Savage 220 stainless inbound

[rhouser]

I just finished ordering in a Savage 220 20 gauge rifled slug gun. I have spent the last few hours going through postings on 20 gauge slugs. In wad, attached wad, bore diameter etc. I am now completely confused.

I think I am going to try to think of this as a 20 gauge rifle. Maybe like a paradox. I need smarter people than me to jump in here PLEASE.

I am leaning towards an Accurate 20 gauge 7/8 oz bullet mold because I can get one. I saw a NOE mold at 20 ga with a hollow point that would have been perfect but inventory is 0, so that is out. What is the down side of actually casting a lead bullet and throwing it directly onto the 1-24 rifling right from the start (no plastic sabots, wads, etc (except between the powder and the bullet base).

I have looked at Slugs are us and the hammer heads look good with the custom wads.

I do stuff a 7/8 oz lee key mold into a bp wad and shoot it in my 12ga smooth bores.

What are people doing with the savage 220?

thanks rch

[Hogtamer]

Talk to Uncle Dino! Seriously, send him pm and get his thoughts, the man's a bullet wizard.

[bdicki]

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=118&sid=5e650a01ca12874dd1d2612f20655ada

[rhouser]

Bdicki, thanks, I have been there and to the Savage Shooters site.

Hogtamer, I followed your advice and have sent a PM to Uncle Dino. He has already responded. He is clearly an expert and willing to share his expertise. You folks are what makes this sight great.

My intention is to post the shakeout of the 220 stainless. It has not even arrived yet. I am approaching this from the direction of a .62 cal rifle.

Question: When does a slug become a boolit? Is it based on being in a shotgun shell (although a paradox slug is very boolit like)? Not an important issue, just a question.

thanks to all who make this forum great.
rch

[pipehand]

"Question: When does a slug become a boolit? Is it based on being in a shotgun shell (although a paradox slug is very boolit like)? Not an important issue, just a question."

I just hope they never become sloogs.

[uncle dino]

Rh...whatcha think of these?178178 These are .620 cal. Weight in at 440gr. Are .875 long.with a nice big deep hollow point. .I'm going to fire these tomorrow. Just have a couple of little things to work out in the tooling. Then I'll run a batch by the weekend. D

[Hogtamer]

heh heh, told ya!

[NyFirefighter357]

To me the advantage of the rifled slug guns is the approx. 200yrd point blank range trajectory. Have you thought about making your own sabots? The sabot wads use a 44/45 cal. pistol bullet. The Remington AccuTip and Hornady SST are 250/260gr. This is the route I was going to take. I'd be interested in seeing your results as I figure the rifled barreled shotguns are essentially rifles anyway. Good luck.

[rhouser]

Uncle dino, those are absolutely beautiful. With the jacket this has now jumped to a complete new level. The weight is about a perfect ounce.

To me, the 1 ounce weight keeps it within a bunch of published data for 20ga loading. Not heavy for gauge. The jacket could push the load pressure up some. Any thoughts on that?

If you need a volunteer to shoot some of these, I would be happy to support the cause (ok, I am drooling).

Please publish your firing results. You have built the boolit (oops slug) that I was imagining when I ordered the 220 stainless. I wonder if we could talk Lee into making a custom FCD in 62 Magtech? (ooops, my cat got out of the bag).

Never give an old guy too much free time. You see where it leads.

thanks to all, and especially uncle dino today.
rch

[uncle dino]

Rh swaging pressure hasn't seemed to be much of an issue. But what I have been doing lately is, dual sizing slugs. I reduce the shank diameter on all but the last .200 of the slug. These will be .615/.620..kinda like a bore rider. The jury is still out on an improvement in accuracy. The thought is that it will help funnel the slug into the center of the bore after the dreaded forcing cone jump..and also reduce pressure.. I haven't shot enough of them to get a difinitive answer..my 12 ga ush is at the gunsmith getting the barrel tightened back up..d

[uncle dino]

I shot 6 this morning. 75 yards..not bad..these will need to be fold crimped till I make a punch for a roll crimp ledge on slug. I roll crimped these because I have no way to fold crimp 20 ga. Hulls were tearing a little bit on very end..d178266

[copdills]

uncle dino thats amazing

[uncle dino]

We have a winner! As always we make discoveries by mistake. I inadvertently forgot to change a setting on my press when I was final forming a batch of slugs. Squished one down into a solid mass..I then grabbed all my previous mistakes. Squished them down too. Short fat little slugs All were 440 grains and press ironed out all the abnormalities..so I loaded them up..wow. Shot 2 groups of 3. First 75 yards then 100 yards..100 yard group is actually better than 75..178330178331 Vertical stringing is probably from me..ill make up some more later on tonight and post pics of them. D

[Hogtamer]

SO what was a hollow point became a squished point and outshoots them all? Can't hide talent![smilie=w:That squatty little Zlug shoots pretty well in a 12 ga. too, come to think of it. Have you squished any of those 550 grn 12 ga slugs yet? We know you're good Dennis, but lucky too? Just ain't fair.

[uncle dino]

I think I better try really shortenening up 12 ga. and see what happens..d

[uncle dino]

Here's the short slug. D.178375

[rhouser]

Uncle Dino, the short slug just LOOKS good. Plenty of bearing surface.

I just got back from the range with the new 220F SS. I didn't have time to do any loading for it. All my stuff is in the mail. I shot several groups of storebought slugs. I am really glad I took the leadsled. At 66 y/o I believe that the 50 slugs I shot off the bench would have left me hurting. With the sled, I just sorta ran out of ammo.

Notable stuff about the Savage. I had 3 different commercial slugs (sabot type) that shot under 1.75" groups 5 shot groups at 100. The Win 3" Dual metal, the 2 3/4" Fed Trophy Copper, and the Hornady 3/4" SST. Of these, the Trophy Copper was the best group in my gun. A true 1.3" center to center 5 shot group in a very pretty cluster.

Surprising was the Rem true ball. I used a box to zero the scope. At 25yds it all but put 3 slugs in the same hole after I used the first 2 to adjust the scope. I didn't try them at 100. These are the cheapest storeboughts I could find, but, they will do fine for a yard load if needed.

I can't wait for the loading components and my noe mold to get it. My hammer head prebuilts (slug and wad) have arrived, so I can get started.

Observation: Using the Federal Trophy Copper I have a slug gun that is grouping just over an MOA center to center at 100yds. This is certainly hunting rifle accuracy in my book. This Savage is a real game changer in my book. I hunt on Quantico MCB every season and it is Shotgun and muzzle loader only.

Now to cook some homebuilt loads and see if I can find that sweet spot. I ordered the NOE 626-410-HP 1 cavity (PB). It is a short fat bullet that looks something line Uncle Dino's bullet above.

Thanks to all that make this forum great.

rch

[Hogtamer]

Cutie pie! I love it D.