ANOTHER Lee slug thread.

[DeanWinchester]

I'm helpless when it comes to loading shotguns. The mess just never has made much sense to me. I just picked up a 1oz Lee slug mold and I have a pile of Winchester compression formed hulls. Red and grey HS both. I also have albs of HS-7 sitting here doing nothing.

Anyone have any suggestions for wad and charge? Hodgdons website sucks since the most recent upgrade.

They will be used in an 18" cylinder bore, chrome lined Weatherby (turkish made) pump. Minute of pie pan accuracy at 50-75 yards would be perfect. Thanks.

[longbow]

I'm guessing you can't find your components listed in the Lee data that came with your mould?

If not, I can take a look in my manuals to see what I have for Winchester hulls and HS-7. It'll be a day or two though.

Longbow

[DeanWinchester]

There was no HS7 listed in the data. I really need to break down and start buying shotshell load books.

[jmort]

The HS 7 is for heavier loads. Any other powder options? HS 6 is what you want if you want a HS powder.

[jmort]

If you want to save $$$ get Promo and use same charge weights as Red Dot. That would be perfect. If you want to smoke something use Blue Dot max charge is 49 grains. That is a freight train.
http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/SM%203529.pdf

[35remington]

No recommendation for HS 7 here. Best for practice is 16-18 grains Promo Red Dot 700X Clays, etc, with the WAASL (pink) one ounce wad. Since I like cheap and adequate for practice, my choice is 17 grains Promo, in agreement with jmortimer.

Light enough recoil to not be abusive, enough power to be effective. And yeah, 49 grains Blue Dot is a bruiser if want power for charging bear and boar. Do not use cheap promotional wads as substitutes. This works with shot but not so well with slugs, which are much harder on the wads than shot is. The low cost wads like Claybuster often deform, especially in the crush section, and lose petals more frequently, due to their cheaper grade of plastic.

The reinforcing drive key in the Lee slug, especially when heat treated lead is used, makes them much less subject to deformation than standard factory Foster slugs and they penetrate much better. Your accuracy criterion is doable and makes them suitable for inexpensive practice or the aforementioned mean critter defense.