Using a 20 ga. Slug Gun

[Maven]

From Big Nate: Any of you folks have much experience loading 20 ga shotshell cases with any sort of lead bullet in a Winchester AA 20 ga shotshell wad (using that wad as a SABOT)? I'd love to find out more about this...I just acquired a TC Encore Pro Hunter 20 rifled fluted barrel. I'd like to have some loads for not only deer, but also to use in on other smaller game (Groundhogs, etc.). Also, anyone want to weigh in on the 20 ga vs 12 ga for deer thinking?

[excess650]

I've loaded 12ga, but not 20. Lyman makes or made a mold for slugs to be used inside conventional wads as sabots.

BPI makes 12ga sabots for 50cal, but not for 20ga.

Contact Accurate Molds for a 20ga, full diameter slug! I've shot full diameter slugs from my 12ga, and recoil is stout. A 20ga should be more shoulder friendly, but devastating on game.

You could experiment with roundballs in wads as well. There are numerous threads here regarding the same. A .605" round ball weighs about 325gr, so nothing to sneeze at. In that you're working with a singleshot, you COULD load it with blackpowder and double your fun. Use 3" hulls, a nitro card on the powder, and bit of COW to cradle a groove diameter ball, and load full hull length. BP won't need the hull to be crimped closed.

[DODGEM250]

I cast my 20 gauge slugs from a Lee 575-452M (.58 Minie) mold and I use whatever high brass hulls I can collect. I also use the BPI Commander wads with 26 grains of HS-6.

[MW3840]

Dodgem,

The only mold I can find for that diameter in the Lee mold is 472 grains, not 452 grains. Can you tell me where you got your Lee 575-452M?

From Midway:
Lee 1-Cavity Improved Minie Ball Bullet Mold 575-472M(575 Diameter) 472 Grain

Thanks,
Mike

[DODGEM250]

PM'd you about the typo. Sorry about that. I didn't even realize I had gotten in such a habit with the "452" it is in fact 575-472M I had to go back and look at the box I keep my casts in and it says 472 also... shame on me LOL

[stubshaft]

For maximum thimp I have a .575-750gr mold.

[Janoosh]

Maven, I use a H+R ultra slug hunter in 20ga. rifled. It will kill to 100 yds. Most definitely. I'm using OLD, BRI sabot slugs, (the original ones, with no expansion), and they will work when I do my part. I'm following this thread with interest as slugs are "Crazy expensive" as the kids say. I have a few 58 cal moulds and want to try reloading them for a 20ga slug this summer. I haven't heard of a slug or single projectile for small game outside of the CCP (collet cup projectile). Basically, a pistol boolit in a sabot. I believe the originals were paper-mache. Kinda like egg carton material. It would be great as a plinking round! A 20ga plinker!

[plumberroy]

I have some hard cast round balls 20ga .625dia. made by turbo 1889 here on the forum. I load in B.P.I. 3" multihulls I use bluedot powder, gas seal over powder, nitro card, 2-1/2in hard waxed wads, 1/4 felt wad R.B. and roll crimp. All componets are from B.P.I. I shoot them out of a H&R trackerII it is standard wieght 20 rifled barreled gun iron sights. they average 1260 F.P.S. With my eyes and iron sights they are accurate enough to head shoot or "bark" small game at 25-40 yards . I shoot 2 1/2 in groups at 50 yards and 4 in groups at 100 yards . I think with a scope or better eyes this gun load can do much better. @ 25 yards they shoot one ragged hole at the center of a 9" paper plate @ 50 yards the group is above the center of the plate and @ 100 yards it will group in the bottom half of the plate It works for me. the only mod on this gun is the front sight is painted with orange fingernail polish
Roy

[Harmon_Greer]

i am running the other version of the lee minie bullet in my 20 gauge with rifled choke tube. still doing load development but i can say that it is picky, but when you get it right, it does shoot good..

so far im at 23 grains of 4756 in a federal hull, win 209, pc yellow wad and a lyman taget minie( big HBWC)

one hole accurate at 25 yards with room to grow on the powder charge. i think the max load for my gun with that powder, hull and wad will be around 25.o grains

[Janoosh]

Apologies to all. I posted the wrong info. I should have read my notes first. The product is CCS ( collet cup sabot). I have no part of the company but thought it an interesting concept. I do believe Turbo has made his own sabot, if I have read correctly from past postings. I feeel a lighter boolit would be beneficial to practice. Slugs and round balls all have a kick. How accurate are RB's to 75yds? I try to let deer get as close as possible but sometimes they just hang around out there.

[plumberroy]

Apologies to all. I posted the wrong info. I should have read my notes first. The product is CCS ( collet cup sabot). I have no part of the company but thought it an interesting concept. I do believe Turbo has made his own sabot, if I have read correctly from past postings. I feeel a lighter boolit would be beneficial to practice. Slugs and round balls all have a kick. How accurate are RB's to 75yds? I try to let deer get as close as possible but sometimes they just hang around out there.

I can shoot 4" groups at 100 yards with iron sights and my bad eyes My slug target is a 9 inch paper plate with a 2 inch black circle in the center. If I hold on the center black circle at 25 yards it shoots one ragged hole center of a 9" paper plate at 50 yards I get 2 1/2" groups on the upper half of the plate At 100 yards I shoot ~4 inch groups on the bottom half of the of the same plate .
I think the gun/load combo is capable of better groups. My eyes and iron sights don't work out at 100 yards as well as they use to ..
I am not fooling with it because at woods/brush ranges it is accurate enough to head shoot small game or bark squirrels at the ranges I choose to hunt (under 75 yards) it will kill any game in North America and using the single load I don't have to think what am I loaded with ??
I hunt close I shoot long range varmit for pratice and fun The close in hunting hones my knowledge of game and stalking camo skills It is easier to go from an up close and personal type hunting to long range than the other way around
Roy

[Janoosh]

Thanks Plumberroy. That's what I needed to know. I also use a Tracker II as a stalking gun, 20ga smoothbore. The H+R USH is just too heavy to walk around with. Thanks for the recipe. That load sounds like minute of deer, which is good enough for me. Using a 58 minie, on the other hand, sounds just as interesting, if it is accurate! I have been following the other thread by Harmon Greer with interest. Good info there!

[plumberroy]

The tracker II is rifled the older tracker is smoothbore both are standard weight I am shooting the above load in a Rifled gun I do have a 1977 vintage H&R buck smoothbore in route
Roy

[nanuk]

a 62cal walking around gun..... sounds like a good thing in the bush!

[plumberroy]

a 62cal walking around gun..... sounds like a good thing in the bush!

that's why I worked up the load