More 20ga slug shooting results

[Blammer]

20ga Slug shooting results 4/22/09


Well back at some slug shooting.

Here is the basic run down of loads and then targets to follow.

NEF 3” chamber 20ga fully rifled slug barrel.

It was not very good for load testing but I did anyways. Wind was 25 mph so horizontal stringing is common, but at least it will tell me if pursuing that particular combo is worth it or not.

A 25 yd favorite now shot at 50 yds

#200
Fed Universal Hull W209
22gr of SR 4756
20S1 Wad
3; 1/8 28ga nitro cards in wad
.600 RB sized to .570
Star crimp

This load still shows promise!
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/50yd200.jpg

Real 1 (R1)
Fed Universal hull W209
22gr of SR 4756
Obturator gas seal
4; 1/8 nitro cards-dry
Trap Commander shot cup only
440gr Smooth Real Slug

25 yds good, 50 yds didn’t even hit the target.

No pic

Real 2 (R2)
Fed Universal hull W209
22gr of SR 4756
cut off gas seal of 20S1 wad
4; 1/8 nitro cards-dry
Trap Commander shot cup only
440gr Smooth Real Slug

little better than R1 in that 2 of 3 hit the target at 50 yds.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/50ydR2.jpg

Real 3 (R3)
Fed Universal hull W209
22gr of SR 4756
Cut gas seal off of trap commander wad
3; 1/8 nitro cards-lubed
Trap Commander shot cup
28ga felt wad in cup under slug
440gr Smooth Real Slug

better in that all 4 hit target, need to check powder charge, maybe too much
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/50ydR3.jpg

FB1
AA Hull W209
22gr SR4756
20S1 with petals cut off
1; 1/8 nitro card-dry
1 full bore slug 1oz with M3 red lube WC WW’s
Star crimp
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/50ydFB1.jpg

FB2
Fiocchi Hull 2nd firing W209
23gr SR4756
20S1 with petals trimmed off
3; 1/8 nitro cards-dry
1 full bore slug 1oz with M3 red lube WC WW’s
star crimp
(cases stuck in chamber, too much pressure)

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/50ydFB2.jpg


Real 5 (R5)
Rem Hi vel hull W209
24gr SR 4756
gas seal of trap commander
2; 1/8 nitro cards-dry
20S1 Shot cup only-motor mica covered
In shot cup: 1/8 28ga nitro card
Then 1/8 28ga Felt wad-dry
440gr Real slug .570 dia
star crimp

too much pressure, hull stuck in chamber

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/R5.jpg


HV1
Rem Hi Vel hull W209
22gr SR4756
gas seal, base of trap commander
2; 1/8 nitro cards-dry
20S1 shot cup only
Lyman sabot sized to .570
Star crimp
A SWEET load!

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/50ydHV1.jpg

K1
Win Universal Hull W209
22gr SR4756
OB gas seal
2;1/8 nitro cards soaked in M3 lube
1; ½ felt wad soaked in M3 lube
1; 447gr HP slug from Kent not knurled

hull stuck in chamber
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/DSCN7513.jpg
K2
Win Universal Hull W209
20gr SR4756
OB gas seal
2;1/8 nitro cards soaked in M3 lube
1; ½ felt wad soaked in M3 lube
1; 447gr HP slug from Kent not knurled

Hull stuck in chamber

K3
Win Universal Hull W209
18gr SR4756
OB gas seal
2;1/8 nitro cards soaked in M3 lube
1; ½ felt wad soaked in M3 lube
1; 447gr HP slug from Kent not knurled

extracted fine

will try later for groups

this target shot at 25 yds
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/25ydK2.jpg

so there you have it; the latest info.

I’ll gladly answer any questions or take any suggestions.

[longbow]

Looks like those full bore slugs I sent are taking a bit of pressure to swage into the rifling!

I will be interested to see how the next group does and also how the knurled slugs do. You might want to drop the powder charge a little more for the first round with the knurled slugs to see how they do pressure wise then work back up.

Looks like you have a couple of promising loads in the making.

What weight is the Lyman sabot slug?

[EMC45]

They cut a nice clean hole.

[Blammer]

and the pics of the boolits I'm trying out.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Slug%20data/20gaSluglineup.jpg

[turbo1889]

Blammer, the slug that is the first one of the FB (full bore) slugs and is third from the right side are the ones I sent you from my custom mold.

