Ithaca Gunner
05-11-2013, 10:50 PM
I consider myself pretty much a novice at shot gun reloading, I have a MEC 600Jr. and load a few hundred shells a year for upland game hunting and recreational clay target shooting. Without boring you all with details, earlier this year I ran into a deal on two Ithaca '37 Deer Slayer barrels for my Magnum Model, both 20" with rifle sights, one rifled, one smoothbore. Now I have the urge to toss large solid chunks of lead downrange. I started out with a LEE Drive Key mold and have since chucked it over my shoulder hoping never to see it again. Next was a LEE .690 round ball mold, fantastic mold and it's fairly accurate out of the smoothie giving about 2.5" groups at 30yds. with three buckshot nested under it, (I'll post pictures of that in another thread).
Now I've gotten one of Accurate Mold's 770gr. .732" full bore molds for even more fun punching big holes in things. Okay, I've got a bunch cast, and realize they will need to be roll crimped. No problem, I have a BPI roll crimper and hull vice, new primed Federal 3" shells, and new primed Fiocchi 2.75" Tundra hulls. My concern is gas seal, wads, and powder. There's no published recipes that I can find for these knock-em down chunks of lead. I figure I may start with 30gr. of Blue Dot and adjust from there? BPI gas seal, felt wad, and a card wad under my boolit with a roll crimp holding everything together?
I'm pretty much in the dark here and don't want to approach this hap-hazardly. I appreciate any help from those who have experience with this mold.
Now I've gotten one of Accurate Mold's 770gr. .732" full bore molds for even more fun punching big holes in things. Okay, I've got a bunch cast, and realize they will need to be roll crimped. No problem, I have a BPI roll crimper and hull vice, new primed Federal 3" shells, and new primed Fiocchi 2.75" Tundra hulls. My concern is gas seal, wads, and powder. There's no published recipes that I can find for these knock-em down chunks of lead. I figure I may start with 30gr. of Blue Dot and adjust from there? BPI gas seal, felt wad, and a card wad under my boolit with a roll crimp holding everything together?
I'm pretty much in the dark here and don't want to approach this hap-hazardly. I appreciate any help from those who have experience with this mold.