1 oz. Lee-type Slug Source?

[DueceMcGurk]

I can shoot slugs indoor. Have a "new" Winchester Model 12. Would like to test 1 oz slug loads using E3 powder.

But.... can't find a supplier of Lee-type 1 oz. slugs. Surprising. Spent several hours on the web.

My neighbor casts pistol and rifle boolits -- but not slugs.

What am I missing?

[bikerbeans]

I have seen the lee slugs for sale on gunbroker by private casters. I have never seen a commerical caster offer them for sale. Most folks buy the mold and roll their own.

BB

[DueceMcGurk]

Beans,
Plan is to first run test loads and then buy a Lee mold (and cases of beverage) for my caster neighbor.

Was surprised that 1 oz. slugs were so hard to buy.

[JBinMN]

I would place a “WTB Lee 1 ounce shotgun slugs” topic in the swap and sell in a forum. Then see if anybody replies. I would make some up for you but I won’t be casting anything for at least a month.

Good luck!

[Conditor22]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00162Q17W $25.99

Back-ordered. Due in stock March 2 -- order now to reserve yours

It will cost $8 shipping + lead + labor: for $25.99 and a pint you have the mold and 1 oz boolits

[Hardcast416taylor]

Nothing to do with LEE slugs in your Model 12, but. Try shooting a 5 count factory loaded box of the `old style` Winchester Foster style 1 oz. slugs first. I get `scary good` accuracy with them at 100 yds.Robert

[William Yanda]

A mold, <$30 from a sponsor.

[longbow]

Seems to me there are or at least were several sources for the Lyman sabot slug. It is more like 1 1/4 oz. (525 grs.) but should be readily available.

Okay then... after a quick look I didn't find any Lee slugs for sale either (no surprise) but Gardner's cache does have the Lyman 525 gr. slugs:

http://gardnerscache.com/12_gauge_sabot_slugs.html

That appears to be the only commercial source that comes up for me though I would swear I saw another one or two a while back.

Longbow

[W.R.Buchanan]

Midway has this mould as does just about every outfit that sells Lee Stuff.

Randy

[crowbeaner]

I've tried the Lee 1 oz. slug over Herco and AA#5 powders. Both shot OK but nothing to write home about. I have a new to me Ithaca 87 barrel with choke tubes I'm going to try them in when it warms up. Best groups were out of my 1100 with the smoothbore slug barrel. The A5 was a dismal failure; I could do better with a sling and stone. I bought all the old Federal foster slugs I could find for it; that's what it prefers and I got tired of the huge groups. Next up is some of the loads with the Lyman foster slug, and when money permits one of the sabot molds.

[pashiner]

For my money, it's awefully hard to beat the federal truball at 1600fps with any 1 oz hand loaded foster slug. They hit plenty hard, and really shine in the accuracy department in every gun i've tried them in. and at $.80 a pop, they're cheap enough for hunting, and sighting-in. Now once you get into round balls and heavier slugs of different designs, it's a whole different ballgame, and handloads really pull ahead. I suppose for super cheap close range plinking/3-gun purposes, just stuffing lee slugs into opened up trap loads makes sense from a cost/time standpoint. The mold is definitely worth having unless you're chasing stellar accuracy...then spend the $100 on a lyman or russian mold, and be done with it. Just my limited experience...for what it's worth. There are however a few lucky souls who've done suprisingly good work with the Lee.

[Conditor22]

There are several threads on CB about people using and modifying lee slugs

[W.R.Buchanan]

The Federal 1oz slugs at 1600 fps carry with them some serious recoil. I have shot exactly 2 of them in my shotgunning experience and that resulted in 3 trips to my Chiro. I have 3 boxes of 10 that I bought at Walmart 20 years ago on sale for $4.00 a box. I still have 28 of them! I could use them for hunting in other states but in CA they can't be lead.

