Slug recipe for 7/8 lee slugs and clays

[GVDP]

I have 7/8oz lee slugs, clays powder, gun club hulls, 209 primers and WAA12L wads. How many grains for these components? And can anyone school me on why 7/8 shot loads differ from 7/8 slug loads?

[RickinTN]

Sorry, I mis-read and responded to a question you didn't ask.
Rick

[TjB101]

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/shotgun

Looks like 19 to 22.x grains.

Make sure you test fit the slug, wad combo in your gun, especially if it’s rifled barrel.

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Greetings, if your gun has rifled barrel then you do not need to test the fit of the slug in wad, only if you have a smooth bore as some older guns have paper thin barrels and this test is to protect you the shooter.
https://i.imgur.com/CtlOdHK.jpg
Raise the slug like in the picture by adding nitro card below slug in wad.
https://i.imgur.com/6CnnxhF.jpg
Use fold crimp so as not to mangle the wad petals.

Hoping it helps.
Best regards,
Ajay K. Madan
Super Blazing Sabots

[longbow]

A couple of things for you to consider:

- "209 primers" ~ 209 primers are not created equal, some are much "hotter" than others... maybe not so much hotter but add more to the pressure. Tom Armbrust published a test report on primers and it shows that a change of primer with all else the same can affect pressure up to 3000 PSI. You need to know the brand of primer for a given recipe.

- you can safely substitute a 7/8 oz. slug for 7/8 oz. shot safely, it just won't be a high performance slug load. Birdshot loads tend to be from 1100 to 1300 FPS where slug loads are more like 1500 FPS and of course that come with higher pressure and a need to be quite precise in your loading.

- shotshell reloading is much differnt than metallic cartridge reloading and it is quite important to use the same components as in the recipe. Small changes (like a primer change) can have large effects.

The simplest approach to slug loading is to use birdshot load data for equal weight shot. There are thousands of birdshot load recipes available but not so for slug specific load data.

An example is the Lee slug load data:

https://leeprecision.com/files/instruct/SM%203529.pdf

Not the components you have on hand but look at those velocities for slug specific loads.

If you are happy with lower velocities then use the birdshot load data and I am sure you will find lots for the components and powder you have. I don't get excited about a wad substitution so wouldn't worry about that. You might want to check slug height in wad so you get a good crimp. You may have to space the slug up on a nitro card wad or use a different wad.

I hope that helps some.

Longbow

[centershot]

What longbow said above about primers will keep you safe, IIRC, the Federal 209A is the "hottest" non-magnum primer. If your load info calls for a Fed. 209A you should be able to substitute any other non-magnum 209.

260973


About velocity; You can kill just about any critter in North America with a 12 gauge slug @ 1300 fps, work to build an accurate load and learn to shoot it well!