doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Reloading advice

Gentleman,I am going to try reloading since I have been shooting a great deal of clays recently. My question is: what supplies(powder type,load, plastic wad type, and shot -a relatively hard shot as is used in target loads) do I need to replicate the shell loads with I have been using for my two guns?Mec 600 jrs will be used.
I have been using Winchester AA"super sport sporting clays" shells of 2 3/4" 1300fps -7/8 oz of #8 for my 20g .
For my 60 yr. old 12g Elsie I have been using AA xtra lite target load (2 3/4 dr. eq. 1 oz. of 8 & 71/2 shot.) Pressure and recoil are serious considerations for the Elsie.
Any recommendations as to what I need or where I can find published info needed are appreciated . Thanks in advance, Wayne

I use 1 oz. of hard shot,WW pink 1 oz.wad, 17 grains of Red Dot, WW209 primer in a PAPER Federal. Very soft, low recoil, about 1100 fps. A real source of safe answers is in the powder makers reloading guides on line.
bill

Bill,

Have you patterned your load? I have used green dot in the past and it patterned well. I have heard more than once that red dot tends to produce donut hole patterns. I have recently started reloading federal paper hulls and there nothing like them. I went quail hunting about a month ago and it was a treat to be using paper hulls in my 12g 1890 Damascus GH grade Parker. I also load 1 oz loads. My load of choice is Federal Paper, WW209, CB4118, 18 grains of Clays, Chilled Lead, 1180 fps @ 5800 psi.

Derrick

Derrick: I burn 24lb. of Red Dot per year. Reliable, economical, burns when cold. Have yet to see or hear about 'donut hole' patterns. Who spreads this crap?

Shotgunjones, I have heard several people at the local gun club make that statement. I personally have never used it and I was just courious since Bill mentioned he uses it. I still have some green dot.

Derrick

All the powder companies publish free loading manuals. Get some and look for low pressure loads. Don't take data from Internet sources. Less shot and lower velocities are the primary way to get less recoil and low pressure. Select the powder that gives you that, using the fewest grains. The type of powder has no effect on recoil and little effect on patterns, IMO. Be safe.

Doughnut hole patterns - best excuse I have heard yet to explain a lousy score at the shotgun range! Have to remember that one.

Yeah, "I centered that one. Musta been that 'donuthole' the bird got thru".

I've found buying as many reloading manuals as I think have potential load data I would use, is a good thing to have around.

My pet 12g load for my old guns is similar to one above;
Fed paper, Fed primer, 17.5 gr Clays, Fed 12S3 wad (12S0 may also work, but crimping was not right when I used it), 1 oz of magnum hard shot, for a 1150 fps/6500 psi load. I've used this load on So.Dakota phez when substituting #5 shot and many Calif quail with #7 1/2 shot. I'm of the opinion that there is some value in keeping the velocity no lower than in the 1100-1200 fps range for my uses. Others may have more experience in lower velocities, but this keeps my leads within reason of all the modern loads I use in the field at longer ranges as well as clay shooting. I do use some 1300 fps loads for phez and don't want to stray too far downward in velocity for the reloads if I can get good velocity while staying acceptably low in pressure. Regardless of all the touting of low velocities, no one can discount that 'speed kills'. Get it too low and it won't. Velocity is the other half of the energy equation. Now where's that old football helmet?

I think you can leave it in the locker, Chuck. I'm not an experienced pheasant hunter so the sample is small, but the four or five I've killed were all with loads at 1290fps alleged MV (one-piece AA hull, W209, Rem. Fig. 8 target wad or Fed. 12SO, 1 oz. hard #6, 18 gr. Accurate Nitro 100 , pressure 8400psi w/ the Rem wad; 9700psi for the 12SO.) All thru M12. I don't tempt the old stuff and CIP guns to give way with pressures much beyond 8000psi (or 5kpsi for damascus barrels) so that usually means 1150-1200fps for targets.

jack

A lot of reloading data can be downloaded from the Powder manufacturers websites. Hogdon's, Hercules,Nobel are excellent.
Also try http://www.shotgunworld.com reloaders forum, BUT take all loads with a pinch of salt unless it corralates to the powder manufacturers data.Be aware that the primer is possibly the most dangerous component, next to the operator that is.