New slug loader with a question....

[mergus]

Hello all. After months of lurking and reading all that I can on loading slugs, I received for Christmas a BPI slug loading manual, and have since bought a roll crimper and a package of the AQ slugs out of the BPI catalog.

SInce I have a large # of both AA and Remington hulls of various persuasions, I thought I would try to load a few slugs on my own. My first batch consisted of AA hulls, CCI 209 primers, 18.9 grains Red Dot (which is what my LLA II was set up for skeet loads) the base from a green pacific versalite wad and a .080 card under the fins and 1 over the slug followed by a fold crimp.

I shot these loads at a target at 25 yards to see how they would pattern. Not very well as it turns out. Not only were the groups 4" plus, put the paper showed that the plastic fins impacted the paper 1 to 2" away from the slug.

I am using a Mossberg 500 with a barrel cut down to 16" with a 5" Browning rifled shoke tube permantently fastened to the muzzle. While I do not have a chrony, I noticed that the muzzle blast and recoil were les than the Remington Foster slugs I used as a comparison.

Have any of you guys tried the AQ slugs and do they seperate for you? If they did not seperate, were you happy with them?

Thanks,
Mergus

[Harmon_Greer]

how did the choke tube become attached to the barrel?

[mergus]

Some time ago, a friend had an untimely death in the family. The shotgun was involved, but not the instrument of death. His wife wanted it out of the house, so I took possesion of it. The barrel was cut when I received it, and I already had the tube, so I took both items to a gunsmith who joined them. I am not fluent in welding speak, so I don't know if they were welded, brazed, soldered or what, but it appears to be on straight and secure. While the gun was at the smith's, I had him install ghost ring sights, sling swivels, and cut the stock to fit me with a thick coat on. My intention with this gun is to use it in slug only areas.

Mergus

[Harmon_Greer]

how does it shoot with factory sabot slugs?

[longbow]

I bought some AQ's several years ago and found them to be very accurate from my smooth bore. I only bought one lot of 25 so not a lot of shooting but I got some 6" groups at 100 yards with very little load development.

From what I recall all groups were round and fairly consistent without random fliers or keyholes.

I saw no signs of the plastic fins separating from the slug.

If I could get my home made attached wad slugs to shoot as well, I would be a happy camper! Working on it but testing is slow.

Longbow

[Harmon_Greer]

that gun might do better with the lyman 525 or a full bore round ball. i have a choke tubed 20 gauge that is doing pretty good in the accuracy department..more testing to come though.

i think the problem you may be having is with the AQ slug not being bore diameter and thus the rifling is spinning them off course.

[mergus]

When I first had it built, I sighted it in with 3" Winchester BRI sabots. Recoil in the light gun was substantial enough that I shot it off hand on a rest. Even so, I got about 8" groups at 85 yards.

The Remington foster slugs shoot 4 to 5 inches high at 25 yards but about 2" apart. Not horrible, not great.

Harmon, where can I buy some of those round balls? Also, would it be worthwhile to try the Lee 1 oz. in a AA wad?

Mergus

[ted60]

I have a 870 18 1/2" barrel with Rem choke tube set for it,I also bought the Hastings long Paradox rifled choke and found that it threw slugs all over the place, thats with my loads and my experience with rifled chokes tubes, I load the Lee 1 oz slug with WA12F114 one nitro card under slug with 32 grs. of HS-6, this is a mild load compared to 36 grs. as Lee suggests as max, but at 75 yards its 3" groups consistintly. I think Harmon_Greer said the rifleing is throwing your slugs all over, the Hastings really tore up wads and slugs where keyholing, I also found with my load that a improved cyclinder does best for me, any more choke brings pressure up, and cylinder bore works fair enough, the Lee is the cheap way to go, and Lyman molds are great slugs or big heavy balls, Id think a different powder like bluedot or something slower would serve your slug needs,I only used reddot with 1 oz trap loads, just MY experience with what I load.