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Thread: Lee 7/8 ounce slug at 1200 fps

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    Lee 7/8 ounce slug at 1200 fps

    I am new at shotshell reloading, so I am reaching for help. My goal is to shoot the Lee 7/8 slug at 1100 to 1200 fps accurately enough to keep them on a regularly sized piece of paper at 50 yards. Is this possible ? I know what don't work is almost as valuable as what does work, so I will post what I have tried. The first load was Fiocchi target hulls with a Cheddite primer, Claybuster copy of the Federal 12S0 wad,20 grains of Clays, 3 card board disc 5/8" diameter cut from soda 12 pack cartons, and then roll crimped with an old antique roll crimper.Load seemed very inconsistent with shots going high. Out of 5 shots only 3 hit the top of a 24x15 box, 10" above point of aim fired from a Mossberg 500 with 18.5" cylinder bore barrel.
    Second load was the same except 17.5 grains of Titewad was used and shells were crimped in a MEC 600 JR.
    Third load was 22 grains of International, Nobel Sport primer and Rio hulls. Again both of these loads inconsistent in sound, recoil and accuracy.
    I have a bunch of hulls picked of from the local sporting clays range. They are mostly the Fiocchi target, Rio, Estate, Winchester Universal, and Herters Cheddite style plastic base.I have Cheddite and Nobel Sport primers which seem to fit these shells. I have Titewad, Titegroup, International, Universal, Bullseye, Unique, Red Dot,HS-6 andHerco powders

  2. #2
    Boolit Mold
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    Like I said I am new to shotshell reloading but have been reload pistol and rifle cartridges for over 20 years. All powder charges were measured and weighed instead of using the charge bar. The slugs were cast from all stick on wheel weights and weighed between 365 and 371 grains.I would like using the components that I have before buying any thing else. Any suggestions ?

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master
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    My advice is to find published data. A load for 7/8 oz of shot should be fine with a slug. Most of those will be using a fast powder like Red Dot or Clays. But powder will not have a large affect on accuracy. You need to find a wad/slug that is a snug fit in your bore. Say about 10 lbs of force to push it through. Until you do that, you are wasting your time.
    Don Verna


  4. #4
    Boolit Mold
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    Just checked with my Mossberg barrel and my old Marlin Model 19 barrel,both cylinder bore. Both are pretty snug. i do not have any way to measure but both feel pretty close to the 10 pounds that you mentioned. Checked from going from breech to muzzle and from muzzle to breech.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master


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    I used 17 grs of red dot and a claybuster wad with my 7/8 Lee slug. Not great but would stay on a 8" pie plate at 50 yds. I was just looking for something for my daughter to practice with her HD shotgun, more than adequate for that role.
    "Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyrannies.” Aristotle

  6. #6
    Boolit Mold
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    What primer and hull ? Like I said, I am new to shotshell reloading and after researching, found a lot of advice about not trying to work up load and staying with exact load data. More interested in consistency and safety instead of small group size. 8" pie plate would be more than acceptable at 50 yards.

  7. #7
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    Greetings 99160fish, you are doing well and got good advise from Dverna, look at the picture carefully the first three on left with a nitro card to raise the slug in wad and to give it a firm base at launch.
    https://imgur.com/K25UgSL
    Please check for fit without the nitro card.
    https://imgur.com/6CnnxhF
    https://imgur.com/c8SmkgP
    https://imgur.com/qhrOkRZ
    Load one and see if the powder seeps through if yes then.
    https://imgur.com/9yvwgC3
    https://imgur.com/Ma1bqZp
    https://imgur.com/8SVSz3X
    While you are at it have fun, its a great hobby , cook your own ! !

    Hoping it helps.

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  8. #8
    Boolit Mold
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    Thanks Superblazingsabots for the advice and pictures. The tip about powder leakage and news paper is bound to help. I do have some powder leakage past the wad. That is one reason I like the Fiocchi hulls. Just ordered the BPI manual. I am sure it will have loads that I already have the components for. I like turning trash into treasure.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I think you should be getting significantly better accuracy than you are if the fit to bore is good as you say. Something else has to be amiss.

    Did you recover any wads? Wads will tell a story. If the gas seal is burned or split you won't get decent accuracy, if the petals are burned or sheared you won't get decent accuracy, if the fit to bore is poor (you've said that is good) you won't get decent accuracy.

    I have no experience with the wads or powders you are using so can't comment there ecept to say that with a 7/8 oz. slug you will want to be using a fast(ish) powder. I have experienced poor powder burn using Blue Dot with light slugs.

    I think one possibility for the poor accuracy is that the soda carton disks may be pushing up into the cavity. if so and they stay with the slug that can cause poor accuracy. A 1/8" nitro card wad or two is a far better choice. There again, I always try to recover slugs if I can as the slug will usually tell a story too... unless they are totally destroyed. If the cardboard disks are staying with them they will be jammed into the cavity. Even if they are releasing they may be hanging on for part of the journey. Look for those too.

    I have generally used Fiocchi 2 3/4" straight walled hulls with both wad slugs and full bore slugs but am usually using wad slugs or round balls in shotcups. So far round balls to 50 yards are hard to beat giving usually 3" to 4" groups. My Lee 1 oz. slug gave me more like 6" groups at 50 yards when loaded as cast and groups reduced to about 4" after I added a hot melt glue "skirt". I haven't gotten to the range yet to try the 7/8 oz. Lee.

