Finally bite the slug

[JAMESGR]

Well, yesterday, I finally bite the slug (not boolit) and ordered a full bore shuttle cock two cavity mold, plus a .732 two cavity round ball mold from MP molds.
Should be here sometime in January. Really looking forward to testing these in a Rem. 870 rifled and smooth bore barrel.
I'll cast these from WW and powder coat.
JAMES
JAMESGR

[longbow]

I have had very good results using a 0.735" RB (actually casts about 0.738") in my smoothbore and also in a borrowed Remington 870 with rifled barrel.

I got best results loading the RB's over a hard card wad column with plastic gas seal over the powder.

I tried cutting petals off trap wads and got poor accuracy. I also tried with a fiber wad under the ball but again got poor accuracy. The plastic gas seal and hard card wad column worked best for me.

As full tang says though... the 0.735" RB weighs about 1 3/8 oz. so fairly heavy. 0.732" RB's will be a bit lighter and cast from wheelweights lighter again but likely close to 1 3/8 oz.

You can weigh the RB's then sub the ball for an equal weight or heavier birdshot load.

There are some slug specific recipes for 1 3/8 oz. and heavier slugs you could use too if you are looking for higher performance slug loads but recoil will become unpleasant.

Longbow.

[JAMESGR]

longbow, thanks for the reply.
Were you using a BPI gas seal ??? How thick is your hard card?? Are you using 2 3/4" hulls?? Straight wall or tapered??
I looking to get about 12-1300 fps. +/-. My old body does like 40+grs of Blue Dot or any other heavy load.
Thanks, JAMES
JAMESGR

[Blood Trail]

longbow, thanks for the reply.
Were you using a BPI gas seal ??? How thick is your hard card?? Are you using 2 3/4" hulls?? Straight wall or tapered??
I looking to get about 12-1300 fps. +/-. My old body does like 40+grs of Blue Dot or any other heavy load.
Thanks, JAMES
JAMESGR

longbow, thanks for the reply.
Were you using a BPI gas seal ??? How thick is your hard card?? Are you using 2 3/4" hulls?? Straight wall or tapered??
I looking to get about 12-1300 fps. +/-. My old body does like 40+grs of Blue Dot or any other heavy load.
Thanks, JAMES
JAMESGR

LB sent me some of his rb’s to shoot. Legit 100 yard accuracy out of a rifled barrel. I posted about it.

Here’s my stack up:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[longbow]

I didn't have any actual gas seals so I cut the gas seals off some trap wads.

The hard card wads were 1/2" hard card wads from BPI.

Hulls were Fiocchi 2 3/4".

I roll crimped these.

My powder charge was based on Precision Rifle's Piledrive SWC full bore 610 gr. slug load which ranged from 36 ro 44 grs. Blue Dot with max. pressure at 12,500 PSI which I think is high. I started at 36 grs. and worked up to 40 grs. and that was all the fun I wanted! Recoil was substantial to say the least. I backed down to 38 grs. as that gave tolerable recoil for multiple shots off the bench. That load did well in both smoothbore and rifled barrel. From smoothbore I was getting 4" +/- groups at 50 yards and group size dropped to 2" at 50 yards from a rifled gun. I was getting pretty punchy by then so I think group size would have been even better if I wasn't. That is with iron sights off a bench. I didn't have enough ammunition left to shoot 100 yards with the rifled gun which was borrowed. A recovered ball showed good engraving by the rifling. Balls were ACWW.

If you want to use trap wads with petals cut off I'd suggest at least one 1/8" nitro card wad under the ball or the cushion leg tries to wrap around the ball under compression. That may work okay but I can say from experience that Winchester trap wads with petals cut off and no nitro card wad under the ball fail badly!

Also, I'd suggest a load of 36 grs. of BD or even less if youy don't want recoil. I didn't use any other powder with the 0.735" RB's but have with smaller RB's in shotcups.

Longbow

[JAMESGR]

Thank ya'll for replying.
Blood Trail, does your load have a plastic seal on top of the hard card???? One over the powder and one below the RB???

longbow, I don't have Fiocchi hulls. I have an abundance of Federal 2 3/4" hulls. A couple of hundred Rem STS hulls, and a couple of hundred NEW NEVER USED 3" Activ hulls. I've shot a few shells loaded with 42grs of Blue Dot. It was more fun than I deserve to have, so I cut back to 36grs.

