.433" Lead Ball in 10 Gauge

[10 gauge]

Hello, I just ordered some Hornady .433" lead round ball and want to try it out in both of my 10 gauges. Has anyone here done this in the past? I figured I would get around 8 lead balls - 122 grains each = 976 grains total = 2.23 oz. @ around 1,250 ft./sec. range. This would make a hog buckshot load, with good downrange energy potential.

Thanks, 10 Gauge

[6pt-sika]

To each his own !

I load what I call 0000 Buck which is .380" and only get 8 of those per shell . I also load 00000 Buck which is .398" and I only get 6 of those per shell . Granted my shells are 2 7/8" and not 3 1/2" .

[6pt-sika]

I also load some slugs for the short 10 . One weighs 730 grains and the others about 620-640 . I assume you're shooting them in an autoloader . But in my old doubles I don't wish to use a load like you are speaking of and put that kinda strain on my old doubles .

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It isn't just the weight. Pressure and roundness of pellets will be best if you can get three or some other whole number sitting in a single layer in the bore. You can find calculators online for most basic shapes, and for circles in circles this one is useful.

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/smaller-circles-in-larger-circle-d_1849.html

You can enter the size of your bore and the pellets as .775 and .35, for example, or 775 and 35. It doesn't need to know whether that is in mm., inches or light-years. What it shows is that .35 will sit three in a layer, and .36 won't. Two in a layer (up to .385in.) is passable, but .433 will sit one a little above the other, with a lot of empty space or filler and some risk of a pressure spike at the forcing cone.

On another thread someone drew our attention to the new Winchester shells, in which the pellets are embedded in a brittle resin, which crumbles at the first onset of pressure. I suggested that for the homeloader the simplest kind of toffee, made by dissolving sugar and then boiling away the water until you have almost nothing but molten sugar left, might do the same job. But you would want a simple mould to cast your cylinder of bushshot and sugar in. You don't want that sort of heat around a charged and primed cartridge.

[10 gauge]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I like your slug idea and did you pour them? I had some Hornady .395" lead ball 93 grains each loaded in a 10 gauge 3 1/2" and load them side by side (little tight) 5 rows - 10 - 930 grains total. It had a little more room for 2 lead balls but I wanted good velocity, around 1,270 ft./sec. from the 10 lead balls. I will be using it in both my 10 BPS and 10 Gold.

[10 gauge]

Good point with the pressures. Thank you. That is why I'm was just wondering if anyone went the route yet and what burn rate powder would be best for this application. Or does anyone have a suggestion on powder and charge for me to try out. Thanks

[10 gauge]

I don't think I want to put anything but buffer in the hull due to I'm using it in the Gold autoloader.

[6pt-sika]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I like your slug idea and did you pour them? I had some Hornady .395" lead ball 93 grains each loaded in a 10 gauge 3 1/2" and load them side by side (little tight) 5 rows - 10 - 930 grains total. It had a little more room for 2 lead balls but I wanted good velocity, around 1,270 ft./sec. from the 10 lead balls. I will be using it in both my 10 BPS and 10 Gold.
When I load the 0000 or 00000 I cut the petals from the SP-10 wad and use a Mylar wrap but as you stated I can only get two per layer . With the 730 grain slug I need to also remove the petals and use a Mylar wrap . But for the 630-640 slug I can just use those in the SP-10 shotcup . Oh yes I forgot to mention I cast the 0000 and 00000 . A little tedious with a two cavity mold but no more then I shoot these it should be fine ! And yes I cast the slugs as well . Killed deer with both slugs this past season in Parker’s hammerless guns that are well over one hundred years old . Killed deer with the 00000 Buck also but not had an opportunity when I had the 0000 with me .

[6pt-sika]

I gotta agree once you’re up to .40” let’s say it starts getting a little sticky to put the shot in layers of 2 . FWIW all my loads are in the 1000-1100 FPS range and they same to hammer deer fairly well . The surprising thing was how well this extra large Buckshot did in rather tight full choke barrels . I recently bought a circa 1891 Parker with factory 28” barrels that left the factory choked cylinder and close . Or atleast that’s what was written in the Psrker log books and sent to me in a verification letter . This gun so far has done very well with the 730 grain slug and in the right barrel with the lighter slug . The three or four patterns I’ve shot so far with the 0000 wasn’t horrendous but not the best either . But I’ve got plenty time .

[10 gauge]

Thanks for the reply 6pt-sika, I'll be getting the .443" lead ball tomorrow. I'll load them soon and update you on my results. Glad to see someone else also likes large heavy buckshot has it's place in shotguns. The 10 gauge just opens the possibility due to the greater diameter bore and 3 1/2" size. I know I will have to definitely load them not in the 2 - side by side configuration (.395" is max.), I will try to offset them in a spiral pattern and work my way up, hoping for an 8 capacity. Are there any suggestions on what would be the best buffer to use to best support the lead ball in a heavy charge? Thanks 10 gauge

[smkummer]

When I loaded 00 buck in Rem. 10 ga. hulls with the petals removed from a SP10 wad, it tore the cases from firing. I won’t do that again even if I can’t get all 18 pellets in.