Load Data

[Hogtamer]

Just a few twists to soften up...makes it a lot easier to get card wads and fillers in straight. If your hulls are splitting badly old buddy that lot needs to go to the dump! Honestly, if the load allows I prefer star crimping. I seem to get more consistency that way. YMMV pf course.

[longbow]

Yes, I tend to run things till they are past running anymore. I do like roll crimps though. I should load up say 10 of each fold crimp and roll crimp then compare accuracy. While I like the roll crimp, if fold crimp works better then I should go with the flow.

Actually some hulls seem to crack on that fold line pretty easy even when they aren't old and abused but I'm going to say that's likely mostly Federal field hulls which are pretty cheap. My Fiocchi hulls lasted lots longer but they are done now... well... some have become 2 1/2" and even down to 2" hulls for RB loads. I do like to get my use out of things! I made a set of trim tools from 3/4" pipe for 3" down to 2" every 1/4". Cleaned the weld bead out a bit and hulls slide right in. I chucked pipe in the lathe then faced to correct length for each. Slide in hull, grab razor knife, trim to length. Takes seconds and works well for me.

Longbow

[GhostHawk]

I have to admit, I cheat. I bought a boat load of those 9 cent ea Rio primed 12 ga hulls back when they were cheap. I have not shot enough to reload a box, yet.

Roll crimps I mostly use to get a functional loaded shell from a round I screwed up in the first few loadings of a new recipe. Always takes me 2 or 3 to get everything adjusted right.

Empty them out and reload as a slug round with a roll crimp lets me salvage that other wise wasted dime or 2.
LOL yeah right. I'm so tight I squeek.

[gpidaho]

BPI has a load guide for Loading shortened hulls. It has a lot of roll crimped loads for 12, 16 and 20ga. hulls. For the 12s there are loads for 2, 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 inch hulls. The perfect paper work for those of us who just hate giving up on a perfectly good hull. LOL I too am fond of buying the BPI primed hulls especially the opaque ones. I need to order up some three inch 12ga. so I can add the 2 3/4 step in cutting down hulls. Great feeling being a tightwad. Gp

[Brassduck]

[gpidaho]

Thank you Brassduck. Just what I was looking for. Gp

[MOA]

Brassduck,
Do you have anything in that book on 16 gauge by any chance?

[Brassduck]

[Brassduck]

[MOA]

Thank you muchly Brassduck. You da man who's got da plan. Thanks, can never have enough load data for the old ways.

[jdfoxinc]

I down loaded the images and can't get them to focus in a readable size.

[dsh1106]

GP here's some data from 1949 ....

[longbow]

This is good stuff you guys are sharing! Thanks for that!

Longbow

[gpidaho]

jdfoxinc: It isn't that great on my copies either but mine are very readable with a hand held magnifying glass. Then my printer is old and not up to much. Gp

[jdfoxinc]

Ill Try printing it. I was trying to use my phone.

[gpidaho]

First field test today of shells loaded without plastic. I fired three 12ga and three 20ga. loads For the 12's I used two once fired Federal Gold Medal Grands 3 dram 1 1/8oz. originally and one new Fiocchi hull. The 20ga. were Federal ribbed hulls with a fiber base wad, originally 7/8th oz. 2 1/2 dram loads. The 12ga. were loaded with 22.5gr. Red Dot and the 20ga. 15.5gr. of the same. Wad stack on the 12s was .125 nitro card (2) 1/2 fiber wads (1) 1/8th felt wad with 1 1/8th oz. of shot. in the 20s a .125 nitro (2) 1/4 fiber wads and (1) 1/4" felt. with 7/8oz of shot. The felt recoil of the 12s was that of a target load and the 20s a light target load. the 20ga. burned cleaner than the 12s. There were no signs of over pressure at all I could see with the 20s. On the 12s there were no extractor marks on the brass and primers looked normal but about 1/6th of the crimp section of the hull was torn off the Federal hulls, the Fiocchi looked normal. From resent reading this may be too much wadding and it might be better to use one less wad and a shorter hull. What do you all think? Gp

[bikerbeans]

gp,

Did you pattern the loads? Curious about the effective range of you cupless loads.

If you have a slower burning, bulkier powder you could maybe reduce your wad column.

BB

[gpidaho]

gp,

Did you pattern the loads? Curious about the effective range of you cupless loads.

If you have a slower burning, bulkier powder you could maybe reduce your wad column.

BB

BB: I only made up five loads each the first try. I'll shoot the next batch at a pattern board and let you know. I did bust a couple of clays thrown from my Trius One Step thrower. I think I'll up the powder charge a bit on the twenty gauge load and try a 2 1/2" hull. The reason I'm using Red Dot is that I'm trying to keep the burn clean. Wish I had some Clays left. Might get some. Gp

[megasupermagnum]

From the very limited testing I have done, you really don't loose much pattern wise to a plastic cup. I am a firm beleiver that the move to a one piece plastic shot cup was 100% a manufacturing move. Less powder, less stocked components, easier to load, may or may not have been cheaper to make. But as for performance, I've found little difference with smaller shot, and actually find fiber wads pattern better with buckshot than a standard plastic wad.

As for the crimps breaking off. I've only had that happen on some high end hunting loads. often with the big steel shot wad. I can't guarantee it will help, but when you crimp there should be very little compression of the wads. If you aren't already, try an overshot card on top of the shot.

[gpidaho]

I loaded up the next try this evening. Once fired Rio hull, 20ga. trimmed to 2 1/2" 16gr Red Dot, .125 nitro, !/4" fiber wad, 7/8ths oz. shot with 2 overshot cards and roll crimped. Made a nice round with a pretty crimp. I'll let you all know how it goes if I still have my typing finger. Gp