10 gauge reloading question

F

fzgline

Inactive
Hello everyone,

I bought an Armsport double barrel 10 gauge new in 1976. I noticed from reading various forums that the maximum magnum load (it is a 10 gauge magnum) is 109 grains (3.99 drams) of powder, and people said Blue Dot was good to use. I bought some 00 buckshot shells that said charge bar 1060 -- does anyone know how many grains or drams of powder that is? A friend gave me a Mec 10 gauge reloader new years ago, and I would like to start reloading 10 gauge shells now. I would appreciate any comments or info. Thanks in advance.
 
Careful

I noticed from reading various forums that the maximum magnum load (it is a 10 gauge magnum) is 109 grains (3.99 drams) of powder, and people said Blue Dot was good to use.
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NO. Stop......apparently you are mixing a couple of very different ideas. Just in case......you cannot - CANNOT - load 109 grains of Blue Dot into a 10 gauge shotshell. Pulling the trigger on such a load would be very possibly the last thing that you would ever do. It is a massive overload.

The dram thing is a reference to when shotshells used black powder. A max 10 gauge load would be about 4 drams of BP or 109 grains.
It is a way of comparing the velocity of modern smokeless loads to the old BP velocities.
Get a shotshell reloading manual or go to Alliant Powder's online reloading guide.
A max charge of Blue Dot for a 10 gauge two ounce shot load would some where in the mid 40 grain area (do not use that info as load data. It is not specific enough)
Pete
 
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Greetings fzline and welcome aboard

Let me reinforce my friend darkgael's warning: Do NOT confuse dram equivalent (Dr. Eq.) loadings with actual powder weights. The Dr. Eq. is a power/velocity reference only. Think of it in the same way nuclear weapons are rated in equivalent mega or kilo tons of TNT.

I don't have a clue about a 1060 charge bar -- who's the mfg? For a Blue Dot load as Pete suggested, I'd expect to see you using a powder bushing in the neighborhood of a 40, 40a, 41 or 41a in your MEC. Consult a reloading guide for specific load data and the correct bushing.
 
We're glad you asked before you went down that path !! .... 109 grains of powder is " Way Too Much" ........:eek:

I don't load Blue Dot powder .....but common loads in powders like Hodgdon Longshot or HS-7 in 10ga 3 1/2" shells are around 38 - 43 grains with 2 oz to 2 1/4 oz of shot ........:D

I would also suggest you go to the MEC site and download a manual for your press. I don't know what the 1060 charge bar you have is either ....but a look at your loading manual or a call to MEC will solve that as well !
 
I noticed from reading various forums that the maximum magnum load (it is a 10 gauge magnum) is 109 grains (3.99 drams) of powder, and people said Blue Dot was good to use.
Click to expand...
109 gr of Blue Dot is guaranteed to rapidly disassemble your 10 ga SXS shotgun, certainly injuring, possibly killing the shooter. Typical charges of Blue Dot would be much, much lower (30-40 or so grains of powder). Please, refer to a loading manual.

The "4 Dram Equivalent" definition means that the load will give the velocity equivalent to the same shot charge propelled by 4 drams of black powder, it says nothing about pressures.

Most smokeless powders are progressive, meaning that as pressures increase, burn rate increases, thereby increasing pressures faster, increasing burn rates, etc, etc, and can generate enough pressure to burst even a steel pressure vessel (your shotgun, for example). Black powder is not progressive (it has a decreasing burn rate as pressure increases), and pretty much self-limits at around 20,000 psi.
 
Before you load a single shell. Buy a copy of the lymans 5th edition shotgun reloading book. Read it completely. Your old double is designed for lead shot. Today there are a couple options for nontox shot, safe in your gun. Steel shot is not a option if you like the gun. They are your body parts, but they could put an eye out on the guy standing next to you :eek: When you explode
 
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