Casting 12ga Slugs

[chrisx1]

Do I need to use pure/soft lead, or will WW be o.k.?

The Lee mold I just got says soft lead only?

Chris

[357maximum]

aircooled 50/50 ww/pure is hard to beat. also make sure you use the thickest card at the top of the stack under the slug. This will help with wild fliers due to the slug taking the card with it. Better yet is to fill the base even up with pure paraffin to prevent the wad tag-along issue. Do not use a sticky wax like boolit lube as it can actually aggrevate the situation. I actually use a .610 diam copper washer under my 20 gauge slugs, works like a dream, unfortuanately I only have about 50 washer left, have to find some more in the future I guess. With my .410 slugs I use a spent 209 primer to do the same....works. I have never played with the lee version...it may not need the above treatment due to the "drivekey"

Michael

[Dixie Slugs]

We tested a great deal of factory Foster type slugs and found many that had the wad blown into thr slug's hollow base. If you give Circle Fly a call, they will cut you some 1/4" (.250") hard nitro card wads to put under the Foster slug.
As for Lee Key Slug in 12 bore....If you cast then from WW and load them in the Federal 12S3 (no ridges inside the petals), you will find the shoot more accurate in both smoothbore and rifled barrels.
Regards, James@Dixie Slugs

[skeptic]

As for Lee Key Slug in 12 bore....If you cast then from WW and load them in the Federal 12S3 (no ridges inside the petals),
Regards, James@Dixie Slugs


Is the Claybuster 12S3 Identical to the Federal 12S3 or does it have a ridge inside the petals?

Thanks

skeptic

[waydownsouth]

Pure lead shrinks more when cooled and will fall off centre pin ww tend to stick and have to be melted off.

ww can be used just make sure the centre pin has had any burrs removed and has been heavily smoked before using or use a release agent.

pure lead will give slightly heavier slugs than ww.

pure lead mushrooms silghtly better than ww and will shoot clean through most cars leaving a hole about 1 inch in dia or larger both sides.

[Dixie Slugs]

Just some thoughts! First of all, if one applies a mold release to the mold cavity and center pin......there aill be no sticking with WW or any high antimony alloy. We use it at Dixie for all our alloy slug/bullets. The best we have found is from Rapine and is called "Mould Prep"....we use it on all our high production molds with our alloy of 94% lead-3% antimony-3% tin.
Also, our tests show that a hard cast heat treated (450 degrees for one hour and water quenched) slug/bullets out perform pure lead by far, in penetration etc.
Pure lead is fine for smoothboes and thin skin game, but fails in breaking large green bones and tough tissure of large and/or dangerous game. The harder slug/bullets are best in rifled shotgun barrels.
One can see many tests of game and test media on the Dixie web page (dixieslugs.com).
Regards, James

[jwp475]

Dixie Slugs has it correct. The hard cast Slug is light years ahead of a pure lead slug IMHO. Prep the mold properly and no problem. Wheel Wieghts water quenched make excellnt bullets as well.

The "Bullet Bub"

[bobk]

Dixie Slugs,
Without getting into any inappropriate humor regarding the quantity of projectiles, did you ever load two of them in a 2 3/4 hull? I tried such a thing yesterday with a Fed case and 4756. That powder burned cleanly in the 20, but was dirty in the 12. I may try a Fed hull and primer, RP-12 wad, 30-33 gr. Blue Dot, and a couple of my cast RBs that I use in the 20. I like the RP-12 because it has one largish rib on each petal, which centers the RB well. A loaded wad measures .725, so it's more or less a cylinder bore concept. The accuracy wasn't bad in the Ithaca, though, with the 4756. All the data I quoted is from published sources, for 1 1/2 oz. loads. My combined projectile weight is slightly less than that.
Bob K

[Dixie Slugs]

Bob and All...I have not loaded two full size slugs in a load. We do load our Tri-Ball II load for sale which is three .600" hard cast roundballs in a wad, buffered, and roll crimp.....12 ga 3" Cheddite hull.
Regards, James

[tommygirlMT]

"Without getting into any inappropriate humor regarding the quantity of projectiles, did you ever load two of them in a 2 3/4 hull? I tried such a thing yesterday with a Fed case and 4756. That powder burned cleanly in the 20, but was dirty in the 12. I may try a Fed hull and primer, RP-12 wad, 30-33 gr. Blue Dot, and a couple of my cast RBs that I use in the 20. I like the RP-12 because it has one largish rib on each petal, which centers the RB well. A loaded wad measures .725, so it's more or less a cylinder bore concept. The accuracy wasn't bad in the Ithaca, though, with the 4756. All the data I quoted is from published sources, for 1 1/2 oz. loads. My combined projectile weight is slightly less than that."

