Shotshell reloading and shot size

[BigDave]

My dad handed the MEC 600 off to me after he didn't have any time for trap. Now that I'm getting into 3-gun, I've tossed around the idea of loading up some #4 shot. I've never loaded shot larger than #7 (the machine is set up for 7/8 oz trap loads with 700X).

My questions are:

1) Will I encounter mechanical problems with loading larger shot like #4? Is it as simple as just using #4 instead of #7 1/2?

2) Should I use a buffer?

3) Is a 7/8 oz load of #4 @ 1200 FPS sufficent for 3-gun?

4) Anything I haven't considered?

[EricW]

1. Minimal issues.

2. Nawww. It'll just be a mess. If a crimp opens up, the buffer stuff goes everywhere.

3. No. You'll need to buy a 1 1/8 oz charge bar, or an adjustable charge bar. Neither is too expensive.

4. Everything will be fine. I used to switch between shot sizes for trap and hunting all the time and never had a problem. If you don't have the auto primer dropper, you might think about getting one. They're very fussy, but they do speed things up.

[BigDave]

I have the auto-primer dropper, but it sux. I've just placed them by hand since I was 13. Thankfully #209's are easy to grab.

So, an 1 1/8 oz of #4's @ 1200 fps should do the trick? The larger shot will probably do me some favors until I get my barrel threaded for tubes. I think I'll just load some of these up and if I don't like them, give em to rhino and go back to 7 1/2.

[JD45]

I'll second EricW's advice. The only trouble that I've had out of my MEC sizemaster is the "new" charge bars with the white plastic insert. They were intended to stop shot from hanging-up the bar. I found that they cause ten times more trouble than the "all metal" old bars. Shot tends to imbed in the top of the insert until you remove the bar. Number 9 shot is the worst. I would suggest buying every old-style bar that you can find if you load much. I wish I had. Finding an old 302 1oz. bar (the one I need) seems impossible.

One tip on the auto primer/brand compatability: Fed. 209A, horrible feeding!

Win.209, the slickest feeding I've ever used.

[sargenv]

I played around with an ounce of 4's at 1250 fps with a modified choke. They worked well for me out to about 35 yards on large poppers. My standard load of 4's though is a 3 1/4-1 1/4 loading. Kind of the old standby 1220 fps with the heavier load of 4's. These would have been the lighter duck load back in the days before steel shot. I actually prefer to replace any of the MEC charge bars with the adjustable shot/powder bars by Multi-scale. No bushings and any load I want without having to mess with unscewing this or that. I've used them exclusively in a 2 Sizemasters (12 and 20), a 600 Jr, and a Grabber for years. The non adjustable bars tend to throw light if they are meant for the finer shot sizes. With the adjustable you can throw any charge you want.

I've not had any issues like JD45 has with the finer shot sizes in the adjustable bars.

Vince

[dickwholliday]

i'm pretty sure that i've seen some 3gun match descriptions that limit shot size to #6....but i'm sure you'd be ok at most of them.......D I C K

[sargenv]

Our local match had been limiting shot size to #4 and I think last year the SMM3G limited it to size 4, but recently buck has been approved for use. I recently picked up some hot #4 buck that I might give a try at using. I generally check all this out prior to entering the 3G matches around or far away and then load accordingly. It never hurts to have a heavily loaded round just in case. However at the 3G nationals, there wasn't really any need for anything beyond 6's. I never got into the 4's that I had loaded, and generally stuck with 7.5's and 6's. I made sure to have a box of 9's for close clays and 4's for longer ranged steel, but it wasn't needed. I'd hate to go to a match and not need it than be there and realize that I may not have enough punch to put something down.

Vince

[calhunter]

I'll second EricW's advice. The only trouble that I've had out of my MEC sizemaster is the "new" charge bars with the white plastic insert. They were intended to stop shot from hanging-up the bar. I found that they cause ten times more trouble than the "all metal" old bars. Shot tends to imbed in the top of the insert until you remove the bar. Number 9 shot is the worst. I would suggest buying every old-style bar that you can find if you load much. I wish I had. Finding an old 302 1oz. bar (the one I need) seems impossible.

One tip on the auto primer/brand compatability: Fed. 209A, horrible feeding!

Win.209, the slickest feeding I've ever used.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

JD45, I was just cruzing old posts that I never read and remembered that in my travels through gun shops I noticed that this place has a whole box of old style MEC charge bars. He probably has a 302 bar. As I remember he had them priced @ $4.95 He would probably ship you one.

Markley's Indoor Range & Gun Shop

Watsonville, CA

(831) 722-6945

[JD45]

Thanks for the tip.