Massive Lee slug and sabot testing.

[Blood Trail]

I'm about to embark on a journey of Lee slugs and sabot reloads. Being a member of the LAST Team (Lee Accuracy Slug Team: something I just made up, I am on an epic quest to find the perfect load for my shotguns. I'll pass on information as I receive it. I've got a couple hundred Lee 1oz slugs and about 1,000 lbs of pure lead to play with.

I will be using numerous types of hulls, AA's, Nitro's, Cheapies, and new pre primed clear Fiocchi hulls and Cheddite's.

My wads are strictly PT1205 from BPI. The slugs fit perfectly inside.

These are the list of powders I'll be working with:
- Red Dot
-Green Dot
-Blue Dot
-Pro Reach
-Herco
-800x
-Unique
-Longshot
-HS-6
-Clays
-international Clays

I'll be testing at 50 and 100 yards. Hopefully I don't blow up my chrono.

I don't really expect much from the Red and Green Dots. Hoping for magnum velocities from Blue Dot, Pro Reach, and Longshot.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Oh yeah, the test guns are:
1. Mossberg 835 24 inch backfired rifled barrel with 1-4x30 Bushnell glass

2. Mossberg 500 20 inch smoothbore

[Blood Trail]

As for sabots, I'm reloading 350 grain Hornady XTP and 300 grain FTX .50 cal bullets. The sabots I'm using will be:

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/load14_04_25.htm

And

http://slugsrus.com/store/handload.html

[Blood Trail]

[duckey]

I have been on a slug quest myself. My powders have been; Green Dot, Unique, and Clays. I too am using the PT1205 wad with the Lee 1oz drive key slug, I have also tried the WAA12 white wad with a 1/8" 20 ga fiber card underneath to raise it up for a proper crimp. Have also used the clear Fiochi primed hulls and the Blue BPI sabot cups with a 370 GN maxi ball, I roll crimped some and also 8 star crimped others. I shot these bench rested from 50 yards to 25 yards with a Mossberg 835 ulti may with a scope. Groupings at 50 yards were horrible!, for the most part. I did have one recipe that grouped at 6", with only one shot on the X. 25 yards testing seemed to produce better results, with a recipe or 2 that was way outa sack. I still have some more to try out when free time is found.

[Hogtamer]

pretty loads but odds are the wad petals are gonna be sheared by the roll crimp. the slug itself needs to open a fold crimp for best results.

[Blood Trail]

How can I get a good crimp on my MEC Jr.?

[Hogtamer]

If its bulgeing open you need a shorter wad column. If it's caving in a taller wad. Either way you'll need a hard card on the inside of the shotcup to prevent the wad from cramming up into the base on firing. The slug (sitting on at least 1 hard card) should be slightly above the wadpetals.

[sschultz]

Blood trail please keep us 3 gunners in mind when doing your testing. 1200 to 1300 fps with good accuracy to 80 yards or so.

[duckey]

The height of the slug in the cup is important, and you can cut the petals down on the wads (waa12) to where the slug starts to dome. The PT12 wads u are using are just the right height fir a 2 3/4" hull. As for crimping a NEW Fiochi hull, good luck! It can be done but I'd reccomend the 6 or 8 Star brass crimp starting tool that BPI makes for the MEC presses, it has nice sharp edges which help form the crimp before final crimp. Those Fiochi hulls are thick and stubborn to crimp without the brass pre crimp tool. I have seen petals come loose from the wad during firing. Check out BPI sabot cups, they are tapered on the ends which helps open a roll crimp when fired.

[longbow]

I know I will be following this thread with interest. Lately I am living vicariously through you guys. I have not managed much shooting for the last few months.

My slug loading experience is mostly with Blue Dot and IMR4756. I found the slower powders to perform better for me for heavy loads anyway.

As for the roll crimp, it may be okay but it would be best to trim the wad petals down the the edge of the slug bearing surface. I am actually quite surprised at how well plastic wads survive when opening roll crimps. I had expected mangled, mutilated wad petals but I have recovered very few wads with any signs of petal damage from opening roll crimps. However, in a few cases where petals ran up past the bearing surface of the slug recovered wads did indicate some crumpling going on.

And what Hogtamer said about nitro card wads under the slug ~ it helps.

Anyway, this should be quite exciting! I am looking forward to the results and hope to be posting some of my own again in the near future.

I hope you aren't recoil sensitive! Have at 'er man!

Longbow

[jmort]

I too will be watching this thread. Thanks

[FullTang]

Hey BT,

Sounds like you're already well on your way, but just wanted make sure you have this info:
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/load14_04_25.htm

Lots of excellent loads there, including this favorite:
LOAD# 140217-5473
HULL: CHEDDITE 12ga. 2.75”
PRIMER: CH209
PROPELLANT: HODGDON INTERNATIONAL CLAYS 26.0 Grains
WAD: PT1205
SHOT: 1 oz. LEE key Slug pressed into wad
FOLD CRIMP: 6-point
Result: PSI 9800 FPS 1425

This one worked really well for me, and I see you have International.

More loads here, with the Lightning wad (could probably sub the 1205):
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/load14_06_13.htm

Happy Shootin'

[cpileri]

tagged

[Blood Trail]

The players:





This is the 300 gr FTX in a slugsrus sabot.

The sabot:

[Blood Trail]

Here's a 500 gr XTP in a BPI sabot:

[Blood Trail]

300 gr XTP:

[Blood Trail]

Lee Key slug in a PT1205. Great fit

[Blood Trail]

Here's an FTX in a BPI sabot. It's sitting on a gas deal and hard fiber card. These cards allows you to peel off what you don't need.

[Blood Trail]

I got a variety of primers. I was gonna start with Fed 209A. Any thoughts?

[longbow]

To my knowledge the Federal 209A is a "hot" primer. Best use whatever primer is listed with load data. Tom Armbrust published some pressure tested data regarding primers and the effects they can have on pressure:

http://www.armbrust.acf2.org/primersubs.htm

IIRC it is my Lyman Shotshell Reloading Manual that states that a primer change from what is listed can affect pressure as much as 3000 PSI. That is a bunch if a load is running 10,000+ PSI. In a quick re-read it looks like Tom's results more or less agree with that too.

Longbow