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View Full Version : Anyone try the NEI slug mold?



ihunts2much
11-15-2008, 02:46 PM
I see a mold on nei's web page for a .734-570 12 ga rifled mold. I like the looks of it. Big flat meplat and full bore diameter.Has anyone had any experience with this slug?

Heavy lead
11-27-2008, 09:04 AM
No, sounds very interesting, I'm going there to take a look.

Dixie Slugs
11-27-2008, 05:50 PM
Dixie did some work with that bullet/slug. They run a little on the large side even when using pure lead....and even then did not swage inline. We wanted a hard cast slug/bullet, but it cast much too large with bullet alloy for existing barrels that can run as tight as .724".
Regards, James

ihunts2much
11-27-2008, 08:06 PM
Thanks for your reply James. I wonder why they went so large in diameter with that design?

Dixie Slugs
11-28-2008, 09:03 AM
Most, if not all, of NEI mold cherries were cut when Walt was alive. I have some of his original Paradox molds in 12 and 20 bore.....all run on the large size for todays rifling (groove at .727"/'728"), but would fit fine in the older rifling (some ran as high as .735+"). Ross S did some great work on the old rifled barrels. He also noted the differentce in guns designed for brass hulls vs paper hulls. Remamber that Walt cut those cherries long before todays rifled shotgun barrels came aboard in this country. His 20 bore Paradox bullet fits perfect in the brass 20 bore hulls!....but is too large for the present 20 bore rifled bores. Maybe a simple push through sizer would work on a RCBS press? Or a custoem barrel indeed.
That oversize problem is the very reason Dixie had production molds cut for moderm rifled barrel specs.
So far, modern rifled barrels now run to close specs...but smoothbore barrels are all over the diameter board indeed!
As far as I know, no one is cutting standerd full bore molds for todays rifled barrels...all are custom molds and very few in 12 bore dur to he needed size of the blocks. Most factory molds are a compromise at best. Some work good, while others are so-so. One can take a standard Lee Key Mold and a real machine man can lathe bore it out to .727"/.730"....best at .730"...and make up some great loads for todays rifled barrels. It will not stand up as a production mold many would use, but the reloader will like it. Even the hollow base pin can be machined for a solid.
The iron Lyman Foster mold has some potential if opened up and the hollow base pin altered to give thicker skirts (no wads blown into the hollow).
Just some thoughts!
Regards, James

Dixie Slugs
11-28-2008, 09:05 AM
And.....Dan Lynch at Mountain Molds can make a great 20 bore mold! He has made all our 20 bore full size bullet molds. He will not cut a 12 bore mold though.
Regards, James

ihunts2much
11-29-2008, 12:10 AM
Well you have me thinking now James. Maybe I will try the Lee 1 ounce mold as is. If I am unable to get the accuracy I want out of it I will get it modified to make a bore diameter slug, Maybe put a couple of fat driving bands and leave a groove around the middle. I am getting 4" groups at 100 yards with a couple of factory loads, so I won't settle for less from my reloads.

Dixie Slugs
11-29-2008, 08:02 AM
We have two 20 ga 3" NEF's in house for teating our 20 ga loads when we run them. There is no doubt that the NEF Ultras shot as well as some of the high price bolt guns. There ia also a little 20 ga NEF Tracker that we shot a reduced velocity loads in that gives rifle like accuracy out to 100 yards. All have had a trigger job done on them.
All in All, I think the 20 ga 3" loads, even full power loads, are a great deal easier to shoot and after all a load that throws a 500 grs hard cast bullet at 1400'/" is enough indeed.
I find it quite interesting to see what hunters in various parts of the country want in a rifled shotgun barrel. There are two well defined groups. One that is trying to get more distance (most in Shotgun-Only-States) amd another group that comes from cast bullet shooters that like full bore bullets for closer in woodland shooting. The ones in Shotgun-Only-States seem to keep playing with sabot loads, while the brush hunter is trying different designed full bore cast....I tend to be in the latter group.
There is nothing magic about settting up a full bore gun indeed! Just follow what has been learned for other cast bullets! Do the same drill.....slug your bore, maybe a little bore lapping helps, set the finished diameter of you slug at groove diameter or no more than .003" larger, and use the same alloy that has worked for you in the past. Unlike shot loads that like a softer cushion....full bore loads like a firm semi-hard wad column. We learned that early.
Regards, James

ihunts2much
11-29-2008, 11:36 AM
Thanks for the info again James. I hunt in shotgun only areas and went the route of trying long range sabot shooting. I found that shotguns are much fussier about how they are rested than rifles. The accuracy I got at the bench was hard to reproduce in the woods. The fastest and flattest ammo available has still only pushed back the critical range of trajectory vs range estimation 50 yards max. I guess I am in between the two groups you describe, I want to milk some performance from my shotgun, yet recognize its limitations. I want 100 yard accuracy, I take a lot of deer in the 75 to 90 yard range. I no longer attempt anything significantly over 100. I don't care what "the box says".

I have pondered the potential of the 20 gauge, but have not been impressed with the factory ammo lineup. The remington buckhammer looks promising in the 20. I don't see a 20 guage offering on your web site. Is one close to release?

Dixie Slugs
11-29-2008, 11:50 AM
We may run some 20 ga 3" loads next year. We really have two sabot loads under consisderation with hard cast bullets....a 450 gr and a 300 gr
Regards, James