Special Project, light shot & slug loads for 3-gun

[Triggerhappy]

Ok, here's the deal. I've got a 3-gun match that I'm going to at the end of May. I keep up pretty well with the pistol & rifle but get waxed with the shotgun by a guy who downloads his shot loads for shooting steel. Most of the shot is on steel knockdown targets at about 10 yards and we occasionally use slugs on paper. Everything is fairly close so speed is the name of the game. A string is usually 30 rounds, faster the better.

I want to do the same thing. I'm looking for input on light to very light #8 shot loads. I'd also like to match the shot loads with some light slug loads. I have both 7/8 and 1oz Lee drive key and 525g Lyman "pellet" molds. My plan is to put a lighter recoil spring in my Benelli M1-Super 90 and shoot both loads at this competition. Just needs to cycle the gun...

I have a bunch of Remington green Gun Club hulls and several different wads to play with. I was thinking that a tall wad with 7/8 oz of shot would be a good place to start.

I'm hoping to find someone who has already done this with good results. My main concern is going too light and causing a detonation.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Brian

[GRUMPA]

As far as slug loads go I load full tilt loads so I can't help you with that. But as far as the light ones go here's my recipe..

WWAA HULL
CCI 209M Primer
15.5gr "Clays" Powder super clean burning stuff
WAA12L Wad "Winchester" or equivalent (have used the claybuster type with exlnt results)
ABSOLUTELY NO WAD PRESSURE when seating the wad
328gr shot
overshot card ( I just use a 1/2" paper cutter, eliminates crimp from collapsing on itself) or trace out a dime and use scissors. For paper I use the hard paper advertisement inserts that come in a lot of magazines (can't be to thrifty).
est. vel. 1100 F.P.S.

I have loaded 100's of these for the smaller grown-ups they work well in every semi that others have used. The felt recoil is the same as a 28ga.

[GRUMPA]

Well I stand corrected on the slug loads. Went thru my books and found 1 you just might like.
This is a tested round NOT in semi's just my pump and single shot.

WWAA Hull
209 Winchester Primer
40.0gr Blue Dot (can be safely taken to 44gr but that's a heavy hitting load)
WAA12R Wad
LYMAN 525GR SLUG


Most of this is basic loading except when you get to the wad and slug. Assemble them first (putting the slug in the wad) then as a unit insert into the case with 50-70lb. of force. I use the MEC loader I don't know what you use, then crimp as normal. Recoil on that one for me is mild, with 44gr of blue dot the PSI is at 9,200.

[firefly1957]

Detonation should not be a worry as loads are 100% load density because of wad. I have loaded down to 3/4 once in 12 ga. but do not have load available to share I remember I had to special order wads. The purpose was for an elderly lady who needed to rid garden of coons 3/4 ounce #2 shot was just the ticket and did not hurt her to use it.

[Montana Slim]

I use 700X + 7/8 claybuster wad....start with 15 grains of 700X and increase 1 grain at a time to find the load you like best. You'll probably need more than 15 grains to reliably cycle an autoloader.
I also substitute a 7/8 oz slug with this wad & similar powder charge for light slug loads.

[megafatcat]

You can also try some old loading data using felt wads stacked up instead of the plastic wads. The felt does not seal as well and will give a lower velocity = less recoil.

[sargenv]

Alliant had powder data down to 3/4 and 7/8 oz with the fast burners like Promo, Red Dot, Bullseye, and the like.. Check out the online Alliant powder guide.. You may also find similar data on the hodgdon web site utilizing titewad powder (not titegroup). I have used the 7.8 oz load for years (all the way back to the days when Alliant was Hercules and IMR was Dupont). Also take a look at 24 gram international loads for light fast shotshell loads.

[Triggerhappy]

Thanks all for the valuable input. After thinking about the issue for a while I think I'll stick with 7/8 or 1oz loads so I can keep the mass up high enough to cycle the action. I'll also be installing lighter springs in the shotgun then trying a bunch of reduced loads with different powders to see what works.

I'll let you know what I find.

[JIMinPHX]

Post #39 on this thread shows a 1,000fps 1-oz slug load (lee slug) that I had pretty good luck with.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=86712&page=2

[Rundownfid]

Triggerhappy; Here is what I am currently using for 3-gun, this is not an unqualified recommendation, only where I am now.
For shot; I use AA trap hulls, pink CB 1100-12 (WAA12sl), 1 oz of shot (7.5 usually),17.1 clays (#31 Mec bushing). This will cycle my FNH with the <1.5 oz gas cylinder.
For slugs; I use black Remington Gun Club hulls ( I found a few hundred once fired and use them for color coding purposes), white CB 1118-12 (WAA12 replacement), 17.1 clays (#31 bushing), Lyman 550 gr Slug (the super-sized CO2 pellet). The advantage to these to me are not much recoil, adequate accuracy so far (torso hits at 75 yds), same setup for the loader, ( simply remove the shot cup and load with no changes necessary to the MEC. I like the color coded black slugs, as I fear getting a DQ for inadvertently popping someones steal with a slug, otherwise these could be loaded in AA hulls.

As i say I am not adamant that this is a great solution for 3-gun, but it is where I am today. I have used these with good success, but mostly because I have cheap practice ammo and actually shoot slugs fairly often. In my smooth bore FNH these have been capable of about 3-5" at 50 yds and will stay on a steel torso at 75 yds.