new to casting slugs, why crimp or roll

[zep]

Hi all,
I've just started casting slugs, 7/8 and 1oz. I bought both for two reasons
the first is I live in Spain and slugs are a horrendous price,
second is on fleabay two Lee molds with shipping is less than two boxes (20) of
Browning Brenneke slugs (12,67,32)

So, I have a good supply of lead and soon had 100 plus slugs.
these I loaded into 28 and 32 shotshells, ie: 7/8 into 28g and 1oz into 32g
I didn't roll or crimp the shotshell as the fit of the slug in the cup was
tight enough for the slug not to move, and belive me I tried to shake the
slug loose.

I shot twenty rounds at 60 yds and had a 6" cluster ( Franchi semi auto no choke)
the question is WHY crimp shotshells with slugs.


Please be patient as I'm new to casting and want to learn,
I've sent for the Lee load all, (yeah I know but cash is short )

Casting boolits is fun and cheap

[curiousgeorge]

When you did your practice shooting did you load the slugs one at a time?

I may be wrong, but I suspect that if you load the gun with 5 rounds and do not crimp or roll the cases, the recoil from the rounds being fired will cause the slugs to move forward through inertia and essentially "unload" the shells.

But, if it doesn't cause any problems (but I think that it could), or you are willing to just have one in the chamber and single load, it might be the way to go.

Steve

[x101airborne]

Hi ya Zep, and welcome to the forum!!! I dont know much about why to or not to as far as experience, I just always have kind "just because". I would think it would prevent dirt and lint and debris from entering the shell around the cup or wad. I would think that beyond a moisture buildup that type of fouling could play heck with your loads.

[zep]

Curiousgeorge, Here we have a three round limit , one in the chamber an two in the tube.
My practice shots were done loading two rounds at a time,
I didn't think about the inertia effect, exellent thought.
This afternoon I'll load three, fire two eject the third and see if the slug has moved.

x101airborne, Good point about the dirt, when I'm out hunting I normally have the shells
loose in my jacket pocket and I'm sure at the bottom thier is all sorts of crud.
Whilst waiting for the Load all to arrive I'll stamp out some overwads and seal with a little bees wax.

I can see I'm going to love this forum

[tomme boy]

The crimp is to help hold back the payload to initiate combustion. Without a crimp the pressures will not be the same from shell to shell. The accuracy will suffer. I do not shoot any shell more than 2x's. My groups really start to open up if loaded more than 2x's.

[onondaga]

Plus one on what tomme boy said. The crimp sets the wad depth and wad pressure in the case and is an important part of consistency for ignition and accuracy. The added positive is keeping dirt out of the shell in front of the slug that could damage your barrel by gouging it with mud, sand or debris resting on the slug nose.

I have assumed that you are casting the Lee 3/4 and 1 ounce slugs. following the recommended shotcup, hull, and powder recommendations from Lee gives a fit that works very well for me.

If your ebay molds didn't come with instructions,the instructions are available from Lee for $1.00 each.

Gary