longbow
08-28-2008, 02:45 AM
Well, I finally got some slugs loaded up and went out shooting today.
Nothing too scientific, just loaded a variety of slugs, took my cheapo single shot smoothbore and shot.
I had a variety of slugs this time:
- 4 x Tuskers
- 5 x Gualandi DGS
- 5 x 560 gr. Foster style (Rapine I think)
- 5 x 790 gr. hollow base semi wadcutter style (custom mould I believe)
- 10 x 0.735" round balls
I used Fiocchi low base hulls, Winchester 209 primers, gas seal cut off Winchester AA Red wads and hard card filler wads for all but the Gualandis which have an attached wad.
I used the "Piledriver" load data as a guideline for all but the Gualandi and also checked against other slug loads and shot/bucksot loads. The Piledriver was a 610 gr. SWC Keith style full bore slug with loads listed to 44 gr. Blue Dot (OUCH).
I used 38 grs. Blue Dot for all except the 790 gr. slugs which were over 27 gr. Blue Dot.
The Gualandi slugs were loaded over 30 gr. Unique.
Results:
All shooting was at 50 yards with iron sights and I put up another target paper at 75 yards to try to catch slugs further down range so see if they were still nose forward.
- Tuskers did not give good accuracy (about 9" group at 50 yards) from my gun but they were a little undersized ~ rattle fit but not enough slop to paper patch. They did fly nose forward and made round holes at 50 and 75 yards. I recovered one from the 100 yard berm and it hit dead on nose first and wasn't hardly deformed. I like the slug, I like the weight and I would like to try some at bore size to see how they do.
- Gualandi DGS ~ 3 in a nice group of 1 3/4" with one 1 1/4" above all round holes and one flier 3" below with oval hole. A coupl ehit the target paper at 75 yards and made round holes. I recoverd 2 from the 100 yard berm and they were deformed.
- 560 gr. Foster style (Rapine?) ~ 4 in 2 1/2" group and one flier for a group of 6" overall. All holes round. Again, they were a little undersized but the 4 made a nice tight group so more testing will be done.
- 790 gr. SWC ~ 2 on the paper! No group of any sort. The holes were round but the placement was very random.
- 0.735 round balls ~ OUCH! The last time I shot a load of 36 grs. of Blue Dot with these same balls but out of a rifled 12 ga. OUCH then too! I am not sure why so much recoil since the Tuskers are heavier and with the same powder charge but didn't recoil near as bad. I have to assume that the slightly oversize ball is generating a little higher pressure as it swages down to bore size. Accuracy was not spectacular at about 6" groups. These groups were a little larger than the last time I shot RB's from the smoothbore, not sure why. Last time I used fiber wads under the ball, this time hard card...? I'll try again with fiber wads. Generally I am getting 4" to 6" groups with RB's at 50 yards both bore size or undersize but in a shotcup. I like the RB's and will work at reducing group size ~ 3" to 4" from smoothbore would make me happy.
I am a little vague on the slugs and origin as all but the round balls were sent to me by a friend. They were all hard cast and I think all sized (except the Gualandi) to suit a rifled barrel. In any case they were all slightly undersized for my smoothbore.
While I like the Tusker style best I only had 4 to try. I'd like to see how they would shoot if they were a tighter fit to the bore. I probably should have knurled them to increase diameter a little.
The 560 gr. Foster (Rapine?) and the Gualandi slugs gave the best accuracy and shot decent groups. The fliers may have been pilot error except for the one sideways Gualandi. Bear in mind I am shooting a light single shot smoothbore with heavy trigger and iron sites.
If I was asked which slugs I like best the answer is the Tuskers and the round balls. Why? Because the Tusker is a nice tough design, and the round balls are easy to cast and easy to load. I think both can be made to shoot more accurately than what I got today and both are solid designs that won't fail on impact unlike typical Foster style with thin skirts.
