Precision Ammunition Slug Tests

[PrecisionAmmunition]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to start a thread to show a slugs loads I plan to test as I go to find the most accurate load possible. Today I loaded a few 2 3/4" federal high brass hulls with 36gr unique 12g overshot card, Helix driver 21 wad, two .125 16g nitro cards followed with a roll crimp. I won't have a chance to shoot these for a week or two but I will be shooting them out of a new 870 express with a 20" rifled barrel.

Please enjoy the pictures I took during the process.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/17/uhaqe6a4.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/17/7y6adujy.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/17/y3e4uqeb.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/17/ube4yjud.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/17/uvadener.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/17/amy4a3u8.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/17/y3e6asep.jpg

It was my first time roll crimping so I am still working on it.

I also have 12s0 12s3 12s4 helix driver 18 wads left to load in more federal hulls plus I have multiple more powders to try as well. I will keep this updates as I go.

Thanks for looking.

[stripercrazy]

rollcrimps look good to me

[jmort]

That is a stout load. I figure 25 grains for 1 oz and 30 grains for the 7/8 ounce.

[Hogtamer]

Everything looks great and i love the lee 7/8 slugs. But i would agree with jmortimer about the volume of Unique powder. It's close in burn rate to Universal and I don't find any data for that weight/powder recommendation. Double check and be safe!

[PrecisionAmmunition]

I found a load in the Lyman book, for the Lyman style froster slug and it had suggested 35gr. But my Hornady drops extra it always seems.

[bikerbeans]

I think that is too much Unique. My alliant load book only lists Herco & Blue Dot for 12ga Slugs.

BB

[PrecisionAmmunition]

I took a picture of my load I looked at . http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/17/azuje8e2.jpg

Maybe I am reading it wrong ?

[jmort]

If you duplicate that load it clearly says you can go to 35 grains. I would not go there, but I am cautious with my charge weights. Start charge of 32.5 even seems high to me. Why go to 36?
Here is an example for 525 grain Lyman Slug
525 gr Lyman Sabot Slug Unique Alliant 23.0 Winchester 209 Win. WAA12F114 1271 fps
Remarks: case: Winchester AA; group (inches): 2.47

Nothing wrong with using published data from Lyman. That one extra grain will probably not cause an issue, but pressure can increase dramatically with one grain of the faster powders. Just look for signs of pressure.

[PrecisionAmmunition]

I am reloading using a hornady 366 auto and it seems to always drop extra. I was trying to keep it under 35gr total I need to get a better powder scale because when I measure the drop out of the hornady some came up 33gr others came up 36gr. I will shoot them and keep a eye for pressure signs.

[Hogtamer]

Keep us posted on the results!

[longbow]

36 grs. of Unique seems high to me too. I have lots of load data including three volumes of the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbooks so I will have that same load recipe I am sure.

I know I do have BPI load data for their AQ slugs at 445 grs. that ventures into mid 30's but I do not think they go over 34 grs. I would have to check my data to be sure but I do not recall anything over 34/35 grs. Unique.

I also have BPI load data for 0.690" RB which is about 1 1/8 oz. and those loads do not go over 27 grs. Unique in straight walled hulls.

One other consideration is that the Lyman Foster slug typically casts well under bore diameter. Mine casts at 0.705" so is a "rattle fit" in standard smoothbore. If cast of soft lead they do slug up to fill the bore but I am betting that the undersize slug will produce less pressure than the Lee in a shotcup.

You are using a published load with minor substitutions I wouldn't worry about so it should be fine but I normally drop the charge a bit when making any slug/wad substitutions unless I have exact components.

Ah! Just re-reading and looking at the load you are using. It does not use a plastic gas seal! Nitro card wads leak and leak quite a bit compared to plastic gas seals. I think you will find that if you look up loads using plastic gas seals/cushion leg plastic wads with seals, the powder charges will be lighter.

Play but play safe!

Longbow

[jmort]

"It does not use a plastic gas seal..."

I did not notice that. Members here are sharp. A good gas seal is never a bad idea.

[PrecisionAmmunition]

Thank you for the input everyone, I just wanted to try this load and see I did however change things up as per the book. I do have almost every shotshell powder that's still being made today. So also looking for suggestions of other loads to try.

Supplies in canada are hard to come by so I have placed a large order with ballastic products for numerous different things and I will have alot more options open to me soon including the hubel (spelling?) .58 cal sabot slug.

