Nix
11-08-2012, 12:35 PM
I've been casting my own slugs, buckshot and boolits for about three years but one problem I've never been able to resolve relates to Lyman cast 20ga slugs. I was hoping someone here may have some experience with it or a solution to share.
Specifically the issue I have is that the Lyman cast 20's, be they Foster or Sabot, are too long to allow for a nice, neat crimp in the 20ga 2 3/4" hulls I use. Now I know someone is going to say "Switch to 3" then" but that's not an option for me as they're extremely hard to come across in Ontario and, for the record, the load data I use is all for 2 3/4" shells anyways so there has got to be a way to do it!
Things I've tried so far include the obvious; trimming the petals off the wads, compressing the wads down with extra force, even compressing the slug down into the wad with extra force (and yes I am aware this is not a good idea).
My latest thought was that I could simply 'trim' some of the slug off from the base, not a lot, maybe 1/8" or something like that. It would change the load weight a bit but not enough to make a difference as far as safety goes. The problem is, I can't find a way to trim them.
I've tried just using a simple hacksaw (takes waaaaaay too long), I've tried doing it on my drill press by placing it in a piece of wood with a hole drilled halfway through it to hold it steady and then using a cutting bit (the slug starts spinning and a vice would crush it).
I was thinking about using a case trimmer but of course there's nothing on the market that I've seen that is designed to hold anything other than brass. I don't have access to a bandsaw or that would be a great solution I imagine. Same goes for a lathe...
Anyone out there found a way to do this?
Specifically the issue I have is that the Lyman cast 20's, be they Foster or Sabot, are too long to allow for a nice, neat crimp in the 20ga 2 3/4" hulls I use. Now I know someone is going to say "Switch to 3" then" but that's not an option for me as they're extremely hard to come across in Ontario and, for the record, the load data I use is all for 2 3/4" shells anyways so there has got to be a way to do it!
Things I've tried so far include the obvious; trimming the petals off the wads, compressing the wads down with extra force, even compressing the slug down into the wad with extra force (and yes I am aware this is not a good idea).
My latest thought was that I could simply 'trim' some of the slug off from the base, not a lot, maybe 1/8" or something like that. It would change the load weight a bit but not enough to make a difference as far as safety goes. The problem is, I can't find a way to trim them.
I've tried just using a simple hacksaw (takes waaaaaay too long), I've tried doing it on my drill press by placing it in a piece of wood with a hole drilled halfway through it to hold it steady and then using a cutting bit (the slug starts spinning and a vice would crush it).
I was thinking about using a case trimmer but of course there's nothing on the market that I've seen that is designed to hold anything other than brass. I don't have access to a bandsaw or that would be a great solution I imagine. Same goes for a lathe...
Anyone out there found a way to do this?