The Lee Slugs work fine for low velocity and short range work. Slugs in the 11-1300 fps range are useful for short range and high volume usage and that's what the Lee Slugs are all about. They don't produce much recoil and they are easy to cast and the moulds work great. I load them in my Trap Loads by substituting the Slug and Felt wad for the shot and then Roll Crimp or Fold Crimp. I also do .662 Pumpkin Balls with the same loads and they work just fine inside 50 yards for shooting steel targets in 3 gun shoots. Recoil on these loads is less than mild trap loads.

Randy

[rsrocket1]

Just get the mold, start casting and have fun!



The $30 on the mold with shipping + tax is less money and effort than trying to score a couple dozen slugs yourself. People aren't supposed to sell cast projectiles unless they have a license or are willing to risk going to jail and losing all their guns to do a "favor" for a stranger.



24g Unique was the most accurate for me using an IC with just a vent rib to sight with at 25 yards. 18g Titegroup with a CB-4100 at 1200 fps is a very pleasant load you could shoot all day with and not get sore.



Most importantly, be safe and have fun!

[megasupermagnum]

Every slow motion shot I've ever seen of a Lee 1 ounce slug showed a wobbly, tumbling slug. Not surprisingly, I have yet to see any impressive groups with them.

The Lee 7/8 oz slug is another story, and seems to be a winner.

[pashiner]

Randy, I hear you on the recoil of those federal slugs! They're a force to be reckoned with in a 7 lb shotgun. luckily my back is still plenty strong, but before I got smart and started putting lead in my stocks, I scope cut myself more than a few times with those things. Turns out my face isn't nearly as tough as my shoulder. live and learn...slowly but surely sometimes.

[Petander]

Yep,I'd buy a mold for the friend. I cast for some friends,no one ever bought me a mold though. Your friend will like it.

Randy, I hear you on the recoil of those federal slugs! They're a force to be reckoned with in a 7 lb shotgun. luckily my back is still plenty strong, but before I got smart and started putting lead in my stocks, I scope cut myself more than a few times with those things. Turns out my face isn't nearly as tough as my shoulder. live and learn...slowly but surely sometimes.

I remember very clearly when I tried those Federal slugs for the fist time. I took the trap range trash can for a support,kneeled behind it and fired at a 30 yard target to check zero. The first round kicked me over on my back, even worse,the wife was watching. I fired two more,dead on with Benelli M1 open sights.

The rest I've never fired,I do have a couple of boxes but well... and I'm 6'3 and overweight and well accustomed to heavy recoiling rifles and handguns over the years. 470 NE full house is more tolerable than these slugs to me. I don't understand why they recoil so much? I'm @1500 with slightly heavier slugs,not even close to the felt recoil with those Federals.

[megasupermagnum]

Are you guys talking about the standard truball slugs? I never chronographed them, but they never struck me as anything over the top. Now if you are talking about the Federal 1 1/4 oz power shok slugs, then yes, those hurt. The 3" Remington sluggers (both 1 ounce and 7/8 oz) hurt bad too.


I never understood why Remington loads their sluggers to 1900 fps, when they are only accurate to 75 yards or so anyway. 1100 fps is plenty fast to shoot flat to 75 yards.

Speed sells in America.

[W.R.Buchanan]

"Speed costs money,,, How fast do you want to go?" A sign inside the front door of Ron Williams Automotive Machine Shop in Ventura CA

I saw it in 1966,,, it's still there today! True then, still true now.

Speed in slugs costs money too. Trips to Chiro are not cheap anymore.

I have shot other guns that recoiled heavily but that shotgun literally knocked the snot out of me and made my eyes "Squirt" Tears!

I developed my Pumpkin Ball loads shortly thereafter.

Randy

[megasupermagnum]

So you get to pay twice. Once in the wallet, once in the shoulder. Even "dirt cheap" factory slugs are about $1 per shot. Reloading shotgun slugs makes a lot more sense than people realize.