Reloading (and casting) shotgun slugs for 3-gun

[1911user]

I have an idea for low-cost, reduced recoil, slug loads, but would like some feedback first.

My idea is to use lower cost factory 12 guage trap loads (1-1/8 ounce shot at 1200fps) and replace the shot with a home-cast slug.

I could melt the shot (or wheel weight lead) and cast 1 ounce slugs with a Lee slug mold. The slug is designed to be loaded in a trap wad and star crimped.

I would put the factory shell back together with the slug and recrimp using an older single-stage shotgun press. The factory primer, powder, and wad would never leave the shell. I'd like to load about 300 slugs for practice and a class so buying new is an expensive option.

Edited July 6, 2007 by 1911user

[Intel6]

Been casting/loading/shooting my own slugs (reduced and regular) for a few years now. I am doing basicallly the same thing but I am loading the whole shell, not trying to dismantle and reload factory stuff. Your plan may or may not work as the most critical thing about loading slugs is getting the payload colum right so the crimp works. Basically 1 oz. of lead shot has a lot more air space so it takes up a different volume than a single chunk of lead which means it may not be a one for one swap. I woudl also wonder about the quality of the wad used in the factory load. Many times the promotional loads use cheap wads which may or may not be suitable for loading slugs.

When I started I got a few different sizes (payload) of wads and started experiementing. I have come up with loads (reduced recoil and regular) for the 7/8 & 1 oz. Lee slugs, the 1 1/4+ Lyman slug and a Lee 0.690 ball. I also make and load my own OO buck and have a great 12 pellet reduced recoil load.

Your post indicates that you are unfamiliar with intracacies of loading shotshells (it is just not that simple) and I would reccomend you do some more research before you proceed.

Neal in AZ

[stubbicatt]

Agreed. There are books on shotshell loading which will fill you in on how to do what you have in mind. The Lyman shotshell loading manual has a couple of recipes which will work. The Lyman cast iron moulds will make a better product IMO than do the aluminum Lee moulds. Not knocking Lee, as I've used many of their products over the years, but I've never been able to use their bullet moulds to my satisfaction.

YMMV.

[swede]

I agree. It makes no sense to dismantle factory ammo. My advice is to buy a good supply of high quality once fired hulls. The best in my opinion are the Reminton STS hulls. You can get them from Precision Reloading as well as other places. As far as lead goes, I just use recycled wheel weights. If they were going to be used for hunting, it might be a diiferent story, but these are just for punching holes in targets. I use the Lyman sabot slug mold, and they're right around 500 grains when cast. I use the same load as I do for my 1-1/8 ounce trap loads and it works great. If you're unfamiliar with loading shotgun shells, I would definitely get a manual and read it before attempting to load. Substituting one item for another can dramatically raise pressure levels.

Swede

[Patrick Sweeney]

Been down this road, big time. Here's how you do it:

First, secure a source of wheelweights. And a huge-o casting/melting pot.

Second, acquire a MEC reloading press. I used the most basic, you can get more as your budget allows. You don't need an auto setup, and the slugs will make an auto setup a hassle.

Third, buy a couple of boxes of the good reloadable shells. Winchester AA, Remington slick green (whatever they call it nowadays) or others. Forget the cheap econo-blasting ammo, those are two-piece hulls. You want the one-piece.

Fourth, find reloading data for those hulls, in the skeet and trap light loads.

Fifth, load the various hulls with your cast slugs and the wads they call for, in 1 and 1-1/8 ounce loadings. Test them for accuracy.

Why do all this? Because shotguns can be incredibly finiky when it comes to this kind of ammo.

I loaded buckets of shells in my 1100s favorite recipe: W-W AA hulls, 20 grain 452-AA, 1 ounce wads and Lyman slugs. It shot them to 6" at 100 yards. The same ammo in a friends gun would not stay on the close steel plates at Second Chance. His ammo, loaded in ribbed black Remington hulls, shot even better than 6" from his gun and worse than my ammo in his gun out of my 1100.

Once yo find what works, you're in like Flynn. Until then, life can be frustrating.

[bsgale]

Been casting/loading/shooting my own slugs (reduced and regular) for a few years now. I am doing basicallly the same thing but I am loading the whole shell, not trying to dismantle and reload factory stuff. Your plan may or may not work as the most critical thing about loading slugs is getting the payload colum right so the crimp works. Basically 1 oz. of lead shot has a lot more air space so it takes up a different volume than a single chunk of lead which means it may not be a one for one swap. I woudl also wonder about the quality of the wad used in the factory load. Many times the promotional loads use cheap wads which may or may not be suitable for loading slugs.

