Shotgun Slugs

[Adler1]

I am a newbie to casting bullets and reloading. I would appreciate some input regarding shotgun slugs. First of all lets talk about the slug itself, I have seen the Lee casting molds with the 7/8 and 1 ounce slugs, as well as Lyman's sabot slugs. Is this all there is available? My intent for casting and reloading is to save money, but it also needs to be functional. I don't want to put a lot of effort into this and find out that all they will be good for is plinking, I want to be able to hunt with these and I want the best bullet for the job. Can anyone help speak into this? I would like to know about the expansion quality of the bullets, as well as personal experience. Would the Lee's perform just as well as the Lyman sabots?

Second, I have seen Lee's Load-all II and they recommend loading slugs with a folded crimp. I have also seen outfits advertised a rolled crimp setup. Anyone have any experience with either and have opinions on what is best? I have only bought slugs that have the rolled crimp and even though it might be easier to use a folded crimp, will that give me the accuracy that I need?

[richhodg66]

There's a whole section here on casting for shotguns and some guys have gotten some absolutely astounding performance out of both the Lyman and Lees. Browse around in that section and you'll most likely find answers to all your questions.

I'm just getting around to dabbling in slug loading, though I really doubt I'll ever get them to where they'll out perform an inline muzzle loader (which is legal equipment in any shotgun only area I'veever seen), but it seems like an interesting pursuit anyway.

[Crawdaddy]

I use the Lee 7/8 with very good accuracy. It took a loooonnngggg time to find a load that worked but I got it. Here is a link to my very first post on this site. Hope it helps.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=129435

[white eagle]

accurate molds for me

[longbow]

Are you shooting rifled barrel or smoothbore? That makes a difference.

If for rifled barrel, there is a better selection of moulds than for smoothbore and smoothbore requires a shuttlecock type slug that is drag stabilized or round ball.

Round ball also works in rifled guns and some are reporting pretty good accuracy.

Moulds I know of:

- Lee Drive Key 7/8 & 1 oz.
- Lyman Foster 1 oz +
- Lyman sabot slug 525 gr.
- Rapine sabot slug and full bore (not sure if they are still available)
- Accurate Molds has several slug designs for rifled guns
- Turbo1889 had some custom moulds made by Brooks I believe so cherries may be available
- round ball moulds sized for shotcup which can run from about 0.662" diameter for thick steel shotcups to 0.690" for thin shotcups. Lyman, RCBS and Lee all make round ball moulds of suitable sizes.
- bore size round balls from 0.725" to 0.735" ~ 0.735" is a Lyman standard mould and works in both my smoothbores and rifled guns. Yes, it is somewhat oversize but works well. Custom size round ball moulds can be had from Jeff Tanner in the UK.

With good round ball loads in my smoothbore I can count on 3" to 4" groups at 50 yards and shot some 2" +/- groups with 0.735" round ball in a rifled gun. Some rifled guns will do much better.

I have seen reports of sub 3" groups at 100 yards so slugs can be quite accurate.

I have found that both fold and roll crimp work depending on load and wad column but roll crimp is supposed to provide better ignition due to the resistance to open the rolled crimp.
A lot depends on hull and wad as well.

If you tell us what components and gun you have we may be able to be more specific on what is likely to work and what is not. There are some people here with lots of knowledge to share.

Longbow

[Adler1]

Longbow,
I appreciate your post.

I am shooting a Mossberg 500 rifled barrel. Due to cost I am leaning heavily towards the Lee 1oz or 7/8. (I also have my eye on the Lee dual .50 caliber mold for round ball and R.E.A.L slug for my muzzleloader) So far, from reading other posts, it appears that people have made just about any bullet work for them. I like the idea of a rolled finish, it seems that this might help lower my startup cost and have heard that this would help compression, which hopefully translates to accuracy.

