lyman 12ga slug question

[Charlie U.]

I am thinking of trying my hand at casting my own 12 gauge slugs. In reading up on the lyman 525grain sabot slug mold. (The one that makes a skirted slug that looks like a giant air gun pellet) I keep finding info about filling the hollow base with hot glue or other material.

My question is.....would it be a problem to modify the hollow base pin in order to cast a solid slug and be rid of the hollow base?

Having a solid base would obviously make for a heavier slug with more recoil, but I wonder if it would cause some other issue with stability in flight or accuracy?
Has anyone tried such a modification?

[longbow]

Are you shooting smoothbore or rifled gun? If rifled gun the solid should work well. If smoothbore then the solid will not be drag stabilized and will tumble.

Not sure how much weight will be added if you do this but you will have to adjust powder charge to suit or pressure could be a problem. Finding safe load data for non standard weight slugs can be a bit of an issue.

I am guessing the slug will be under 600 grs. though and there have been loads published for slugs of 1 3/8 oz. and 1 1/2 oz. so those may do. In any case, don't go guessing at powder charge reduction. Loads cannot be worked up like with metallic cartridge loads for rifle and handgun. They can be worked up but the process is quite different and it takes a certain amount of experience to do it safely and even then it is an approximation at best.

Just in case you are not aware, all the components work together to produce the desired result of pressure and velocity in shotshell reloading and any substitutions in components can have a significant effect on pressure. For instance my manuals warn that a simple change of prime brand (both 209's) can affect pressure by up to 3000 PSI. That can put a max. but safe load into dangerous territory if the change is to higher pressure of possibly a blooper if it is to lower pressure. Hull changes from say straight walled hulls to compression formed type can have a similar effect.

Sorry, not trying to get all preachy but I like to make sure people know the risks.

Try looking up posts by turbo1889, VDOmemorie, greg527 and Ed Hubel. You may find some load data that is useful and you will certainly find some interesting posts and information. Also, a search on the "Casting For Shotguns" forum may turn up some info on just what you are thinking of doing. We have lots of "experimenters" here.

Longbow

[Charlie U.]

Thanks longbow,
Yes, I am using a rifled slug gun. I live in a shotgun only area and do my whitetail hunting with a H&R Ultra Slug 12ga.

Now that you mention it, I probably should have posted this question in the "casting for shotguns" section.

[HiVelocity]

Why beat yourself up with more recoil? I have the Lyman and the Lee 1oz molds.

Both work well when loaded correctly with the right components.

Why fix it if it isn't broken.

Just food for thought,

HV

[longbow]

The reason for the hot melt glue is to support the skirt so it doesn't collapse. Certainly with some loads using soft lead those skirts do collapse or "compress" and distort some. I do not have a Lyman sabot slug mould but have recovered some that other shooter left in the berm or in the snow (even better). Most I have recovered have shorter fatter skirts than when they started out. A hader alloy should also solve that without the increased weight and recoil.

Some like heavy slugs though like the latest A.C.E. HB mould at 740 grs. If you want the weight there is nothing wrong with it other than the load data issues. If you don't then harder alloy or filling the cavity should solve the problem ~ if you are experiencing problems with accuracy. It may shoot just fine as is in soft lead.

I like to stick with 1 oz. to 1 1/4 oz. slugs mostly because there is a lot of published load data and also because I do not think I need a heavier slug.

Longbow

[Themoose]

I'm one of those guys who fills the cavity with hotmelt... it does improve my accuracy if only a placebo, I believe it helps.. I do cast my slugs out of soft lead and knurl both the top and bottom outside edges with a mill file to get a better grip on the wad... The hotmelt does not necessarily make the slug heaver downrange. I apply pledge to the cavities and let it dry before filling with hotmelt... the little plug falls out freely... but I have seen my targets @ 50 yds with an extra hole from the plug and have had some targets with the plug stuck in the cardboard backing. I have tried harder slugs in all of my guns and have not had as good of luck as soft lead... the hard lead seems to help distort the wads... some of the wads recovered from the softer lead sabots have no tears and I think that would help promote accuracy... I'm not shooting light loads either... stick with the 44.0 grs SR4756 that was listed with the sheet provided by Lyman with the mold many years ago..... they now list a much lighter charge.

TheMoose