When I started I got a few different sizes (payload) of wads and started experiementing. I have come up with loads (reduced recoil and regular) for the 7/8 & 1 oz. Lee slugs, the 1 1/4+ Lyman slug and a Lee 0.690 ball. I also make and load my own OO buck and have a great 12 pellet reduced recoil load.

Your post indicates that you are unfamiliar with intracacies of loading shotshells (it is just not that simple) and I would reccomend you do some more research before you proceed.

Neal in AZ

Neal,

Is reloading 00 buck hard -- I'm going to try to reload some slugs per your post and also would like to try buck.

BG in VA

[Patrick Sweeney]

Loading buckshot isn't too hard. But you have to fine the exact size/brand buckshot that will stack correctly in the wads you're using. Too big and they'll bulge the hull and maybe not chamber. Too small and they won't stay put. Your stack also has to be the exact correct height to give a good crimp.

A lot of work.

[Intel6]

I was typing my answer as Patrick was typing his.

Loading buck is about the same as loading slugs as far as I am concerned. It might be a little more effort because you have to stack the pellets rather than just sticking a slug in. That is not to say that overall the process is easy but once you get the specific components worked out, it is a matter of production.

The principal of matching the payload weight & load colum with the hull capacity and powder charge are the same for both types of projectiles.

Send me a PM and we can discuss it off line of you want.

Neal in AZ

Edited July 20, 2007 by Intel6

[sargenv]

I just want to add my $.02 to this one. What I reccomend people do besides getting one of the regular shotshell manuals is to point your browser over to www.ballisticproducts.com and aquire their "Slug and Buckshot" manual. If there isn't one covering this, They may have split them up, they have load data for all kinds of slugs (that they offer for sale) as well as for cast slugs using the various molds available. I've used their recipes over the years with pretty good results. They also talk about using a roll crimp, which is a common way to crimp slugs. It turns out that a shotshell that is roll crimped, allows for higher velocity since it gives a bit less resistance. Somewhere on the order of about 1500 psi less pressure all things being equal (powder, shell used, wad, slug). It doesn't sound like much, but when you are working with pressure as low as 11,000 psi like in a shotgun, it is substantial. I suggested to them that they should take a look at making data available for the "tactical" uses and had some back and forth emails, but I don't know if they've expanded on that or not. They are mainly a hunting web site, but if we show enough interest, they might start thinking about us target shooters who fire a lot of ammo at one time.

[Exodus]

I thought reloads were not allowed in USPSA for the shotgun.

USPSA Shotgun Rules

See Appendex D5 (Ammunition/Cartridge Types) item #5

5. Factory produced ammunition only. No, home loads are acceptible.

??????

Edited July 26, 2007 by Exodus

[sargenv]

I'm not quite sure how they can enforce that one, but it's true, that's what it says... Wonder why?

[Hank Ellis]

I'm not quite sure how they can enforce that one, but it's true, that's what it says... Wonder why?

Reloads are acceptable. Reread it as the left column being a question and the right column being the answer. So, "Factory produced ammunition only?", "No, Home loads are acceptable." Note the comma after No. Yeah, the H in home should be lower case. That will be my argument if challenged.

-------------------

I do a bit of shotshell reloading to support my trapshooting affliction. Tinkered a bit with reloading buckshot. Put together some 8 pellet 00 loads and gave it a try. The wad/pellet combo I tried left some major dimples to the point that cycling was an maybe it will, maybe it won't affair. It didn't pattern well at all also.

Looking at the time involved in reloading buckshot and slugs which is a lot slower than making trap loads. Looking at the time and money to develop the loads. Looking at the extra tooling for slugs. Looking at just how few buckshot and slugs I shoot a year. I decided that reloading these items just wasn't for me. Buy factory, shoot it, leave it.

[BillL223]

I reload slugs for 3-gun using Lyman 525 gr slugs cast by "Bullets R Us". I use a progressive press with no shot in the dispenser, seat the wad, pull the case and manually seat the slug and reinsert into the press. I use Universal Clays and load to 1250 fps to ensure my Benelli functions. Since this slug is designed to go in a wad, Win F114, in effect you are shooting a sabot and get no leading in the barrel. This is accurate at 3-gun distances.