Help choosing slug for rifled barrel

[megasupermagnum]

That's the 50 caliber sabot I mentioned. It is the only one of its kind. I have yet to read a single report of success. It is a poor design that does not shoot accurately for various reasons. If you ever compare them to a sabot from a factory round, it makes sense. The RSS is relatively soft, and the huge gaps between the petals doesn't add support. Also the base is thin, and prone to having the bullet break through the bottom. Compare that to something like a sabot from a SST, and they are harder, and fully supported. There have been variations of the SST load, but they usually have an aluminum and or rubber disk for support in the base. I've got some sabots from a Federal trophy copper, and those sabots are built with incredibly hard plastic, almost like UHMW, and have a thick aluminum washer for the base.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I just remembered that the hole in the STI Sabot is .500 and so a .500 bullet could be pressed in to it.

Randy

[megasupermagnum]

I just remembered that the hole in the STI Sabot is .500 and so a .500 bullet could be pressed in to it.

Randy

That's true, but everyone who has tried it, including myself, has been met with a destroyed sabot. I mean DESTROYED, the thing looked like plastic shrapnel because the base is not built to handle a bullet. It works with the intended hammerhead slug, which has a lip over the top edge, but nothing else. That might not even be the case anymore. Taufledermaus just did a test with the hammerhead slug, and that too came apart in the barrel.

[Mitch]

So it seems the big problem is the sabot or wad.so we need to get into the plastic injection molding end?Could be done but all depends on how much R&D it would take.

[megasupermagnum]

So it seems the big problem is the sabot or wad.so we need to get into the plastic injection molding end?Could be done but all depends on how much R&D it would take.

Cap'n Morgan got into some plastic injection molding with his project in recreating a Brenneke slug. It really seems like a royal PITA to me.

[NyFirefighter357]

Cap'n Morgan got into some plastic injection molding with his project in recreating a Brenneke slug. It really seems like a royal PITA to me.

Maybe we should get into the Captain Morgan's and forget about making slugs!

[BJK]

Coleman propane stove and a propane torch. Once it gets hot the stove works fine. Don't try this in aluminum molds. Zamak 3 weights about 63% of lead

Thanks. I was wondering why what I read said it couldn't be melted with propane. My burner puts out a LOT of heat.

As you surmised my plan was to try it with a LEE Aluminum mould. Looks like I'll need to be happy with lead slugs for now. Crawl before I walk, walk before I run. I just like to know my options. I think I wrote it elsewhere, If I can get 1200fps with accuracy I'll call it good.

[Mitch]

Cap'n Morgan got into some plastic injection molding with his project in recreating a Brenneke slug. It really seems like a royal PITA to me.

Yes it would be Pita and alot of $$ just to make slugs.I am a tool and die maker but not a plastic guy.This all started as making zinc slugs lol.It is NyFirefighters fault.Well partly mine for telling him i melted some zinc ww lol. It all went from there.Still looks like the key is in the plastic.STI sure is not going to sell there wads.There was a saying hung in the front of the room in my vocational school machine shop class room.All things are posable the imposable takes more time.still the same 40 years later

[megasupermagnum]

Thanks. I was wondering why what I read said it couldn't be melted with propane. My burner puts out a LOT of heat.

As you surmised my plan was to try it with a LEE Aluminum mould. Looks like I'll need to be happy with lead slugs for now. Crawl before I walk, walk before I run. I just like to know my options. I think I wrote it elsewhere, If I can get 1200fps with accuracy I'll call it good.

You can get way more than that. I didn't mean to sell lead cast slugs short. I was under the impression you wanted a rather aerodynamic (at least as good as a pistol bullet) slug that went around 2000 fps, which is asking a lot. That Lyman slug you asked about, cast of lead, there are loads for that to 1500-1600 fps, maybe faster. It kicks like crazy, but it will perform on animals far beyond what an SST can do.

[NyFirefighter357]

You can get way more than that. I didn't mean to sell lead cast slugs short. I was under the impression you wanted a rather aerodynamic (at least as good as a pistol bullet) slug that went around 2000 fps, which is asking a lot. That Lyman slug you asked about, cast of lead, there are loads for that to 1500-1600 fps, maybe faster. It kicks like crazy, but it will perform on animals far beyond what an SST can do.

Yes, that was my intention. A flatter shooting, lighter, slug at higher velocity which is also accurate. Now in reality I probably don't need a 200yrd slug. But I can put a fist sized group together at 100yrds with my smoothbore 1100 with rifled foster slugs. The intention of the rifled shotgun slug/sabot combination is to extend that while lessening the need to told over. Which is why I don't use the scope as intended with the BDC. The 150yrd zero with the SST's keeps me + or - 3" out to 175yrds & -6.7 at 200yrds.

The SST slugs are very accurate in the 512 & to prove it to myself. I once took a head shot at a squirrel at 50yrds. It was sitting, eating a nut broadside, knowing it shoots 2.5"+ at 50yrds for the 150yrd zero I held low. After the ground stopped shaking and the trees stopped swaying I went looking for him knowing it didn't scamper off. I must have hit just about dead center as the entire head was gone with just a little bit of skin/fur left of what had been the back of it's head.

Starting as a bow hunter, I am very selective of my shot and only take the shot I want which is usually quartering away to broadside. Complete pass through the chest cavity without hitting either shoulder or leg. I also like being 15ft-20ft above, either in a treestand or on a hillside or ledge. Even if they run off I usually see them fall.

[BJK]

You can get way more than that. I didn't mean to sell lead cast slugs short. I was under the impression you wanted a rather aerodynamic (at least as good as a pistol bullet) slug that went around 2000 fps, which is asking a lot. That Lyman slug you asked about, cast of lead, there are loads for that to 1500-1600 fps, maybe faster. It kicks like crazy, but it will perform on animals far beyond what an SST can do.

Not NYfirefighter here. He's looking for more, I'm not. I'm actually looking for less because of the light weight of the shotgun and not to blow my gun up and me along with it. My cheek and face are right next to the chamber of my bullpup and I'm ugly enough now and I need my right eye.



I'm just looking for a mini-slug shell with moderate velocity, basically a low recoil slug that's short so that I can put more in the mag tube. Low recoil for short recoil recovery time. My days of high recoil are mostly over. I'm surprised I never developed a flinch. At one point I was shooting a handgun that launched a 300gr bullet @2400 fps. 20 shots per day was pretty much all I wanted my hands and forearms to handle. I didn't want nerve and joint damage.

[megasupermagnum]

Just because they are fast, does not mean they are high pressure or dangerous. I don't have the book in front of me, but I don't remember those bluedot loads with the lyman sabot slug being much over 10,000 psi. I've pressure tested plenty of light trap loads over 10,000 psi.

That said, I too try low velocity slugs from time to time. I have yet to have any low velocity versions shoot better than the high velocity. Give this load a try.

Federal hull (gold medal, plastic base Topgun, or even the hunting hull should work)
Federal 209A primer
18gr Unique
X12X gas seal
1.0 CC scoop of PSB buffer or similar (cream of wheat would work)
.735" ball

figure out the right hull length, and either fold or roll crimp. This is a nice light recoiling load. I was loading them in 2 3/4" with a stack of nitro cards for filler, but removing those should not effect pressure. Now that I think of it, I want to try this myself.

[Mike Robinson]

The OD of the BPI RSS is only 0.712”. That’s too loose. Need at least 0.725”, 0.732” would be better.