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Thread: Short/mini 12ga slug shells

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    Short/mini 12ga slug shells

    Does anyone have any good recipes for short slug shells?

    I am looking to loosely replicate the aguila mini shells since they aren't readily available up here in Canada.

    Also, I have a whole bunch of hulls(AA, STS, Blue Magic) with cracked mouths, but otherwise in very good condition. I hate to throw them out considering they could be cut down and roll crimped.

  2. #2
    DEADBEAT UNIQUEDOT's Avatar
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    I don't load them or know anyone that does and i wouldn't even have a clue as to where to start as far as powders and charges are concerned, but it seems like a saw a video on you tube about loading them. I could be mistaken though. I bought a box of the mini shells in 7.5 shot a few years ago and gave half the box away and don't even remember what i did with the rest. I just bought them because i had never seen them before.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

    Hodgdon has 2" loads for the hulls you listed. Ballistic Products has a data sheet for roll crimped loads that has a few similar loads but with other hulls, IIRC.

    Happy Shooting
    Last edited by diehard; 01-17-2012 at 07:52 PM. Reason: spelling ...as usual

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    you can do good with them If you seal with beewax. beewax dont get hard like reg wax
    this is pic of round ball load ball in case and drip beewax to seal the ball. case can be used many times
    It works for 00 buck too if you are shooting at past 40 yds .
    Last edited by shotman; 05-08-2012 at 08:17 PM.

  5. #5
    DEADBEAT UNIQUEDOT's Avatar
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    The mini shells are only 1.5" long... i think the open length is 1.75", but i guess that's close enough to get starting loads from 2" data assuming he wants to duplicate the length, but he did say "loosely".

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    I found the BPI "Roll Crimping Your Shotshells"data sheet. These loads are not for your hulls, but may help in the future:

    Load #1
    2" 12 gauge Fiocchi Hull
    FIO616 primer
    19gr Green Dot
    X12X + 14CW(12GA)
    7/8oz lead shot
    COS12 overshot card
    Roll Crimp
    8800 psi, 1270fps


    Load #2
    2" 12 gauge Fiocchi Hull
    FIO616 primer
    21gr PB
    X12X + 18FW(12GA)
    1oz lead shot
    COS12 overshot card
    Roll Crimp

    9500psi, 1275 fps


    note: the X12X is an excellent overpowder gas seal sold by BPI
    14CW is BPI's 12ga 1/4" cork wad
    18FW is BPI's 12ga 1/8" felt wad


    All I have for you.

    I have roll crimped full power loads down to just under 2" ...but pressures are very high and I would not recommend it.

    I am aware of the actual size of the Aguila shells, but I have never seen any published data for that size. Close as I could come.
    Last edited by diehard; 01-17-2012 at 09:09 PM. Reason: typo fixed

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    A warning or two.

    Do not use hollow base slugs in short hulls especially if you are using 3" chamber.

    I had a "mishap" that cost me a gun using short hulls and Lyman Foster slugs.

    I believe the causes were:

    - I took a 2 3/4" load recipe but substituted card wads for a cushion leg wad
    - the Slug bumped up to fill the chamber ahead of the short hull then met the forcing cone

    The net result was a blown up gun. The recovered barrel showed lead in the chamber from the mouth of the hull to the forcing cone and the top half of the chamber was gone. The barrel left the gun and landed about 10' in front of me.

    BPI warns not to make short hulls as pressures can rise significantly. I first wondered why but then it occurred to me that the recipe with the cushion leg wad is expecting some give at ignition resulting in larger effective volume.

    My thinking is that when a hard card wad is substituted there is no give so a sudden pressure spike occurs.

    The pressure increase due to a slug bumping up in the chamber then being swaged back down through the forcing cone is self explanatory ~ don't do it!

    A solid slug like a Brenneke or a round ball should be fine since they do not expand. So, find yourself a shorty hull recipe but stick to solid slugs is my advice. BPI does publish shot load recipes in short hulls so you might check there. I do not know of any slug specific recipes for short hulls.

    Longbow

  8. #8
    Boolit Mold
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    Thanks for the advice guys.

    My plan was to use a lee 1oz slug in WAA12L shotcup with a WAA12R cushion section. There is a good amount of slug data for the WAA12R wad; even though I'm only using the seal/cushion section, it should still be applicable.

  9. #9
    Boolit Mold Bneuberger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1n5ane View Post
    Thanks for the advice guys.

    My plan was to use a lee 1oz slug in WAA12L shotcup with a WAA12R cushion section. There is a good amount of slug data for the WAA12R wad; even though I'm only using the seal/cushion section, it should still be applicable.
    What was the outcome of this plan? Thank you!

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    click his name. Last activity was June 2013. He's long gone. In situations like this, I try shooting an email to them and hoping for the best.

