Hammerhead SPW 12 & 20ga moulds

[bikerbeans]

I would like to hear from folks who have used these molds. Are they good or bad and how is the accuracy in your rifled slug gun? Also, have you tried the powder (pro reach) that is suggested by Slugs-r-us?

Thanks

BB

[Themoose]

I have bought already molded slugs from them and also bought and cast my own 12 gauge slugs... I can't see any difference... they shoot very well out of my Browning A-Bolt and Rem 11-87 slug guns... The mold looks like a Lee mold, but works well...I haven't tried pro-reach, but loaded with Herco that they recommended when I purchased the slugs and wads from them originally. They outshot my old standby lyman 525 slug loads @ 100 yds... hope this helps.

TheMoose

[r6487]

i bought the mold and am waiting on SPW wads to get here. The mold is a small aluminum one much like lee molds. I had to get it pretty hot before getting all the wrinkles out. The slugs look small compared to a Lyman 525. I believe I read the slug & wad combo is 490 grains total, so I guess it should be quite a bit smaller. When the wads get here we'll see about accuracy. I'll be starting with Blue Dot but place to visit Glen Larson (just down the road) and talk to him about his Pro Steel loadings.

[bikerbeans]

i bought the mold and am waiting on SPW wads to get here. The mold is a small aluminum one much like lee molds. I had to get it pretty hot before getting all the wrinkles out. The slugs look small compared to a Lyman 525. I believe I read the slug & wad combo is 490 grains total, so I guess it should be quite a bit smaller. When the wads get here we'll see about accuracy. I'll be starting with Blue Dot but place to visit Glen Larson (just down the road) and talk to him about his Pro Steel loadings.

I am looking forward to the results of your testing.

BB

[r6487]

using 26" hastings heavy rifled barrel with 3" chamber-shooting 2-3/4" shells. melted down some pure lead and started casting. had to heat the mold quite hot to get past wrinkling. read slug + SPW wad should be 490 grains. weighed mine at 493.5--74.5 for the wad and 416 for the hammerhead. when I ordered the wads slug-r-us was out of roll crimpers. did not want a steel one so waiting while they have a new mold made to resume making nylon crimpers. that being the case my loads are with a folded crimp and not rolled. noted starting load at 40.0 grains of blue dot. since i'm using blue dot for all other slugs, that is what I am trying first. with 40.0 grains chrono reads between 1440 and 1470 ft/sec. with 38.0 grains got 1360-1400 range. heavy barrel had no sights so I am using a red dot that completely obscures a 1" square at 50 + 100 yds. might have to try a shotgun scope for better precision.138525138526138528138529
the 50 yd 40.0 grainers look promising. for the 1st outing with these I think I can improve the 100 yd group with better optics. we'll see.

[Blood Trail]

I just bought the sabots from slugsrus and put a hornaday 500 SW boolit in them. So far, so good.

[CASTING MACHINE]

160451160450Use only spw system now. Had brooks molds make me a set of 20 ga. and 12 ga. molds. Really nice. If don't like aluminum molds give them a call. He has the tooling made now.
160449 Spent long hours trying to get a consistent slug load. I got tired of tracking down lightfields for zeroing as we here live in the special regulations hunting area of S.E. Penna. Lots of deer and long season= lack of supply.
Tried just about everything when it comes to slug reloading. Hoped to find the magic combination that will serve all of my slug needs. One accurate load serving several shotguns. It can be done. It takes some work. I will tell you what I did. Maybe it will help get there faster.
As I stated I tried every thing, literally, only because of what I have read about slug loading. When I is was about to give up I saw spw system from slugs r us. Good old Pennsylvania boy. Called him, spoke with him and ordered wads and slugs in 12 Ga. When they arrived I was truly confused and amazed. How could this system have been so close to me and not know about it? I got on it right away.
Ordered several bags of 2 3/4'' new hulls from bpi. Low , med and ultra high brass. Tried blue dot, hs6, others and finally went low and slow with longshot.........bingo. Slow burning is the key. Slugs r Us stated pro reach was the stuff but was unavailable. Of all cases tried I got the most consistent results with high brass. Yes the cases were skived.
My load for three shotguns ended up being 29.0grs. of longshot in high brass. I went as high as 32 grs. It shot well but really hammered me. Velocities were not determined on any of my work up. Did not want that speed thing have me make bad accuracy decisions. Figured I would let the deer tell if the were fast enough. They are fast enough according to them.
The case I used had large internal capacity. It appeared to be flat inside at the base. At 29.0 Grs. longshot, spw installed and roll crimped in an unmodified case I was getting wrinkles in the crimp. Not horrible but very noticeable. Accurate but showed something amiss in fired case. Distortion form having to much case mouth worked by roll crimping. The extra case material was warming and distorting because it had no place to go. I shortened the case 3/16'' roughly rather than raise the slug column. That was it. Used the BPI roll crimper and case holder in a drill press. I set the depth to be compressed slightly. I used the center raised portion of the roll crimp to hold the slug down and held it there for a second or more at the bottom of the stroke. The crown inside the roll crimper was on the slug.
For the heck of it I loaded several un- trimmed un-skived case . It wrinkled. Your results with the wrinkles may vary. When the wrinkles went away I got excellent accuracy. Now when deer season comes again I wont have to worry about slugs. It was worth the effort. However consistency is the key. WEIGH your powder. Set your roll crimp and compression standards.
One last thing, if you hunt I would water proof the load. I used black power bore butter. Load the shell, take a Q tip load it up and fill between the sabot and the case before you roll crimp. The butter will disperse downwards between the case and the sabot. Use common primer sealer as well. Why mess around.
P.S.- test guns were h&r 12 ga. ultra slug, witch was the main test gun, an old....old rem 870 wing master with stock rem. cantilever rifled barrel and an 11-87 with stock rem. cantilever barrel. All three are good to go. As good or better than lightfields.