So, there's my results for today. Like I said, not too scientific but it was fun.
Longbow
Nothing too scientific, just loaded a variety of slugs, took my cheapo single shot smoothbore and shot.
I had a variety of slugs this time:
- 4 x Tuskers
- 5 x Gualandi DGS
- 5 x 560 gr. Foster style (Rapine I think)
- 5 x 790 gr. hollow base semi wadcutter style (custom mould I believe)
- 10 x 0.735" round balls
I used Fiocchi low base hulls, Winchester 209 primers, gas seal cut off Winchester AA Red wads and hard card filler wads for all but the Gualandis which have an attached wad.
I used the "Piledriver" load data as a guideline for all but the Gualandi and also checked against other slug loads and shot/bucksot loads. The Piledriver was a 610 gr. SWC Keith style full bore slug with loads listed to 44 gr. Blue Dot (OUCH).
I used 38 grs. Blue Dot for all except the 790 gr. slugs which were over 27 gr. Blue Dot.
The Gualandi slugs were loaded over 30 gr. Unique.
Results:
All shooting was at 50 yards with iron sights and I put up another target paper at 75 yards to try to catch slugs further down range so see if they were still nose forward.
- Tuskers did not give good accuracy (about 9" group at 50 yards) from my gun but they were a little undersized ~ rattle fit but not enough slop to paper patch. They did fly nose forward and made round holes at 50 and 75 yards. I recovered one from the 100 yard berm and it hit dead on nose first and wasn't hardly deformed. I like the slug, I like the weight and I would like to try some at bore size to see how they do.
- Gualandi DGS ~ 3 in a nice group of 1 3/4" with one 1 1/4" above all round holes and one flier 3" below with oval hole. A coupl ehit the target paper at 75 yards and made round holes. I recoverd 2 from the 100 yard berm and they were deformed.
- 560 gr. Foster style (Rapine?) ~ 4 in 2 1/2" group and one flier for a group of 6" overall. All holes round. Again, they were a little undersized but the 4 made a nice tight group so more testing will be done.
- 790 gr. SWC ~ 2 on the paper! No group of any sort. The holes were round but the placement was very random.
- 0.735 round balls ~ OUCH! The last time I shot a load of 36 grs. of Blue Dot with these same balls but out of a rifled 12 ga. OUCH then too! I am not sure why so much recoil since the Tuskers are heavier and with the same powder charge but didn't recoil near as bad. I have to assume that the slightly oversize ball is generating a little higher pressure as it swages down to bore size. Accuracy was not spectacular at about 6" groups. These groups were a little larger than the last time I shot RB's from the smoothbore, not sure why. Last time I used fiber wads under the ball, this time hard card...? I'll try again with fiber wads. Generally I am getting 4" to 6" groups with RB's at 50 yards both bore size or undersize but in a shotcup. I like the RB's and will work at reducing group size ~ 3" to 4" from smoothbore would make me happy.
I am a little vague on the slugs and origin as all but the round balls were sent to me by a friend. They were all hard cast and I think all sized (except the Gualandi) to suit a rifled barrel. In any case they were all slightly undersized for my smoothbore.
While I like the Tusker style best I only had 4 to try. I'd like to see how they would shoot if they were a tighter fit to the bore. I probably should have knurled them to increase diameter a little.
The 560 gr. Foster (Rapine?) and the Gualandi slugs gave the best accuracy and shot decent groups. The fliers may have been pilot error except for the one sideways Gualandi. Bear in mind I am shooting a light single shot smoothbore with heavy trigger and iron sites.
If I was asked which slugs I like best the answer is the Tuskers and the round balls. Why? Because the Tusker is a nice tough design, and the round balls are easy to cast and easy to load. I think both can be made to shoot more accurately than what I got today and both are solid designs that won't fail on impact unlike typical Foster style with thin skirts.
So, there's my results for today. Like I said, not too scientific but it was fun.
Longbow