Wanting to start casting

[DranDran]

Hi everyone, I've been looking around her for a little while and decided to join the forums. I am looking at picking up a Lee 1oz slug mold and I'm wondering if there is anything specific I need to know about molding. If anyone has any recipes for 1oz slugs in federal hulls with green or red dot powder that they don't mind sharing it would be appreciated as well

[Tatume]

You should start by reading the Stickys. There is lots of information there.

[JASON4X4]

Get a few different reloading books

[DranDran]

Get a few different reloading books
Those are in the mail

[snuffy]

You should start by reading the Stickys. There is lots of information there.
Lots of help?

Get a few different reloading books

Not too much data available in most reloading books about slugs. There'SOME
data in the Lyman shotshell handbook.

DranDranDranDranDran,,-- dammit, fingers got stuuck-stuckk-stucck,,--! When you buy the Lee slug mold, loading data comes with it. You should be able to find a load to your liking.:bigsmyl2:

[DranDran]

Lots of help?


Not too much data available in most reloading books about slugs. There'SOME
data in the Lyman shotshell handbook.

DranDranDranDranDran,,-- dammit, fingers got stuuck-stuckk-stucck,,--! When you buy the Lee slug mold, loading data comes with it. You should be able to find a load to your liking.:bigsmyl2:
Thanks. Before anyone asks it's an old nickname from middle school that stuck

[357maximum]

1. Welcome to the fray
2. Find yourself a copy of the LYMAN SHOTSHELL HANDBOOK 2ND EDITION..it is pure gold for what you are about to embark upon.

[DranDran]

1. Welcome to the fray
2. Find yourself a copy of the LYMAN SHOTSHELL HANDBOOK 2ND EDITION..it is pure gold for what you are about to embark upon.

Thanks. Most the empty hulls I have are from estate and federal target loads and the powder I can get is red dot and winchester 209 primers. I'm guessing there is load data in there for this combination?

[turmech]

The Lyman shot shell manual is a good one but IIRC you won't find any data with the Lee slugs directly. You would have to use the data for one ounce shot and adjust your wads for the correct colum to fill the hulls.

The Lee mold will come with data and it is also available in a pdf if you dig through the Lee website. All the data is more along the lines of magnum loads with powders like Herco, blue dot, Longshot and such. There is a long thread in the casting for shotgun section which would help a lot and you will find many other posts with red dot and the one ounce lee slug.

I don't know how much experience you have with loading shotgun shells but it is cheaper in the long run to find data and buy the component you need for the data than it is to attempt to use what you have. Pressures can change quickly with shot shells and the wad, shot/slug and powder have to fill the hull exactly right to get a good crimp. The same weight slug or buckshot could be substituted for lead shot data generally but most often the wad would also need to be changed. Federal hull are straight wall hulls. Winchester and Remington are tapered hulls. Typically they use different wads.

[groovy mike]

#1 rule - keep water OUT of the mold!

[DranDran]

#1 rule - keep water OUT of the mold!

It will steam up if water gets in correct?

[Harter66]

When water converts to steam the volume change is 1 cuft of water to 1400(0) cuft of steam aka tinsel fairy visit.

There are lots of good threads in the shotgun forum,but it ofte takes me 3 or 4 reads to get it clear in my mind,then I have to go stick parts together. I guess I'm saying if its gibberish the 1st time let it perk a while and look again.

Your Estate cases are probably Fiocchi cases . Most data shows those as producing lower pressures and higher velocities,not always true but often enough.

[7br]

I have the 7/8 slug and was using Win AA hulls and grey winchester wads. I was also using HS-6 and getting great groups.

One of the things you will need to be aware of is the pin that creates the key section of the slug will need to be up to temp to cast well also.

[MBTcustom]

Welcome drandran.
Casting for shotguns is addictive. I've never loaded a Lee slug before. I have mostly done .735 round ball loads.
I don't know if you are aware that we have a "casting for shotguns" forum? You're query for loads and tips would be answered much better down there as we have some very knowledgeable shotguners down there.
You're on the right path with the books that you have coming. Be sure to read the first part of the book very carefully before getting into the load data. It will raise questions you never had and answer them all at the same time.
Remeber that shotguns are a different beast than metallic cartridges. Take 30-06 for instance. Any case that says 30-06 can be used with the load data provided, and any large rifle primer can be used in that combo. It's not that way with a shotgun. You must not deviate and you can't substitute data that was written for a Remington hull for a Federal hull. If the data says to use such and such a primer, then you must use that specific primer. The same goes for powders (obviously), and wads. If you can't find data that recognizes your specific combo of hull, primer, powder, wad, and payload, then buy what you need to to make it match up exactly. If you have to wing it, then do so with extreme caution.