    I hope you end up connecting with the guy, good luck!

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    2" and 1-3/4" using BPI load data

    I did some preliminary testing using short shells made using BPI data. Since they sell the data sheet I will not publish the load except to say that I used Fiocchi primed hulls cut to length, SSW wad, Bullseye, and #0 buck shot that I cast. The 2" load is straight from their data except that the 9 pellets weigh a small amount over 7/8 oz. The 1-3/4 load is the same except the wad was trimmed by 1/4" and only 6 pellets were inserted. I used a Russian made roll crimp tool from eBay but I suspect that any are fine. The OAL of the 2" is 1.85" and the 1-3/4 is 1.62"

    The guns were a Stevens 350 and a Kel-tec KSG. Both are bottom load and bottom eject pumps. In these guns the short shells functioned without any issues. The number fired was small so the testing is very preliminary. Recoil is light in my opinion particularly when compared to a couple slug loads that I also fired. The 350 held 7+1 of the 2" shells and the KSG holds 16+1 of the 2". I forgot to check the 1-3/4 capacity but it is probably 18+1 in the KSG.

    Using the pre-primed hulls the only thing required was a Lee powder scoop and a drill press with the roll crimper provided that you bought the buck shot. I set the stop on the drill press so they all come out the same length. The next thing is to get several boxes loaded up to get a more valid test. It may take me a while though.
    Last edited by Sitzme; 09-01-2017 at 12:44 PM.

  12. #12
    Boolit Bub
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    so i wonder about space efficiency with modern shot (slug) shells.... theoretically we could go with a less bulky cartridge and still be efficeitn and effective???

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    Many shotguns don't like the short shells but they work well in others. Aguila publishes a warning about function in certain models. There are some things that can be done for some guns if you are inclined. Short shells are a little more of a specialty item. That was my reason for mentioning the models used.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I don't see any advantage for a single shot or side by side.

    Semi's IMO tend to be a bit more finicky than a good pump, although they have come a long way.

    Hunting we are mostly limited to 3 anyway. Plug in the gun.

    So that leaves home defense.

    Which is better, to figure out short shotgun shells and have a chance at one jamming up the works?

    Or practice dropping single rounds in and shucking them home as you close the action?

    Me I went with the practice dropping in single rounds as often that was handy in hunting situations with a good flight of waterfowl. With practice you can get pretty good. And make people wonder just how many your gun holds.

    Left hand pulls back on the slide, maintains pressure, ejecting the last empty. As it hits home right hand drops into pocket, scoops up a shell, slams it in the reciever, grabs pistol grip. Left hand slams forward, align, shoot. Repeat. You can do it pretty fast with practice.

  15. #15
    Boolit Bub
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    you forgot range toy!! not everything is gonna have a real good "reason" to own....

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master



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    The 3 gun comp shooters seem to love them.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Mtecs I can believe that. Couple extra rounds would make a difference in competition.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master



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    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy watkibe's Avatar
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    Maybe I'm just a cranky old man, but I actually went to the old school, so I can't help it. I was taught that shotshell loads must be used exactly as given: shell, wad, primer, shot, everything.
    Ballistic Products has a data brochure on loading short shells, $4, and downloadable.
    In the UK and Europe, short shells have been in use for a long time. The Aguila Mini Shells aren't something new or weird, only new to us. I bought a bunch of slug, buck, and shot shells from Graf's. I like strange things, and they interested me. Then I realized that they are a perfect way to introduce my wife to the 12 gauge. These shells shoot like a BB gun out of my 870 Express. Apparently the tactical and competition shooters like the increased capacity and decreased recoil. If you hunt with them, you need to have a little longer magazine plug. Game wardens are funny when it comes to magazine capacity.
    "A society that values equality above liberty will have neither. A society that values liberty above equality will have plenty of both " - Milton Friedman

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by watkibe View Post
    Maybe I'm just a cranky old man, but I actually went to the old school, so I can't help it. I was taught that shotshell loads must be used exactly as given: shell, wad, primer, shot, everything.
    Ballistic Products has a data brochure on loading short shells, $4, and downloadable.
    In the UK and Europe, short shells have been in use for a long time. The Aguila Mini Shells aren't something new or weird, only new to us. I bought a bunch of slug, buck, and shot shells from Graf's. I like strange things, and they interested me. Then I realized that they are a perfect way to introduce my wife to the 12 gauge. These shells shoot like a BB gun out of my 870 Express. Apparently the tactical and competition shooters like the increased capacity and decreased recoil. If you hunt with them, you need to have a little longer magazine plug. Game wardens are funny when it comes to magazine capacity.
    If you are a "cranky old man", then I am also. I was taught the same way....
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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
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LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check