New to shotgun reloading. I ignored it for years, with this crisis, not any more!
So, I've read that you can't look for pressure signs like a centerfire rile, so besides sticking to a recipe what else is there to look for?
How do you chronograph your loads? I don't want to shoot holes in my Chrony.
Finally, I see good prices on airgun ammo right now, so what about picking up some BB's? Definitely cheaper than a bag of shot, do they qualify for waterfowl regulations when they won't allow lead?
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There are no real pressure signs that you can trust for working up loads. Some guns, with some cases do show specific marks, but I would never suggest a new reloader pay any attention to them.
Chronographing shotguns is fairly easy. To keep any stray shot or wads from hitting it, I place a 4x4 block in front (I usually set the chronograph on a table). I do not use sky screens. I also shoot fairly close, only 3 or 4 feet from the muzzle to the front of the unit. A good chrony like the Prochrono will read shotguns no problems, with only the occasional error.
A number of people have used airgun steel BB's for shotguns. I have never seen them cheaper than a bag of shot. BPI is currently selling most sizes for $18 for a 10 pound bag. airgun BB's are very hard, but are legal non-toxic ammo. "Steel" shot for shotguns is actually soft iron shot, not steel. It is still extremely hard, and not at all good for old guns, but better than airgun BB's. I've also heard that airgun BB's are less dense than shotgun steel shot. You need all the density you can get. https://www.ballisticproducts.com/St...ductinfo/SH2B/
That's good info MSM, thanks for sharing.
Yes, great information. Thanks
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I'm nowhere near owning my first shotgun let along reloading for them, but would steel BB's be safe for modern shotguns like a recently produced full length Remington 870? If I were to get one, that's the kind I would get.Originally Posted by megasupermagnum
Yes, hard shot is fine on a modern gun with the appropriate chokes. Your chokes need to be up to the task.
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Plenty of earlier guns have been shot with steel shot with success, but the easy answer is to use guns made after the national mandate in 1991. You can be sure any modern shotgun after that date is built to handle steel shot.
Steel shot for shotshells is softened by annealing. Steel airgun BBs are not annealed. Other than buying your shot a Walmart there is no benefit of using airgun BBs.
For protecting my ProChrono, I replace the steel skyscreen rods with wood dowels. If you are testing shotshells you will shoot the rods at some point. I also have a piece of bent plexyglass that protects the screen. Wads, overpowder cards and shotcup fillers fly in erratic directions when leaving the muzzle. If you don't have something in front of the chrono body, you will shoot it at some point.
In the attached photo, the shotshell is sitting on the plexiglass shelf. About four inches in front of the hull, the plexi is bent (by heat) at a 90 degree angle to protect the screen. You can also see a little bit of the skyscreen dowels.
I like the plexiglass idea, I even have some to use, thanks Wild.
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LOL. The ProChrono screen can't take much of a hit... I smucked one using white rice as an over shot filler before bending that plexi.
tempting isn't it? Do not load bb's in a shotgun shell if you care about your gun at all.
shotshell reloading is quite a bit different than metallic reloading. you follow the load formulas exactly, as to shell, primer, powder, wad, shot material, ect.
you do not work up loads. working up shotshell loads is best left to experts in ballistics.
buy a good shotshell reloading book like the Lyman one or ballistic products advantages or any of the specialized pamphlets they offer and follow the load formulas exactly as they are written.
how much is your gun worth? what would be the cost of loosing maybe an eye or maybe just a couple fingers?
after a whole bunch of experience, and I really mean a whole bunch, years of experience in loading for shotguns you will learn that certain powders can be tweaked by a grain here or there of if you change primers you may need to add or subtract a grain of powder.
Thinking,,, fingers, meh they don't work so good now... the eyeballs I like (pun intended)
I've gotten that advice before from folks I've talked to Farmbif so you must be a wise person.
And I guess I don't see much advantage in tweaking anything with the scattergun, it's not like I intend to shrink my three hundred yard group by half an inch. And I never plan to shoot the shotgun competitively. Hell, my competition days are behind me, this is for my needs and enjoyment.
Thanks again
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Just an FYI
Airgun BB's will ricochet, I don' know about the steel shot.
Be safe if you try them.
Scott
You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them.
Yeah, I don't think I'm going to try, I will shop around for shot until I can work up or buy a shot-maker.
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Well, a shot maker can't make steel shot. It can make bismuth shot, although it takes a large initial investment to make the cost worth it. I don't know what has happened in the past few months, but as of spring, you could buy 50 lb ingots of bismuth, and if you sourced tin for cheap, you could make bismuth shot for around $7 to $7.50 a pound. It takes work to make, but that is decent savings over the current prices of around $15 a pound from Rotometals.
I have a shot maker, made some lead shot for fun, but bismuth was my main focus. I am warming up to the idea of making my own lead shot in bulk. I thought the prices would come down at some point, but it seems the market is content at $45 to $50 a bag for good shot. I buy good lead alloy for around $1 a pound, so I could make my own shot for $25 a bag, huge savings. It's sad to think that in 2007 a bag of shot was $26.50. By 2010, shot was already up to $50 a bag, and it has not come down since.
Here is the best deal you will find on good lead shot at the moment. I've bought a few bags myself. Shipping is in flat rate boxes, 2 bags at a time. https://recobstargetshop.com/product...ad-shot-25lbs/
With a little work can run pure Pb through the shot maker. Its not perfectly round but for busting clays, or anything I do it does just fine.
here's a vid of it running
https://imgur.com/ToyEvxb
Scott
You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them.
Well I think this current crisis will be another "adjustment" to what we consider a "normal" price going forward, as you pointed out about lead shot.
An example is coffee, remember what the price for a simple can of Folger's was before hurricane Katrina? Now I'm happy to buy it for 8 or 9 bucks.
If your mind goes blank don't forget to turn off the sound!
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