full choke slugs

[usmc0331]

I have a single shot 12 ga full choke 24 in its not as accurate with factory slugs as I would like. Never reloaded for shotgun before but I'm starting. Can someone give me a good diameter of slug to try for this gun. As far as I can tell it mikes out at .690. Is the shotgun like a rifle where you go a little over your bore measurement. I don't know I am new to slugs. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[longbow]

Well, I guess I will start but I am sure lots of others will offer advice.

First, a slug through a full choke is not likely to give best accuracy. If the slug is sized to suit the choke then it will be too small for the bore and will either bounce down the bore if reasonably hard alloy or it will slug up unevenly (most likely) if it is soft lead. If it is sized to suit the bore then it will be squeezed down to get through the choke which of course will result in significant deformation. None of this is conducive to good accuracy.

Second, have you got rifle sights on the gun or just the bead? While it isn't impossible to get good accuracy with just a bead, it is much easier if you have decent adjustable sights.

If you want to proceed with the full choke barrel rather than cutting it off or buying another gun/barrel in cylinder bore, you will want to be using Foster style slugs. They are hollow base shuttlecock weight forward design and designed to swage down through a choke. Do not use a full bore diameter solid slug or round ball with a full choke!

Lyman makes a Foster slug mould but it is in my experience too big to fit into a shotcup and too small for the bore. Mine casts at 0.705" so well under bore size and slugs recovered from snow showed uneven slugging up with the nose cocked differently each time. Paper patching to bore size helped improve accuracy bunches but I got regular fliers.

Not sure what the options are currently other than:

- Lyman Foster slug ~ bore size (more or less but mainly less)
- Lee Drive Key slug ~ fits into shotcup
- Lyman sabot slug ~ fits into a shotcup

There may be a couple of custom mould makers that provide hollow base moulds too.

I am not sure that the slugs that fit into a shotcup would do well through a full choke but I have not tried it.

I suggest buying some factory ammunition loaded with Foster slugs and try out a few different brands to see if the factory ammunition will provide you with decent accuracy from your gun. If so then you should be able to handload Fosters and get decent accuracy.

Another option is 0.690" round ball but you will have to cut shotcup petals off at the mid point of the ball or make donut wads to keep the ball centered in the bore. A 0.690" ball should just fit through the choke so if you can keep it centered in the bore for the trip to the choke it should do okay. I find that round balls in my cylinder bores and I/C choke barrel provide good accuracy (better than most Foster slugs I have tried) to at least 50 yards.

Also, before you start loading, get yourself a good slug loading manual or two. Loading for shotgun is not like loading for metallic cartridge. Follow published loading recipes using the components listed. Component substitution can lead to wild pressure deviations and possibly dangerously high pressures.

Here is a good place to look for slugs and reloading data:

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Slugs-and-Components/products/71/

They publish slug reloading bulletins and a manual and offer a variety of slugs you can try out before committing to buying a mould.

These guys too:

http://precisionreloading.com/

Best to read up some before jumping in with both feet.

Like I said, I would start with some factory Foster loads and see how they do. If they don't give decent accuracy then chances are you will not achieve any better handloading. If they do work out then you can order some Fosters, shuttlecocks or maybe AQ's to load and try out. I would ask BPI about shooting them through a full choke but some of the best accuracy I have gotten from purchased slugs was with AQ's in my Browning slug barrel with I/C choke. BPI provides load data for all their slugs. Not sure about Precision Reloading but most likely they do as well.

I hope that helps some and I bet you will get lots more responses shortly.

Longbow

[usmc0331]

:thanks for all the info. I tried the winchester foster 2/34 slugs and the shot into a pretty decent group except they were about a foot low at 50yds. All I have is the front bead. I guess I was expecting it to shoot a little bit flatter trajectory. I guess I'm used to my rifle. Really what I plan is to use my shotgun as a back up to my rifle for deer and hogs and am looking for a cheaper shooting load for that, plus home defense. Any ideas. I was thinking about that round ball load. Sounds promising to me.

[OnHoPr]

If you have enough meat on top of the chamber area you could have it d & t for scope to sight it in better. You possibly could get better grouping, maybe 3-5" groups at 50 yd. Not a tack driver, but enough for a back up deer gun in certain conditions.

[longbow]

I have an old Cooey single shot that I cut down as a second slug gun and just soldered sites on due to thin barrel walls. Works well and is easy to do. I just file contoured the bottom of the sights to suit the barrel radius.

Round balls can do quite well to 50 yards and beyond with a good load. For your use in a full choked gun I would recommend a ball no larger than 0.690" (to just get through that choke) and then buy BPI brush wads, cut down shotcups or make donut wads to keep the ball centered in the bore on its way to the choke.

My good ball loads either ball in shotcup or bore size ball on a hard card wad column will generally hold 3" to 4" groups to 50 yards.

Round balls are easy to cast and Lee makes a 0.690" RB mould so you should be able to pick one up for about $25.00. For the price of Lee moulds you could also pick up a Lee Drive Key slug mould to try. They fit into a shotcup so are easy to load and it may do okay through the choke. I am sure the wad petals will get squished but it may provide good enough accuracy.

I am sure you can order Lee Drive Key slugs and I know you can order RBs in various sizes from Track of the Wolf and BPI.

Also, as a note, I have had good success using a 0.662" RB (exactly 1 oz. in pure lead) in a shotcup with a couple of nitro card wads and a scoop of COW under it. Since I have cylinder bore and I/C choke barrels I "patch" the ball into the shotcup to get snug fit to the bore but it may be just the right size with shotcup to fit through your choke i you can keep it centered using donut wads or a cup under it.

Something to think about anyway. Easy to try and it just may work.

Longbow

I should also have mentioned, look for posts by Ajay (VdoMemorie). Ajay has posted many combinations of slugs/balls/shotcups so there is lost of good info in his posts. It may help you decide what components to try.