My first set up, looks like it will include the Lee 1oz, with a roll crimper from precision reloading. I will be attempting to find a good recipe to use for wad, hull, and powder (haven't settled yet on what to try). I have everything I need to cast i.e. melting pot, WW, pure lead.... I have cast before, just not for bullets. What types of tools are most helpful for those who have done the roll crimping? Any ideas?

Thanks

[Adler1]

Crawdaddy,

Thanks for putting a link to your post, that was helpful. There is so much available in this forum, it has taken quite awhile to sort through some of it. Is there any reason why you have used the 7/8 over the 1oz? Also, did you try the rolled crimp, what were your tests like?

[longbow]

Not wanting to sound all lectury but I feel obligated to mention that if you haven't done much or any loading for shotgun, get yourself a couple of good manuals like Lyman Shotshell Reloading or Reloading for Shotgunners and use published recipes as is at least to start.

Shotguns do not respond like rifles and handguns to pressure and the only sign of over pressure you might get is a blow up.

EVERYTHING affects shotshell pressures:

- hull type and design
- powder of course but even more importantly you can't easily "just work up a load" on your own
- primers can have a significant effect on pressures
- wad
- payload obviously

A combination of substitutes like hull and primer could be disastrous if both swaps result in pressure increases.

So, start with published recipes from reliable sources. Lee publishes loads for their Drive Key Slugs so that is a good place to start if you get a Lee mould. You can also adjust wad column a bit without worrying about pressure much and use shot load recipes of equal weight for a slug.

Also, I should have mentioned that there is a lot of info here if you haven't seen it yet:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=36

In fact this thread should really be relocated to the Casting for Shotgun forum.

If you search the threads there you will find a wealth of information on what has worked and not worked for people.

Longbow

[Adler1]

I totally agree with what you are saying, I have recently ordered the slug loading manual from ballistic products as well as some other pertinent manuals related to roll crimping and hull features.
Since I have posted, I have found the Casting for Shotgun forum and have been gleaning information related to the Lee molds.
I didn't see your post as lecturing, there is a lot of risk in this field. I appreciate your time and willingness to address this.
When I get ready to make an order for hulls and wad, I will post it on the shotgun and get insight from there.

Thanks

[chambers]

I spend last summer playing with different slugs and did a ton of testing with the Lyman 525 grain sabot. Start with a good manual and use the exact same components as listed then vary only one item at a time. Each manufacturer of hulls, wads, primers are different. I could not get several hulls to work. Read the forum and see what others have done, you will spend more time learning and less time trial and error. I ended up with hot glue shot card in wad to stablize the slug and roll crimping by hand with an old time hand roll crimper from the late 1800's, shot well in Remington rifled slug shotgun. Accurate at 75 yards easily. Shot several deer with them last fall.

[Crawdaddy]

Crawdaddy,

Thanks for putting a link to your post, that was helpful. There is so much available in this forum, it has taken quite awhile to sort through some of it. Is there any reason why you have used the 7/8 over the 1oz? Also, did you try the rolled crimp, what were your tests like?

I tried crimping and not crimping. My best results were with none. I couldn't even keep it on paper but ymmv.

My choice for the 7/8 oz was not scientific. Like you I was just getting into it and had to make a decision. The only thing I recall about the decision was that a lighter slug would have less recoil.

[longbow]

A comment about crimping and specifically roll crimping.

If the slug sits way down in the shotcup you should either cut the petals at the bottom of the round nose where it meets the sides of the slug or raise the slug inside the shotcup by using nitro card wads under it so that the petals aren't overhanging the slug. If so they can get caught and snagged or wrinkled which may cause accuracy issues.

Take a look at Ajay's photos here:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=128240

Longbow

[Moonie]

I use the 1oz Lee, it comes with load data that goes from mild to OMG my fillings just fell out. Do NOT substitute with shotshell load data, even the primer is important. I'm currently using the Lee 49gr BlueDot load (top end, and yes, it will certainly rattle all your fillings)