I should let you know that I have long since moved on from the IMR-4756, Blue Dot, Steel, and Longshot burn rate powders and am now using larger charges of much slower burning powders. The stuff usually used for 410-bore - 2400, IMR-4227, Lil-Gun, etc works great for lower power loads and Reloader-17 makes the most powerful and best loads of all IME. I'm also using Fed-209-A primers exclusively and have abandoned all other primers for 20ga. slug and Tri-ball loads. I'm also working on a Mark-II version of my 20ga. Tri-Ball loads that accommodates my change in thinking as far as preferred burn rate for accurate and powerful big game loads in 20ga. guns. So far results have been much better then my original 20ga. Tri-Ball loads that used Blue Dot or Steel. Also, I've never used regular lube on my FB slug, at least not yet. I've always tumble lubed them. With my improved loads I've been able to maintain about 2-MOA accuracy from my gun when I do my part. I took two deer with them this year, both with R-17 loads, one was a standing off hand shot at 160-ish yards measured via counting paces and one was practically shooting from a bench at 228 yards measured with a laser range finder. The details of those two kills are in posts #326 and #341 on pages 17 & 18 respectively in Ed Hubel's 12GA FH thread on this forum.

The loads accuracy seems to be directly related to the general powder burn rates and resulting muzzle velocity. Every time I went to a significantly slower burning group of powders and brought the muzzle velocity up the accuracy has improved. Of course there were individual variances between different powders with similar burn rates but over-all the trend has held.

That has been my experience with FB slugs in the 20ga. so far. Of course every gun is different in what it likes and you might not get the same results but its food for though.

[Blammer]

as you noted and I did too that when the velocity goes up on the full bore the accruacy does too. I noted that, unfortunately, when i got an over pressure load that stuck the hull but accuracy was great!

I'd like to know what charges and combo you're using with 2400 and lilgun as I have a lot of that.

I also still have a bunch of your custom slugs, but may run out of them soon. :)

[turbo1889]

For 2400 or Lil-gun your start charge is 35gr. and if you max out at about 45gr. Go hotter then that and start getting into the either very brave or very stupid category. Lil-gun is slightly more temperamental and gets a little snappy when approaching max compared to 2400 - but they both work fine. Just be a little more careful with the Lil-gun.

As usual my loads are straight walled hulls (Federal and Euro. Brands). Fed 20S1 with petals cut off over the powder and then 20ga. nitro cards between it and the slug which the exact arrangement of varies to get the correct crimp height. You can use either fold or roll crimps. Fold crimps will let you go a grain or two hotter before things get sticky, same is true for using Federal or Fiocchi fiber/paper base wad hulls.

I've never used anything but the Fed-209-A primers with these powders. Don't know if it would work if I used a milder primer or not.

[Blammer]

thanks,

What wt slug are you using again? how many grains?

Do you test in one grain increments for powder charge changes?

I'm thinking 1/2 grain may be a bit small.

[StarMetal]

thanks, do you test in one grain increments for powder charge changes?

I'm thinking 1/2 grain may be a bit small.

1/2 grains isn't small. Better safe then sorry. Just don't make so many loads in testing.

Joe

[turbo1889]

Yes, 1 grain increments for those powders.

IME for 20ga. slug, buck, and ball loads:

~ Blue Dot and faster powders = 1/2 grain increments
~ 410-bore burn rate powders = 1 grain increments
~ Reloader-17 and Black Powder = 5 grain increments.

[Blammer]

450gr projectile?

[turbo1889]

The 35gr. start charge for those two powders works with 7/8-oz to 1-1/8oz. payload weights (380 to 490 grains). Obviously the lighter weight loads can be worked up farther. However, I was speaking in direct reference to my 450gr. slugs. Yes, I worked the loads up incrementally; my original start point was some published load data for a 20ga. 3" heavy field load for 1-1/4oz of lead shot calling for 33.5 grains of 2400 powder at about 9.8-K pressure.

[phaessler]

Ditto on the 1/2 grain increments. Curious about the use of 2400 in these , keep us posted.

Pete

[Blammer]

thanks turbo1889, just wanted to make sure i was thinking right on the wt and powder charge. Would hate to get it wrong. :)

[Harmon_Greer]

anything futher with this project?

[Taylor]

Yeah, anything else? How did you size that Lee REAL down to 570?