#4 and wad selection

[BigDave]

I added the adjustable charge bar to the MEC 650 (said 600 in my other post, woops) and weighed out my powder charge and shot charge to load up some #4's at 1 1/8oz @ 1200 FPS. I'm using grey Winchester AA 1 1/8 #7 1/2 hulls with Claybuster 1118-12 wads. I'm running into a couple of problems.

1) when a full charge of shot drops, the 3rd (final) crimp die is putting a ripple in the hull about half way down. Its acting like there is too much shot in the wad cup, but I've weighed it and it is right on at 492 gr = 1 1/8 oz.

2) the shot drop is erratic as hell.

I ended up hand filling some of the hulls to just over the wad tip and skipping the 3rd crimp station. I tried the load out on a full size popper at 30 yds with my 18.5" M1S90 (no choke) and it took it right down, so I've got the power I'm looking for. With the #4 shot, should I instead use a 1 1/4 oz wad or larger to make sure I'm getting the full 1 1/8 oz?

Any thoughts?

[JD45]

The easy, and permanant fix, is to switch to a powder that will give you more space. Although I can understand that switching powders is not something that reloaders do with enthusiasm.

First, the new two-piece AA hulls are known to have a creasing or buckling problem(even with prefect fitting components). I have almost stopped loading them completely. Wad pressure can sometimes help, but most wads spring back as soon as you raise the handle.

My quick fix would be a 1200fps charge of 700X. It is all that I use and it makes a 1 1/8oz. load fit a AA hull. Although the charge I am using is also listed for STS hulls, they have more internal capacity and 700X does not fill them enough (but they still work). Also you are hitting the precise amount of shot with that adjustable bar. The fixed bars almost always drop a lighter shot charge. So you are working with a tiny bit more shot than you would see from a fixed bar.

And if you really want hull space for a 1 or 1 1/8 ouncers, use Titegroup(the bushing are in the teens).

[sargenv]

There is shotshell load data for titegroup? or is this load data for Titewad? I've used the latter but not the former. I've not used any of the new AA's yet since I still have a good supply of the old AA's. If it were up to me, I'd load Federal hi-powers, Peters Blues, or those Black Remington hulls before using the new AA. The STS is a great shell, but I don't like losing those at matches where it's a lost brass match. I even prefer using the Fiocchi hulls to the new AA's.

You can load your #4's a little lighter without losing too many pellets. I have a Sizemaster set up for loading steel shot and that bar allows larger sizes of shot to be used without too much trouble. I generally don't go bigger than #6's on my MEC Grabber. You may want to do what JD45 says and use a different powder, or you could drop a few less pellets to see about lowering your shot column height. Shotshells are not as critical as pistol loading generally. It won't know the difference between 475 and 492 grains. That's really a diff of about 6 pellets of 4's, that might be enough to get a good crimp on.

Vince

[BigDave]

Sorry, I should have stated that I am using 700X (17.5 gr specifically). And yes, there is now data for Titegroup with Handicap loads.

[Patrick Sweeney]

My experience loading #4 shot is that a charge bar marked as 1-1/8 ounces actually drops just over an ounce of #4. If you're dropping an honset 1-1/8 oz of #4, you're probably over-volume in shot. Set the bar for 1-1/8 of #7-1/2s, then switch to #4 and you'll have the right volume.

[Shipster]

Mr Sweeney hit the nail on the head. That is exactly the problem and a easy fix.

[BigDave]

Cool, I was about to start messing with wad pressure.

[sargenv]

If I ran into this sitation, I'd go to the next wad in line that had a little more room. If needed I'd drop in an under shot card to raise the shot column. I know that they say to always stick to what they tell you to, but the difference between a 1 1/8 ounce wad and a 1 1/4 ounce wad is pretty much the height of the cup and a little bit less plastic in the actual wad. I've successfully made the switch over countless loads with no ill effect. So if the wad that is used is the 118 claybuster (ounce an an eighth wad), I'd switch to the 114 (ounce and a quarter wad).

That's just me.. It seems like this would be the easiest solution, though now you have to purchase a different component. As for myself, I have a good supply of most of the loading supplies needed. I guess I like having a good supply of several possibilities

Vince