Easing into shotgun reloading
- Thread starter Metal god
- Start date
UPDATE
Hello all
So I finally loaded some up and went and shot them yesterday . All went well but I'm not sure what pattern is/should be expected with #00 buck at 25yds .
This was what I got with new targets . Not sure where the rest hit , really thought they'd all be in the circle . It seemed that was pretty much the avg , 5 or 6 of the pellets into a 10" to 12" group and the rest outside of that somewhere .
Interesting thing when it comes to loading the shells was I don't need the filler it turns out . I had been loading dummy rounds with no powder but when I put 30gr of HS-6 in the case the wad does not sit as low and this is what I got ( EDIT ) when also using the 1/8" filler
This is what I get with out the 1/8" filler
Side note , 30gr load was quite mild as far as recoil I thought and the 31gr was more but still not to bad . I shot some 3" #00 buck about a year ago and it bout took my shoulder off so these were actually fun to shoot .
Anyways thank you all for the help I truly would not have been able to do it with out your help . Any comments are welcome especially about tightening those groups/patterns up would be great . My thinking is that the groups are poor because I need to cut the petals off and if I used a shell big enough to leave them on the pattern would be smaller ????
Hello all
So I finally loaded some up and went and shot them yesterday . All went well but I'm not sure what pattern is/should be expected with #00 buck at 25yds .
This was what I got with new targets . Not sure where the rest hit , really thought they'd all be in the circle . It seemed that was pretty much the avg , 5 or 6 of the pellets into a 10" to 12" group and the rest outside of that somewhere .
Interesting thing when it comes to loading the shells was I don't need the filler it turns out . I had been loading dummy rounds with no powder but when I put 30gr of HS-6 in the case the wad does not sit as low and this is what I got ( EDIT ) when also using the 1/8" filler
This is what I get with out the 1/8" filler
Side note , 30gr load was quite mild as far as recoil I thought and the 31gr was more but still not to bad . I shot some 3" #00 buck about a year ago and it bout took my shoulder off so these were actually fun to shoot .
Anyways thank you all for the help I truly would not have been able to do it with out your help . Any comments are welcome especially about tightening those groups/patterns up would be great . My thinking is that the groups are poor because I need to cut the petals off and if I used a shell big enough to leave them on the pattern would be smaller ????
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Yes I’m using exactly what's recommended in the data . If you go back a few posts to #116 you’ll see I made some dummy rounds that seemed to indicate I needed a 1/8 filler . The issue was those dummy rounds did not have powder in them . I confirmed the problem was the absence of the powder because I loaded one with out powder or filler and the crimp was con-caved . It seems the space/volume the 30gr of powder raises the wad up that 1/8 inch I thought I needed . So when I added the 30gr of powder “and” the 1/8 filler piece the total volume was now to much . Once I removed the filler they appear to crimp correctly as shown in that single round pic shows or are you saying even the one I think looks good is not right .
EDIT , correction The wads I'm using are the claybuster equivalent because the original manufacturer does not make the wads listed in the book anymore . See post #105
EDIT , correction The wads I'm using are the claybuster equivalent because the original manufacturer does not make the wads listed in the book anymore . See post #105
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Marco Califo
New member
The crimp is not as deep as it should be. You want a rolled ring inside and a slightly lower star. Your looks like it will come loose.
OK , I'll see what I can do , it's a pretty firm crimp but not bottomed out on the press . I was worried about collapsing the legs on the wad . I'm assuming if I force the crimp more the wad flexing is what's going to give me the crimp I need ? Not sure how else I'm going to get the correct crimp with out changing powder .
Ok here's what I get
Single pull of the final crimp bottoming out on the press . Interestingly I can push that point down with moderate force by hand .
This one was 3 pulls of the final crimp lowering it more each time until bottoming out also turning the shell each pull . This looks to be as good as it gets with these components .
Single pull of the final crimp bottoming out on the press . Interestingly I can push that point down with moderate force by hand .
This one was 3 pulls of the final crimp lowering it more each time until bottoming out also turning the shell each pull . This looks to be as good as it gets with these components .
Marco Califo
New member
We used to call those riot guns and they were cylinder bore (no choke constriction). That photo does show something at the muzzle whete the barrel is larger. If you unload the gun and look into the muzzle, you may or may not see little notches at the end of the bore, there would be 4 equi-distant. Those are lugs for a choke wrench to unscrew. Most all waterfowl and sporting clays shotguns use choke tubes, and for steel shot you use one step less constriction than for lead.
If you dont see the 4 notches, you have cylinder bore only. Which is good for buckshot and slugs.
Edit: twist adjustable chokes do exist, but are uncommon
If you dont see the 4 notches, you have cylinder bore only. Which is good for buckshot and slugs.
Edit: twist adjustable chokes do exist, but are uncommon
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I don't know much about shotguns but don't think mine has a choke . It's a Mossberg 500 tac like the one below .
25 yards will be pushing it then
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Yeah this is called a Breacher barrel designed to breach doors , no groves or anything inside unless the muzzle device is screwed into where the choke would go . I did not see a seem in the bore , although it looks like a separate device . The bore looks seamlessly smooth to the muzzle . I guess you're supposed to be able to pound the muzzle at the door knob or hinge areas of doors to weaken them . When I bought it the whole gun just looked cool to me , still does and it's a 500 so it's going to work . I have another 500 that's bare bones minimal with a 20" barrel . As stated before I'm not a shotgun guy but every red blooded American should have a couple regardless
So you guys think those Remington hulls will allow the wad to sit a tad lower ? I found some instock (once fired) 1k for $36 . I'm ready to buy if that's really a good idea . I'll add the Hodgdon website suggest CCI 209M primers though . I might be able to find some locally but if not do I dare ask if the Win 209 primers I have will work ? I also noticed the Remington hulls data can take a full grain more of powder then the Win hulls .