Been doing exactly that with my 10ga. loads for quite a while -- double ball loads to be exact. NO SOFT LEAD BALLS FOR MULTIPLE BALL LOADS -- HARD LEAD ONLY. Follow that and be careful with the buffer (use only stuff that won't pack) and you'll do fine.

[bobk]

Dixe and tommygirl,
I have to fine tune the concept a bit. The Blue Dot bulked up too much, couldn't get a real good crimp. The next experiments are with 800-X, and HS-6. The HS-6 in a Federal paper base wad case actually needs an additional card. What are your thoughts on placement? On top gives beautiful crimps, but it scares me, thinking that the ball might try to pass the wad. Plus, seating the wad underneath would lend more support to the RP-12. Practically speaking, though, it's the accuracy difference, if any, that will be the deciding factor.
Bob K

[bobk]

I'm going to abandon this experiment for now. I revisited the 4756 load, plus the 800-X and HS-6. All loads were pretty consistent, in three guns with muzzles from .719 to .742. Consistently bad, that is, with usually 3" of separation at 25 yards. That's not good enough for hunting, and I am not inclined to start playing with fillers for this one load. Back to experimenting with the .720 RB.
Bob K

[JohnClark7886]

Ok y'all, color me green (newbie). I want to get a mold to cast my own 12ga slugs. Would be used for deer hunting and home defense purposes. What is a good mold for casting your own slugs. My guns take any size from 2 3/4" to 3 1/2". Not looking to take out a moose, bear or suv. I have absolutely no clue on what I should get so I am relying on your expertise. Would love to have something that is as accurate as possible from a shotgun and can take out something along the lines of a mule deer (live out west). Possibly an elk but would not purposefully go elk hunting with one. Have a .30-06 and .300 win mag for that.

[bobk]

JohnClark7886,
I guess it depends upon whether you're talking smoothbore or rifled. With a smoothie, many people thing round balls are best, and my own experiments make me think so, too. The penetration and destruction caused by a hardcast RB surprised the whee out of me. I need to get some sort of sight on the single barrel 20, because at 50 yards, I'm convinced it would do the job. The 12 is even more of the same.
The problem with this idea crops up when you have multiple guns in any particular gauge. No one ball size will fit them all. The loads that will be safe in all may be less accurate in the more loosely-dimensioned guns.

Bob K

[Dixie Slugs]

First of all....if one is serious about casting and loading slugs, they should get the booklet "Shotgun Slug Loading & Field Applications" form Ballistict Produsts Inc. It has world of slugs and round ball loads, including velocity and pressure tests.
Longshot powder has application in 2 3/4" loads.
When playing around with wads for slugs or balls, stay away from those that have a rib inside the petals....they tend to shear! The best wad we have seen is the Federal 12S3.
Rapine has a nice hollow base slug with w semi-wadcutter nose that flys good and roll crimps like a dream. The mold runs a little large so keep the size ono more that .003" large that bore or choke. The skirts are then and need at least a .250" nitro (Circle Fly) under to keep the card from blowing into the slug's hollow base. Air cooled WW's or 10 lead to 1 tin is ideal. with the Rapine slug.
We have also found with full bore slug/bullets in rifled barrels....the firmer the wad column the better.
The .715" round ball, without a wad shoots best in .730" barrels as long as the choke is not smaller than .003" less than the ball. It helps to center punch a felt wad to go under the ball.....like a doughnut wad.
Just some thoughts, James @ Dixie Slugs

[JohnClark7886]

As usual you are so kind and a wealth of info James thank so much. By the way, I have a cohort at work and his dad is a fishing guide in Idaho. They occasionally run into grizzlies in the back country. I referred him to your site for slugs for protection, he looked at it, ran to my desk and said he was calling his dad right away and emailing him the link. I think you may pick up a few more customers. I have tried to find the Rapine company info you keep referring to and can't find them on the net. Do you have a link or contact info for them. Also I see there is something called a sabot slug and I think Lyman has the mold. It looks like a giant pellet for a pellet gun. What is your experience with them. I have never roll crimped before, will I need any special gear to do the roll crimps. I have a mec 600jr. Thanks again and I will keep referring people to your slugs/ammo that have the need for them.

[Dixie Slugs]

Here is the information I have for Rapine:
Rapine Bullet Mould Manufacturing LLc
East Greenville Pa 18091
215-679-5913
Roll crimp is the only way we load our ammo. Roll crimp heads and shotshell vises can be found from Ballisic Products Inc. The hards can be used with a hand drill, but used in a drill press is better.
Many use the Lyman hourglass slug. We have had more success with the Lee Key Slug in a Federal 12S3 wad.
Regards, James

[JohnClark7886]

Question on the roll crimping. Can you roll crimp a previously shot star crimped shell? How many times can you reload a roll crimped shell...