment. All good information.
Back in the 70s, when I first started shooting trap, all I used was 700-X. I still use it today, along with other powders [ promo - because it's so cheap ]. It's a great powder that works in any weather. Many times if one thinks a powder is too dirty or doesn't pattern right, a different charge can make a difference. Also being a black powder shooter, I don't find any nitro load dirty. The next load blows out any residue left. With a Rem hull, Claybuster list in their 4100 wad meant for 7/8 or 1 oz loads, three different loads. In the 1oz loads the pressures are from 7500 to 9500psi, and the 7/8oz loads they're from 6000 to 8600psi.
Thanks, Paul. I've a spare 8- or 12-pound can of 700-X that should keep him going the rest of his life.
It's a fast powder for 12 gauge loads up to 1 1/8 ounces. You might find a load faster than 1200 fps, but 1200 and under is what 700X is designed for.
Thanks, Bill. I'm passing on my guns. Never imagined there would be an issue for new owners of prudent pressures for classic hardware-store guns. I started shooting in a subsistence fishing village nearly 80 years ago where 1 1/8 under 1200 was no handicap, from "tubs" anchored at sea and from rock blinds in harbours.
Ed, why would you say that?, reloading is a very satisfying hobby just by itself, you can tailor your loads to pretty much whatever pressure you like, for psi & speed & shot weight (recoil)..& you can send some to tom ambrust (sic?) for pressure testing if you don't trust the data... it's very satisfying to punch out a few boxes of nicely put together cartridges....but for a guy of your mental ability, sure, best to buy your shells from the store
cheers
franc
We shoot trap, skeet and 5 stand at night under lights at my club. I found that 700x makes an annoying smoke at night shooting and prefer Red Dot or Promo over it for that reason. It may not matter much shooting trap singles but it can trick you up on the low house station 2 doubles and some shots at 5 stand. Other than that I do like it for day shooting and consume a fare amount of it. I believe it burns clean enough, maybe not up to Clays or Solo 1000 standard but plenty good for it's price.