Anyone Acheive Acceptable Accuracy from Lee 1oz Slugs?

[Ironduke]

Good afternoon, everyone.It's been maybe a year sincce I have been on this forum just due to work and whatnot. I did some work a while back with the Lee 1oz slugs, but accuracy was what I would consider dismal. I researched on this board about solutions and options that helped somewhat. But I still wasn't satisfied and I lost interest. But today I am back on the hunt.

I cast a bunch of new slugs recently, and I am wondering what i can do to make them shoot. Today I saw a couple of threads where guys are building molds from 12 and 15 mm sockets. If slugs that are made from a socket can shoot, then maybe there's hope for the Lee slug after all. Additionally, I saw a youtube video where some polycarbonate slugs didn't work with 1 powder, but did work great with a different powder. That has me wondering if the powder I was using was optimal, or if a slower or faster powder might be better. Basically, I want to tinker with this slug again, and I am looking for ideas.

My previous load that worked better used AA hulls, Win 12R wads, 2 ea 20 ga nitro cards, 45 gr Blue Dot, and Win 209 primers. Shooting from 20 inch cylinder bore Mossberg 590A1 with Ghost ring iron sights at 50 yards. 12-18 inch groups were typical, and wads would usually have 1 or more leaves missing.

In the time I've been away, has anyone found a way to make these slugs shoot?

[Retumbo]

198901

Acceptable for 50 yards

[Hogtamer]

I tried everything I could think of and never could get consistent success, smoothbore or rifled gun. The 7/8 oz version is much better, actually killed a buck with one at 65 yds with IC 870 police and a red dot.

^^^^ whatever he did! Oddly enough I could get a group and the next 2 might be a foot one way or the other.

198902

[longbow]

I haven't used mine much but first time out got 6" groups at 50 yards from smoothbore. Not as good as my good round ball loads but way better than what I was able to achieve with the Lyman Foster slug.

I made a jig up to pour a hot melt glue attached wad and that brought groups down some but still not as good as my round ball loads and a few slug loads. Haven't played with it since but plan to again.

I see you were using Winchester AA Red wads. I have had little success with them for slugs. Seems to me they are softer than other Winchester and other brand wads and like you I saw many sheared petals. The other Winchester wads in white, yellow and pink are all a tougher plastic and work well for me as do Pacific Verelite wads.

You might also try dropping the powder charge a bit. I like Blue Dot but not sure what the max is for the Lee slug. If wads are failing try dropping the charge some and/or try a different tougher wad.

Longbow

[TonyfromItaly]

Hello, try using european hulls ( fiocchi or cheddite) with GTT3 wads if you roll crimp or GTT1 if you star crimp. http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Nobel-Sport-GTT3-12ga-7_8oz-wad-250_bag/productinfo/139GTT3/

Not knowing american powders (they are not available here exept for 800x) i suggest you use a powder for 1 1/8 oz shot and increase it by 15%.

[mac1911]

I have been shooting my 1oz lee slugs with what I can only say is not to bad. Out of the 870 mod choked I can get 3 shots with a few inches of each other at 50 yards.
Now my slugs are on the slower side. Im running clays and loading to 1 1/8th target load specs.

[BigMrTong]

I have only had OK look getting a 6 inch group at 50 yards.

In the last week though I got that to 3" by replacing the 9mm of nitro card I had under them (in a Red Winchester wads) with a 3D printed tail.

I tried a simple glued in round tail but they keyholed 50% of the time. I went to these little rocket fins and bingo ! I just super glue them in the bottom of the 1oz slug then put them in the wad.

199135

[superior]

I have a hawk 98 clone of a Vietnam style Remington 870 . I get 2-3" groups at 50 yards using cheap Remington gun-club shells with Winchester AA 12 wads. I'm not sure I named the wads correctly. I'll have to check that, but they are white. I don't use any other components. I load them with a lee loader I won on eBay. An empty 45colt case made into a dipper holds 24 grains unique.. The winged peep sights the gun came with are a huge factor contributing to it's accuracy. I suspect that your wads are the cause of the offending load. My wife blows up 2 liters at 75 yards and has never missed. The Lee drive key one oz. slug is a winner and the only thing we shoot from that shotgun. I have 40 or so loaded up and next time out, we're going to try them in the Stoeger coach gun Supreme with improved cylinder choke. Don't give up .

[Ahmet Ozalp]

I have only had OK look getting a 6 inch group at 50 yards.

In the last week though I got that to 3" by replacing the 9mm of nitro card I had under them (in a Red Winchester wads) with a 3D printed tail.

I tried a simple glued in round tail but they keyholed 50% of the time. I went to these little rocket fins and bingo ! I just super glue them in the bottom of the 1oz slug then put them in the wad.

199135

Your design looks great. I always wondered why specific wads for Lee drive key slug are not available. If possible could you please email the print file, I would like to give a try. Thanks in advance. ahmetozalp<at>hotmail.com

[Rally]

Try replacing the 20 ga. Nitro cards with 16 ga. Nitro cards and I'm betting your groups will improve, and your wads will be intact also. The 20's are a sloppy fit and allow some blow-by.

[BigMrTong]

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2433854


Your design looks great. I always wondered why specific wads for Lee drive key slug are not available. If possible could you please email the print file, I would like to give a try. Thanks in advance. ahmetozalp<at>hotmail.com

[Ginsing]

I have had some success with these slugs. Limited to one trip in the bush but still very happy so far with the accuracy. 4" 5 shot groups at 45 long paces is a good start for me.
I loaded them up in Remington gun club hulls 35 gr of hs-6, WAA12 wad with a 20 ga nitro card under the slug. All my wads released from the slug during flight and of the recovered wads most had the petals intact. On the same outing I tried some of longbow's .662" round balls paper patched. Same powder charge. Same hull and wad. I placed a nitro card and a small scoop of cream of wheat under the ball. They shot the same size groups the slugs and shot to the same POI.
These were all shot through a winchester sxp ultimate defender with a back bored barrel and IC choke.
This all gives me hope that these home cast slugs can perform. And with a bit of tweaking and adjusting I feel they have potential to be accurate to 75 yards.
BTW thanks longbow for donating an assortment of round balls to my testing. Next time out will be the .678" and the .690" and I am going to try trimming the petals back a touch on my slugs just below the top so the slug breaks the crimp first.
I'll give a range report soon
Cheers