    Short story is that if you make up a good wad column and have good fit to bore it shouldn't be too difficult to get groups of 6" or less at 50 yards.

    If you want moderate loads dverna gave you good advice... use equivalent weight birdshot loads from a manual with fairly fast powders for that lightweight slug.

    Longbow

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by 99160fish View Post
    Just checked with my Mossberg barrel and my old Marlin Model 19 barrel,both cylinder bore. Both are pretty snug. i do not have any way to measure but both feel pretty close to the 10 pounds that you mentioned. Checked from going from breech to muzzle and from muzzle to breech.
    To check the force place the end of the barrel on a scale and push down.
    Don Verna


  11. #11
    Boolit Bub AlexAkai's Avatar
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    Have you already been down this path? FC45LC has good info

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTM5FX_1FJo

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
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    I missed it the first time I read through the OP, but you're using the Claybuster clone of the 12S0 wad. They are not good for slug shooting because of the rib in the center of the petals. This causes all kinds of poor fit and misalignment and just doesn't work. Also, their gas seal is undersized and may be causing erratic combustion, which fits with the off sounds you describe. Try real Federal 12S0 wads and you'll be amazed. While you're at it, try some real nitro cards under the slug (or nothing at all in this low velocity load). You'll find that lots of fiddling with details like these is required to get the best results.

  13. #13
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    Good morning , please use original wads not calones, they are " Trash " for slug loading.
    Please see the fit second from the right, you'll need one .125 " nitro below the slug in wad.
    https://imgur.com/K25UgSL
    If the forcing cones are too long or has tool marks then your wad gets damaged.
    https://imgur.com/zX8WBMK
    Tighten the barrel lug all the way then back it off one notch ! !
    To polish your forcing cone:
    https://imgur.com/eYyAqk8
    https://imgur.com/vDL6emp
    https://imgur.com/Gin9UBI
    https://imgur.com/ysy3snG
    https://imgur.com/0tfhhCa
    Put it in a drill and polish gentally.
    Hoping it helps.

    Best regards,
    Ajay Madan
    Super Blazing Sabots

  14. #14
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    Agree with the post above
    Claybusters blow
    I have been using Down Range wads whenever possible
    There are some good BPI wads
    Probably made by Claybuster ??? ������
    The MG42 and tne Commander

  15. #15
    Boolit Mold
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    I examined some of the wads and slugs from my last shooting session. A couple of the slugs had parts of my homemade nitro cards jammed in the back. Wad from my Marlin 19 looked real good, almost like they could be used again. One or two were blackened up the side, like there was some leakage. Wads from the Mossberg all had 1 or 2 petals torn off. Probably from the front sight bead protruding down into the bore. That problem has been eliminated. Looks like I need to order some more wads. I do have some real Federal 12S3 but I hear they have been discontinued and they work real well for my home made 000 buckshot loads (6 .350 Lee round balls at 1200 fps). While I am ordering, what wad works good with the 7/8 slug and Remington STS and Nitro Gold hulls ? I have about 30 of those in my range pick ups.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master


    fecmech's Avatar
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    What primer and hull ?
    I used the silver claybuster 7/8oz wad and Remington gun club shells. I loaded them just like shot with a star crimp over the slug. They seemed to work ok for what I wanted to do and accuracy was acceptable for HD and practice.
    "Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyrannies.” Aristotle

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Ballistic Products Inc has booklet of slug handloads with nice loads for Lee 7/8. I and my son have no trouble hitting 6" steel dueling tree plates from 50 yards off hand. He shoots cyl bore and i use my skeet barrel.

    prs

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    High shooting

    Quote Originally Posted by 99160fish View Post
    ...at 50 yards. --- Out of 5 shots only 3 hit the top of a 24x15 box, 10" above point of aim fired from a Mossberg 500 with 18.5" cylinder bore barrel.
    From the information given, this sounds like a clear case of an 18.5" bead sighted shotgun hitting high with slugs. The short tube, standard weight barrels on these guns are notorious for shooting high with birdshot, buckshot and slug ammo. Indeed, we have no idea of your group size from the information provided. Before you go any further with your handloads, I suggest a round of targeting with similar weight commercial slug ammo to get an idea of what your shotgun can do. Make sure you have plenty of target above your aiming point to register the slugs on paper.

    A higher front sight may be in order.

  19. #19
    Boolit Mold
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    RMc, you are right, my Mossberg does have the short barrel with just a bead. However my Marlin 19 is a 26" barrel and was a little more consistent at staying on my target box. Believe most of my problem was with my homemade cardboard nitro cards. Saturday I was shooting Lee 7/8 slug in Rio hulls with 17.5 grains of Titewad with Noble primers but still with the Claybuster wads with a real 20 gauge 1/8 " Nitro card. All hits now on my target (8.5 x 11 paper). This is with my Remington 870 with 20" barrel with sights. Ran 5 shots across my chrony and got 1167- 1188 fps. Its getting closer. Hopefully the Federal wads will get me there. Thanks for all the input.

  20. #20
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    I don't know if you have it or not, but here is the Lee info.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    I haven't shot the 7/8 oz slug yet, but did have some good luck with the 1oz in my 20" 1887 lever action. I used BlueDot and the Win AA12 wad and a roll crimp tool from BPI.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check