Modified Lee 1 oz. Slugs

[longbow]

So, here they are, Lee 1 oz. slugs sized to remove taper then put into a form and hot melt glue skirt added.

One other modification... I used a drift punch to peen over the edge of the drive key to give the hot melt glue something to grab. Hard to believe but I've had glue skirts separate from lee slugs by hand! I am surprised BigMrTong's 3D printed skirts stay on but so they do.

Pic:



Hah! There is a bit of a feathery edge on them that looks way worse in the pic that actual. I'll clean them up a bit before loading just to be sure but I doubt it will hurt anything as long as the base is solid and flat.

I'll be shooting these through the new to me Mossberg Slugster smoothbore.

Range report to follow.

Longbow

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Following. I just cast my first 7/8 oz Lee slugs yesterday.

[Hogtamer]

Y'all are having to much fun! I'm headed to the woods in the morning with my 870 rifled and Zlugs. I have managed to see nothing when I take them, maybe tomorrow will break the drought.

[longbow]

I've still got some of those Zlugs you sent me Hal. Not forgotten! I have plans for them but the plans don't involve machining polyethylene attached wads like last time! Too time consuming.

I just got these modified Lee's paper patched and into shotcups for loading. Now this has also been a bit tedious I have to say... casting (well I like casting, sizing (don't like sizing so much), putting in forms and adding glue skirt (don't mind that part), hand tumbling in talcum powder to get rid of any "sticky" (smells good and is easy), then paper patching (didn't much like that). All in all too much work for a lazy guy! I am thinking that with correct design that the slug should cast large then let it swage to fit the bore is a better way to go. That'd be for full bore slug I think though wad petals wouldn't much like the squish factor..

They fit the Slugster well so we'll see how they shoot this weekend.

Good luck with those Zlugs and piggies beware!

Longbow

[Hogtamer]

I saw two deer this morning but moving through brush and couldn't tell what they wereso no action again. Did shoot 2 zlugs at a target at 90 yds off the hood of the truck on the way out.....hit 2" apart on a big ole splatter target. Next time maybe!

[longbow]

Okay then a belated deer beware! I guess not though! Is there a season on hogs or are they open all year?

I was a bit surprised when we went to Kauai a few years ago that it is difficult and expensive for foreigners to hunt pigs in Hawaii. I had seen a couple of documentaries and news stories on how bad the pigs are there and that the gov't is trying to reduce populations. I figured it would be an attraction to foreign hunters and they'd make it easy but nope! Still got to jump through some hoops like normal for all the non-resident/non-US license plus have to go with a guide or local so no slack cut for us outsiders.

The locals do a lot of pig and chicken hunting. The chickens are everywhere and the pigs aren't far behind! I guess there is enough interest from locals and Americans visiting that they haven't made it easier for outsiders.

But I digress again!

So I thought of an easier way to add the glue skirt to Lee slugs. I was looking at the taper again and while it doesn't match my wads I can order some Federal wads which apparently have a very tapered petal according to Randy. I'll go through Ajay's "fit charts" too to get his recommendation. Anyway, it occurred to me that I don't have to make a glue form with taper to match the Lee slugs. I looked at the gap with the nose tight and though... "Parchment paper wrap!" The paper wrap will tape up the slop and act as a release agent. The paper will slide out of the tube and the hot melt glue doesn't stick to it! I tried it and it works great. Two wraps of parchment paper the length of skirt plus a bit then slide the slug in. The paper stops the slug and centers the skirt then in goes the glue. Leave it upside down (glue up) for a few minutes while getting another ready then invert on the steel plate to let it set up and cool. Leaving upside down allows for glue shrinkage then inverting squeezes the excess glue out and gives a nice flat base. The parchment paper peels right off.

It is less work than sizing then paper patching back up. Mind you I do need one wrap of paper to get a good fit to bore so... But when I get me some thicker wads I won't have to do that.

I've got 35 lee 1 oz. slugs with glue skirts loaded, 10 of the Paradox slugs KrackenFan69 sent me (they fit the Slugster bore perfectly), and I am about to load five 7/8 oz. slugs with glue skirts (unsized) and 5 7/8 oz. slugs as cast with no glue skirts.

Now if the recoil from all that shot off the bench doesn't cause further brain damage I've done something wrong!

So, testing not only the Mossberg but some new and not new slug loads too.

Range report to come.

Longbow