I started this thread to keep posting my slugs and results I get when testing them on the range.

[jmort]

"I will have alot more options open to me soon including the hubel (spelling?) .58 cal sabot slug."


Ed's sabots are really nice. Would like to see some range reports.

[PrecisionAmmunition]

someone want to send me a few cast .58cal bullets to try it with as I dont have a mold yet. . . . . .

[PrecisionAmmunition]

Well everyone I now have all the Super Sabots in canada.
89934

I also scored a deal on a large amount of surplus 4759 powder, Its older stock but still new sealed in the container and shoot well. (15lbs 150$) I have loaded around 25 rounds with the Super Sabots using a few different Lee Molds all .58 caliber.
89935
50 Cal. 320 90396 58 Cal. .575-470M 90475 58 cal. .575-472M 90476 58 Caliber 575-500M 90481

Test Loads Consist of
3" hulls all roll crimped

48grs steel / 70gr 4759
with a combo of 1 or 2 .125 nitro cards
all rounds loaded with a x12x gas seal
Some hulls I used no cards just the sabot ontop of the gas seal to try and get a better roll crimp, but for whatever reason my roll crimp keeps getting caught on the outside edge of the sabot in one spot and messes up the entire crimp.

89942899438994489945899468994789948

The Super Sabots are extremely tite in the hull but its a good fit, I used a piece of dowel to drive them home.

My favorite bullet to load the the larger .58 caliber 500gr round. I am having a slight issue when casting these bullets as the hollow base is becoming mishaped after I drop them in coolant, Not sure if this is from hitting one another or the coolant is to cold or if I am not waiting long enough to allow the bullet to cool before dropping it into the coolant. I still managed to get about 75 good bullets in a hour.
89951

When I started loading these I had no scale I have since purchased a RCBS scale and a RCBS Power Measure, So I set the powder measure and pump out a bunch of rounds very easily.

Jeff

[dverna]

Jeff,

It is easy to get into a groove and "pump out a bunch of rounds very easily". But sometimes a great looking load gives horrible results. It sounds as though you have not tested any of your loads yet. Best to load a dozen or so to see how they shoot before you "pump out a bunch".

I did that with a trap load I thought would be good and wound up with 1500 junk loads (powder issue). Still need to break them down to salvage the shot.

Don Verna

[PrecisionAmmunition]

What you see in the picture is all I have loaded and plan to load till I have shot some to test and see plus I have a few larger powder loads I want to try to. Total I have 25 loaded to test, I don't want to waste any of these.

[jmort]

I just got the .58 500 grain mold (from Ajay, thanks Ajay). Looking forward to your results/report.

[Greg5278]

If your Surplus IMR 4759 is extra short and Olive drad in color, you might have a Problem. I bought some from GI Brass that was sold as Surplus, but is was definitely not the smae as the Canister Powder. I seem to recall it was used for loading a doule bullet load or a Frangible load.
I had a Load pressure tested with it, and the pressure was about 25-30% higher than the regular 4759.
Maybe you can post a Picture of the Powder you have?

Also Unique is awfully fast for Slug Loads. The Lyman Manual seems to favor using Powders that gave applications for both Shot and Slugs.
The reason the Lyman load you show is Safe, is that it counts on Blowby. I have used a similar Slug load, and maxed out at 30Grains.
Greg
AKA 12 Bore

[hubel458]

The surplus short cut, olive drab, 4759 is 30% faster. Ok
Then the surplus 4759 should be about like Alliant Steel,
so you'd use our Alliant Steel data to start.

I'd like to find some and test it . Who has it here in US.Ed

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Hello Big Brother Ed, my research on the net tells me that this powder is much older than 1947 and while handling it falls apart changing its burn characteristics to the point it can be dangerous. I'm backing out from the desire to try it!!

Strange when we had B & W film, we dreamed of color film, now that we have beautiful color pictures, people want B & W pictures!

Thank you.
Feel free to read my post on faster buck shot loads here:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...uck+shot+loads
&
VdoMemories Blazing Buck & Ball or Buck & Slugs post here:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...zing+buck+ball

Passing the torch of knowledge is something done out of genetic responsibility!

Hoping it helps.
Best regards,
Ajay Madan
Super Blazing Sabots
BlazingSabots@Gmail.com
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