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Thread: Slug Lead?

  1. #1
    Boolit Man
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    Slug Lead?

    Getting ready to try my hand at casting some 12ga slugs. I have plenty of Lyman #2 lead ingots. Is this to hard to be used for casting slugs?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    Hogtamer's Avatar
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    Fit is important for slug accuracy. Smoothbore or rifled? I have found softer to be better in wad slugs like Lee or Lyman 525.
    "My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list."
    Leonard Ravenhill

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    CastingFool's Avatar
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    For slugs, you should be using pure lead. Stick on wheel weights, roofing lead, lead water pipes are common sources of soft lead. Look in the buy and sell forum here.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Does alloy hardness matter for a wad slug, cast ball in a cup or a saboted slug?
    Last edited by kevin c; 06-01-2020 at 09:03 PM.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I noticed a difference in the group when I went to a harder alloy out of a rifled 12 gage in wad slug combination . Not in a good way .

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I’ve cast a bunch for smoothbores all have been done with an alloy 50/50 pure/WW’s . Used this in 10, 12 , 16 , 20 and 28 gauge slugs . I’ve killed deer with several different 10 gauge slugs and the Lyman 525 in the 12 gauge .
    Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines

  7. #7
    Boolit Man
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    I plan on using a 525gr Lyman sabot and maybe a Lee 1 oz mold up the road..Smooth bore 870 Shot Gun.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master


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    The reason you will see softer alloys recommended is that it has the potential to bump up and fit the bore better. This is especially important with wad slugs like a Lyman sabot slug or the Lee slugs. With a full bore diameter slug, alloy makes less of a difference.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy Cast_outlaw's Avatar
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    Pure lead also assist if you have a choked barrel as it will squish down easier

  10. #10
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    tomme boy's Avatar
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    I shot my chrono with a base off of a lymann Sabot. I was using range scrap and COWW 50/50. I kept getting fliers on my target. Like FEET away. Then I looked at my chrono and it had a hole in it. I pulled out a section of the skirt. Went back to using just melted factory shotgun slugs and never had any mmore problems.

    The Lymann slugs flatten out the skirt when fired. They lose about 25%of their length.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I know this isn't about alloy , but I had a decent shooting slug load 4-6 inch that later wouldn't hold on a 3 -4 ft pattern at a 100 yards later , I found the ported section of the rifled barrel had wad residue build up causing wild things to happen - when I noticed a tree limb falling well above the target .
    A slug gun is a finicky creature !

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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