I'm looking forward to trying these two mold.
Thank you
JAMES
JAMESGR

[longbow]

To be honest, while not really recommended, I generally don't worry about hulls as long as they are straight walled hulls. I haved been using some Federal Field hulls with paper basewads lately and no issues. In fact the Precision Rifle load data for the Piledriver just said top use any straight walled hull. At the pressures they were running with top end loads I would be more selective!

I believe the Active hulls are a high volume hull. I have some Activ hull load data but not for slugs as far as I recall.

The 3" hulls may well produce better accuracy as they fill the chamber... assuming you have 3" chamber. Ranch Dog did some load development for Lee slugs and found that 3" hulls in 3" chamber produced better accuracy than 2 3/4" hulls in a 3" chamber:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-Tail-Feathers
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-Tail-Feathers

While not directly applicable to your round balls and slug the principle should hold.

Also, that full bore Lyman clone will likely cast at 600+ grs. according to some other posts so while called a 525, it is heavier than the sabot slug by quite a bit.

If you haven't seen it, here is a thread about the full bore Lyman clone:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...5-Slug-Results

His mould cast at 630 grs. so about 100 grs. heavier than the sabot version.

Longbow

[JAMESGR]

Christmas came early. My MP Molds came in today. I'm planning to try them tomorrow. Temps are going to nose dive toward the end of the week. Highs will be in the low 20"s or high teens. Wind chills below zero. That may be usual some places, BUT this is north Alabama.
Thanks for the reply,
JAMES
JAMESGR

[JAMESGR]

Cast some round balls and some slugs today. Round balls weight 1 1/4 ozs. the slugs weight 1 3/8 ozs. I'll load some tomorrow . I always make a dummy round first to check component fit in the hull.
JAMES
JAMESGR

[Blood Trail]

I used a X12x gas seal, a 1/2” fiber wad, and a donut gas seal (has a hole in the center) to center the rb in the hull.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FullTang]

Interesting idea on wadding that I came across (but haven't tried yet) while watching a Taufledermaus video on YouTube: he uses a small papier mache wad made from toilet paper to cup any round projectiles that he uses. He's done this with all manner of things, and it seems to work very well. It's formed in a cut-off section of hull. I'm planning to try it soon!

[JAMESGR]

Thanks blood Trail, are you making the dough nut hole in the gas seal??? I have some BPI gas seals that I can put a hole in the center easily.

How are ya'll powder coating the pellet type slugs???? I've tried shake and bake and the powder (Smokes) doesn't stick to the slugs, or round balls either for that matter. Suggestions appreciated.
Thanks
JAMES

[Blood Trail]

Thanks blood Trail, are you making the dough nut hole in the gas seal??? I have some BPI gas seals that I can put a hole in the center easily.

How are ya'll powder coating the pellet type slugs???? I've tried shake and bake and the powder (Smokes) doesn't stick to the slugs, or round balls either for that matter. Suggestions appreciated.
Thanks
JAMES

BPI used to sell those donut gas seals. That’s where I got them from.

As far as powder coating, this is how I do it.

https://youtu.be/PFYM2e5vjFA


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JAMESGR]

FullTang, I read an article that used small strips of new paper soaked in water making a thick slurry. This was pored into a piece of pvc pipe ga. appropriate. Then a dowel inserted and the dowel smacked a couple of times with a hammer to force out water and compress the paper. When dry he cut these to the length needed.

Blood Trail, I watched your video. I don't have a vibrating tumbler. I do have a two drum rotating tumbler. So, I put 10 slugs into the two bag method you use with a little powder coating powder. Tumbled for 10 mins.. Worked wonderfully!! I baked these at 400 degs. for about 30 mins. Thank you so much for the info. and video
Harbor Freight has a 5 lbs. vibrating tumbler for $70.00. I'm planning on getting one after Christmas. I'll use it to clean brass, powder coat boolits and slugs.
Thanks for the replies,
MERRY CHRISTMAS
JAMES
JAMESGR