Range tests

[Hogtamer]

All shots @ 50 yds, scoped 870, 2 3/4" - screw IC choke, 28" smoothbore
1). The small holes are my 10 pellet OO load. There was one more hole in the red square but was shot out.
2). Red square was 2 shots, 7/8 lee slug: (cheddite 209 in fed hull, 36 gr Longshot, BPI Plastic symmetrical basewad, WAA12R wad w/2 - 20 ga nitro cards, slug, 8 pt crimp.) this is the best hunting load I have come up with of all big lead I have tried. Guesstimate 1550 - 1600 fps

The next 3 are .678 cast balls that Longbow was generous enough to send me to try!! Thanks, friend! (They weigh ~ 460 gr and I smoothed the sprue down a bit and loaded it down)

Only loaded 1 with same as above except 32 gr LSHT. That's it in the orange square.
Next fired 2 loads same except 34 gr LSHT, marked in purple. One ball went through virtually the same as the 32 gr hole.
Last fired were 2 shots with 36 gr LSHT marked in blue.

78596w
All 'round a satisfying session. Need to move scope a couple of clicks left, but I've shot enough of those lee loads to be absolutely confident in them taking a really big animal. One note those Winchester waa12r wads, as others have noted, are very soft. Additionally, mine are 30 yrs old and fragile - I can pull them apart by hand, so I need to find a replacement that is the same height. Anybody???
Thanks to all whose work I have studied and encouraged me to keep at it. Next: HOGS!

[longbow]

Looks like you've got that Lee slug dialed in pretty good! The 36 gr. load with the 0.678" balls looks pretty good too.

I am hoping to get out to test those wads you sent me this weekend. Thank you for those. It is always fun to try something new and different plus it is a good excuse to get out to the range. I have not been in a while.

My Winchester AA Red wads are very soft and I find the gas seal blows easily. They aren't too bad with nitro card wads inside the cup. I think that solid base keeps the cup from distorting too much. I don't use them for serious testing anymore though and I am close to out of them. I am just so cheap I can't throw them out... got to shoot 'em up!

Good shooting.

Longbow

[cpileri]

How did you stack your 10-pellet OOB load? 5 rows of 2?
C-

[Hogtamer]

Yes, in a Remington wad. BPI nickel plated OO that run a little small, closer to O size.

[cpileri]

Did you have to buffer the pellets to get them to stay neatly stacked, or are the wad petals thick enough to keep them in place?
C-

[Hogtamer]

Loaded some with buffer (grits!) and some without, no difference in pattern. Takes a little rattling the hull to get the first two centered and the second stack lines everything up perfectly. A lighter load that works well is 8 pellets in a multimetal wad http://www.ballisticproducts.com/PT1265-12ga-1-1_8oz-non-toxic-wad-250_bag/productinfo/222PT1265/ over 19.6 gr CLAYS. Tightest pattern @ 50 yds, not quite enough killing energy @ that distance though.

[Hogtamer]

Chose hottest day of year so far and went to our property south about an hour to look for a hog. Mosquitos and humidity so bad (we're working on a record rainfall year) I gave that up pretty quick. Lots of hot sign though. Wound up trying my 7/8 lee slugs @ 100 yds. First moved scope 6 clicks left (see picture above) and fired 3 rounds from a rest, holding ~ 4 in. high. Couldn't see where they were hitting (black faced target, red center) so walked down to target and all 3 slugs in hand sized group exactly at aim point, right over red bull. Fired another round with some harder cast slugs that are 30 grns shy of 7/8 - another hand sized group about a foot high. Now this is out of an old beater 870 with a corresponding loose trigger, so it requires a real yank, squeezing wont't work on this gun! Frankly I am amazed with this performance. Load is as described in #2 above and slugs penetrated 2 thickness of old 1" barn board. One embedded half way through a 6" fence post after that. I love big lead!

[longbow]

Hmmmm, I have the 1 oz. Lee slug and it isn't shooting that well for me. Mind you I have only loaded and shot a few. They did not bad at around 6" at 50 yards first time out. Some with an added attached wad shot down to about 4" at 50 yards. Still not as good as you are getting.

Someone else said the Lee 7/8 oz. slug was more accurate than the 1 oz. slug. I may just have to get me another mould!

Longbow

[Hogtamer]

I didn't have very good results with the 1 oz either, but I saw this video...The 7/8 slug is more FOC (forward of center) and will "follow the point" better in flight like a good arrow. http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=WG_WzJrydcA

[longbow]

I bought my 1 oz. Lee mould with the intent to use it for an attached wad slug (Brenneke style). I did get better accuracy with the hot melt glue cast on skirt but still not any better than round balls... to 50 yards anyway. I have not group them at 100 yards yet.

It looks like the 7/8 oz. slug might be a better candidate fir that but then if I make the skirt a little longer for the 1 oz. slug it should work about the same a long as the center of mass is well forward. Anyway, for the price of a Lee slug mould I may just get a 7/8 oz. too and try it.

Longbow