Seeking advice

[ihunts2much]

I have been lurking this forum for a few weeks and really found a lot of good info here. I have cast balls and bullets for muzzleloader and would like to get into casting shotgun slugs. I hunt and shoot a lot and fondly remember the days of 5/$1.00 deer slugs.
I am currently shooting a Remington 870 with a cantilevered Hastings barrel. I am getting less than 4" groups at 100 yards with Lightfield Hybrids and remington ultra bonded and also with Brenneke emerald slugs. I would like to cast my own slugs, but want to mantain this level of accuracy. I would like to purchase a mold that will produce a load that will give me at least this level of accuracy if I do my part.
What would you guys advise?

[missionary5155]

Greetings and WELCOME Ihunts2much I am not a SLUG caster but I do expel Round Ball violently from 12 bore. Round ball is easier to cast and I think just as accurate as slugs out of the smothbore barrel I have used. Round Ball will out penetrate any slug I have fired. I have a Mossy rifled barell that I will experiment some more with when I return to Illinois in June. The few times I did shoot it with RB I figured it was well worth working up more loads with it.
So that would be my suggestion. There are slug casters here and they are pleased with results. But if you ever decide to start Smashing heavy duty critters you will need more than basic slugs to do so.

[ovendoctor]

been loading slugs for a few years

I cast the 525 gr lyman with great success 4'' at 100yds with a smooth bore[smilie=w:

haven't expanded any farther very happy with the lyman

this will sound a little crazy but slug the bore of the gun to get the right pedal thickness

12r,12f114 have different thickness

ya want it to be tight but not have to beat it down the barrel

just push it threw

[longbow]

I'm no expert with rifled guns but have messed about with smoothbores for many years (decades actually on and off). I lead towards full bore slugs and round balls.

I think it is likely easier to get good consistent accuracy with a bore size slug than a sabot slug. I read that many people seem to have issues with flyers due to inconsistent sabot release. Not sure how much of a problem it is since I don't shoot them. You seem to be having good success with factory sabot slugs.

I have shot 0.735" round ball from a rifled Remington 870 with open sights. The limited testing I did got me 2" groups at 50 yards and some significant bruising of my shoulder. The ball weighs about 580 grs. so is heavier than typical 12 ga. factory slugs. If accuracy holds up at 100 yards this would be my choice. Round balls are quick and easy to cast and easy to load.

ovendoctor is obviously doing well with the Lyman 525 gr. which is suitable for smoothbore or rifled barrel using a shotcup as a sabot. There is also the Lee Drive Key slug which again uses a shotcup as a sabot. If you do a search you should see what loads and results people are getting with these.

Something new from BPI here:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=37607

And good work that James Gates and the boys at Dixie slugs are doing here:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=38998

There may be a couple of other moulds available for rifled barrels as well but most I see are for smoothbore.

missionary5155 loads 0.685" round balls in shotcups for smoothbore with good success and if it is a snug enough fit should work for rifled gun as well.

Partly it depends on what you are looking for. The BPI sabot with a .50 cal. bullet is most likely going to give better ballistics than the Lyman 525 gr. if long range is a goal. Also, being a solid bullet it won't fold up on impact like a typical Foster style hollow base. A round ball won't fold up either but isn't very efficient ballistically ~ I like them anyway.

Longbow

[ihunts2much]

Thanks for the replies and please keep them coming.
My goal is a slug for deer size game that will ;
1) give at least the same accuracy I get now from several factory loads, some sabots, some not. 4" at 100 is my benchmark, after 100 I don't care what it does.
2) Have reproducible results. For this reason I am leary of the lee or lyman sabots. Shotgun wads just don't seem like a precise component. petals may be thicker on one side or vary from lot to lot, or harden with age. Tell me if I am wrong here? and
3) Be economical to produce.