[DranDran]

Welcome drandran.
Casting for shotguns is addictive. I've never loaded a Lee slug before. I have mostly done .735 round ball loads.
I don't know if you are aware that we have a "casting for shotguns" forum? You're query for loads and tips would be answered much better down there as we have some very knowledgeable shotguners down there.
You're on the right path with the books that you have coming. Be sure to read the first part of the book very carefully before getting into the load data. It will raise questions you never had and answer them all at the same time.
Remeber that shotguns are a different beast than metallic cartridges. Take 30-06 for instance. Any case that says 30-06 can be used with the load data provided, and any large rifle primer can be used in that combo. It's not that way with a shotgun. You must not deviate and you can't substitute data that was written for a Remington hull for a Federal hull. If the data says to use such and such a primer, then you must use that specific primer. The same goes for powders (obviously), and wads. If you can't find data that recognizes your specific combo of hull, primer, powder, wad, and payload, then buy what you need to to make it match up exactly. If you have to wing it, then do so with extreme caution.

Thank you off the information. I didn't realize that there was a shotgun casting forum.

[MBTcustom]

Oh yeah. I spent a lot of time there learning how to shoot round balls in my 12gauge. Got all my questions answered by some really sharp booliteers.

[Moonie]

The following link will take you to the documentation that comes with the mold. From experience the BlueDot loads are brutal.

http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/SM%203529.pdf

[DranDran]

The following link will take you to the documentation that comes with the mold. From experience the BlueDot loads are brutal.

http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/SM%203529.pdf

I've shot 9 slugs in a row once (factory loads) it seemed like a good idea at the time, I've also shot some old winchester mark 5 magnums. Those magnums were pretty brutal.

[bangerjim]

I started out with good intensions to cast 1OZ Lee slugs for my Mossy 12ga pump & others. After running into brick wall after brick wall like Goodsteel describes above, I went back to buying rounds at WalMart and guns shows! I cannot seem to find anybody in any LGS stores around me that knows a tinker's darn about reloading shotgun slugs. Birdshot...yes.They don't even carry the wads or hulls that match up for the 1oz slugs

And with all the variables that must be exactly right, it kinda gets scary!

Good luck on your 1st endeavor. I'm stickin' to pistols and rifles for all my casting/reloading.

banger

[DranDran]

I started out with good intensions to cast 1OZ Lee slugs for my Mossy 12ga pump & others. After running into brick wall after brick wall like Goodsteel describes above, I went back to buying rounds at WalMart and guns shows! I cannot seem to find anybody in any LGS stores around me that knows a tinker's darn about reloading shotgun slugs. Birdshot...yes.They don't even carry the wads or hulls that match up for the 1oz slugs

And with all the variables that must be exactly right, it kinda gets scary!

Good luck on your 1st endeavor. I'm stickin' to pistols and rifles for all my casting/reloading.

banger

I decided to stick to loading birdshot until I get some more experience with reloading.

[turmech]

I would not give up on the idea of loading the lee slugs. They are not all that hard to load for. A lot of guy post using red dot with good results. The casting for shotgun section on this form has many mentions of the wads and hulls they use. Post this same question there and you will get a few responses. The powder charge for bird shot would be fairly safely to used for the slug charge provided the hull and primer remain the same and the wad is same construction (tapered vs. straight).

I have just used the blue dot loads listed in the lee load data which comes with the mold. IIRC win hulls, WAA12 wads (I personally could not get the claybuster copies to work)and win 209 primers. As Moonie mentioned they kill on both ends. They are possible the most felt recoil I have ever experienced but very accurate. I too have been wanting to load some with red dot for more enjoyable shooting but I have just not gotten around to doing it.

[Moonie]

I tested those bluedot loads in my wife's O/U 12 guage, the kick was so hard the forend dislodged and when I opened it the gun disassembled itself as the forend holds the barrel on... I've decided a moderate load of Unique is all those loads really need as I do not hunt with them. If anyone in the family needs hunting slug loads I know how to make them however, I just won't shoot them.