Lee 7/8oz Custom Slug Wads

[BigMrTong]

Well it's my turn to go on a Lee 7/8oz slug adventure. I had fun playing with the 1oz and my custom Wads / flights, so I am going to do the same here.

My mould has arrived, and it took loads of cleaning and lubing to get it running. It's the greasiest Lee mould I have had so far.



After getting it going, I can see why people say the 7/8 is such a different beast. Whilst its just 2mm shorter in the body, you right away can feel is lighter and had a much different balance.



I have started by creating a simple 2mm longer version of the finned design I had success with on the 1oz, and created a wider body version I discussed with someone on here, a simple round version and finally a ribbed version I had thought about trying with the 1oz.



I did a couple of trial prints and compared them to the 1oz and things are looking good.



I have set the printer going so I can try 5 of each type (will also do five with the 20g cards as a control / benchmark)



I'm going to use the same Cheddite Hulls and Red Mec Federal Wad copies in the load with HS6 like the 1oz's I did.



Hopefully ill get these loaded up this evening, as I'm off to the range tomorrow .... ill update later

[jmort]

Very interesting
Will follow along

[finstr]

I really like those wad flights! I bet that 3D printer is a blast to design and make all sorts of things with.

[Outer Rondacker]

Very interesting
Will follow along

Same here.

[longbow]

I like the way you are thinking!

One change I'd make though is instead of the cross "fin" style wad I'd go with a solid or HB wad with very thick skirt. I tried finned slugs and they did not fair too well. I think the fins run in a partial vacuum due to the shock wave so are relatively ineffective. The larger surface area of a full diameter attached wad does better for me.

Now if your 1 oz. Lee slug testing with similar wads went well, just ignore my above comment! If it works, it works! Just that in my case full diameter attached wads worked better for me than other styles.

I will be following with interest too. Your 3D printing is likely more precise than my moulded hot melt glue skirts.

Longbow

[BigMrTong]

My highest hopes / interest are in these ones. I'm sure the fins will work like on the 1oz and the normal circular ones will offer little improvement. I also suspect the 7/8oz with longer tail and weight to the front will perform better anyway. however lets see

[BigMrTong]

I like the way you are thinking!

One change I'd make though is instead of the cross "fin" style wad I'd go with a solid or HB wad with very thick skirt. I tried finned slugs and they did not fair too well. I think the fins run in a partial vacuum due to the shock wave so are relatively ineffective. The larger surface area of a full diameter attached wad does better for me.

Now if your 1 oz. Lee slug testing with similar wads went well, just ignore my above comment! If it works, it works! Just that in my case full diameter attached wads worked better for me than other styles.

I will be following with interest too. Your 3D printing is likely more precise than my moulded hot melt glue skirts.

Longbow

I think this I'm trying is like you describe ? I tried it on the 1oz and it worked, but not as well as the cross fin .. the 7/8 is very different though.

[BigMrTong]

Here's one in the flesh ....

[BigMrTong]

I really like those wad flights! I bet that 3D printer is a blast to design and make all sorts of things with.

Yes, the printer never stops printing one thing or another. I can't imagine not having one now.



I even designed and printed my own ball roller / tumbler

[Outer Rondacker]

I wish I had a clue how to run one. I have heard of all sorts of neat things it can print for my guns. I would try and print a charging handle for my Mark 4 target. That little bugger is hard to grab and I just can not pay 60 bucks for a halo from tandamcross.

The slug looks great now its testing time.

[longbow]

Yup! I like those!

Looking forward to a range report.

[Ahmet Ozalp]

Anxiously waiting for the test results.
(I feel the Ribbed version will perform best...)

[Hogtamer]

Notice when you lay the 7/8 on it's side it stands on its nose, so very front heavy. Seems to me that's the reason I have better luck with the 7/8. Of course the tail changes that balance point to some degree they should do well. With any of the base configurations the one that causes no damage to the shotcup base of the red wad will be the winner. Great job!
P.S. Different barrels will produce different results......almost always.

[BigMrTong]

Well sorry, but a rubbish range report. I got there and all the benchrest points were taken with a queue waiting ! Never seen it so buy.

So I went out onto the moors and shot my Enfield tanker with a new cast load at steel gongs for a while. I decided not to waste all the different loads just trying to hit a 12” gong, but did try 5 of the basic card wadded control ones and was surprised by the hitting the gong it the middle 5 times at 50 yards, so still very hopefull.

[Hogtamer]

Nice day lad, are there pigs in them thar hills? Just kidding, you don't want 'em on that landscape, the moors would be hog wallows.

[Cap'n Morgan]

One change I'd make though is instead of the cross "fin" style wad I'd go with a solid or HB wad with very thick skirt. I tried finned slugs and they did not fair too well. I think the fins run in a partial vacuum due to the shock wave so are relatively ineffective. The larger surface area of a full diameter attached wad does better for me.

I'm with LB on this one. The rear of the wad is in a vacuum during flight, as seen in one of Teofledermaus' slow mo videos of a Russian slug with helical fins in the rear part of the wad. The slug shoots well, but the fins impart no rotation at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-bp...bHdYra&index=9

[jeremy360]

Load a few subsonic....and a few supersonic and see if any difference. Should be a fun experiment.

[longbow]

Good idea Jeremy!

I am beginning to wonder myself about the nose shape and how it affects (or doesn't) slug flight. turbo1889 maintained that the Lyman sabot slug woul dbecome unstable at transonic velocities when shot from smoothbore.

I've noticed some oddities in slug accuracy so am thinking that possibly a round nose or RNFP might be more streamlined than a TC. With smoothbore we are depending on that tail drag so want relatively smooth air flow over the slug... I think anyway.

The blunter TC shapes may shadow the skirt more. Its worth testing anyway, as is Jeremy's idea of intentionally loading some supersonic and some subsonic loads... or figure out roughly where the transonic velocity is occurring and make sure there is target paper in the way to see how groups behave. Something like 3' x 4' paper set up from 50 yards to 100 yards maybe every 15 to 20 yards all lined up so the target is at 50 yards then look at groups through the paper at various ranges. Somewhere around 60 to 70 yards should be where velocity of normally launched slugs drops to transonic.

Could be interesting.

Longbow

[BigMrTong]

... right back to the range tomorrow, i'll be there for opening time so I can get a good bench rest position to test ! wish me luck .....

[longbow]

Best of Luck! And please post pics!

On your Lee 3D tail wads... how did you get them to fit the skirt/drive key? Just close measuring? Laser scan?

I find that with hot melt glue the cast in tail wads sometimes come out. If the lead isn't hot the bond isn't very good, like cold shut. Biggest problem with casting tail wads on is the taper in the slugs. Makes it hard to get them straight in a form... doable but finicky.

I like your 3D printed wads. Great idea!

I hope all goes well for you tomorrow.

Longbow