Lee 7/8 Accuracy Load Found!

Best results yet with Lee 7/8 slug:
Attachment 293003

The first five shots (in the white) were while trying to adjust my iron sights at 50 yards; this is with an H&R Tracker II, and the irons are kind of fiddly and hard to get right. I was shooting from a bench, but just with elbow rest---no bag. The last 4 were in the black (that's 3 inches), with 3 touching. I realize that's lame, could be chance, etc., and I'll try to shoot some proper groups sometime soon, but I was pretty excited about how these shot once I got the sights squared away. I proceeded to shoot the rest of my box of 25 at the 100 meter gongs, and hit the 12" gong every time. That has never happened before with any Lee slugs, so once again Happy! Happy!
Here are the components used:
Attachment 293004
Lee 7/8 oz. slug, 2 X 16ga 0.135" card, Claybuster CB3118-12AR (12C1) wad, cheapo Challenger hull (range pickup) with a Cheddite primer, 16.5 grains of Alliant e3.
Stacked:
Attachment 293005
Loaded:
Attachment 293006
This load should run about 1200 fps and 6500 psi, based on twin load data, but I've used multiple substitutions here, and not chronographed this time. So, it's mild shooting and very low pressure. Since I always like to check the wads, I walked out to the 25-30 yard band where all the wads fell, and checked the wads:
Attachment 293008
This was the most remarkable thing of all---not a single petal sheared off on any of the wads! Fair amount of soot from the low-pressure burn, too. Also, nice rifling engagement; not sure how well it shows up in the photos, but engagement mainly at the middle of the slug and on the gas seal.

All in all, I was quite pleased with this, and I think this was my most accurate load ever with these slugs. I think the modest velocity and low pressure helped with accuracy, and e3 is able to do this with good consistency. Most of you probably won't have these wads on hand, but they are readily available from Claybuster, and they're good all-around wads. You could use any Euro hull and any primer here, and you could probably use another fast burning powder like Red Dot or Titewad in a similar charge, but the stars really did align with this particular combo.

While one group may not prove much your results certainly indicate that the components are working well together and your gun likes them.

That looks like a good cushion leg design on that wad too.

It is always a good idea to check wads... they always have a story to tell!

Good results and good write up!

Load some more up and go shoot a few groups. If you get the same results it looks like you've got a winner.

Longbow

Thanks for the write up … always looking for a good load for the Lee slug.

I have another box loaded up and the weather this week looks good---standby for some 5-shot groups.

Maybe I'll even break out the chrono, if I'm feeling really ambitious!

Attaboy! I fiddled with the 7/8 slugs years ago and found the old red Winchester red (1 1/4) oz wads and 2 hard cards gave me good results out of smoothbore, though mine were pretty hot and with soft lead. All in a paper plate at 100 yds was good enough at the time and still is for a deer or hog. So I loaded a 5 gal bucket full for a stash and let it go. Funny I never got better results with a rifled barrel though with that combo.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FullTang

Maybe I'll even break out the chrono, if I'm feeling really ambitious!

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I hear you, my 12 gauge full bore RB mission has the same effect on me. Just finished another casting session.

Good looking results you got there.

I recently found a stash of those Lees from the 90's, the mold is still somewhere,well stashed. I used those for practical type practise, replacing trap ammo shot with the Lee slugs.

Looking forward to the next range report. Slugs are fascinating. So simple and so powerful but not easy to get good results. You seem to have found something that works.

I have no practical use for them as I live where I can use a rifle for hunting deer. I have factory loads I bought when I was not thinking.... too much reading of shooting through doors at zombies and bad guys.

Nice write up.

I thought they had to be powder coated green for zombies!

Were those slugs soft lead or hard lead?

Longbow

FullTang,
Awesome job! Seven-eighths of an ounce of lead @ 1200 fps is lights out on any deer, bear, elk or moose! Feel confident when you're out in the forest pursuing game, that load will do the job quite well.

Follow-up Range Report
Nice day for shooting today in New England, so I went back out to shoot some groups.
I figured I should try to take myself out of the equation as much as possible, so I got out the Ultra Slug Hunter:
Attachment 293080
Same bore as the previously noted Tracker II, but heavier rig with a scope. Had a box of 25 loaded up with the new accuracy load, plus a few extra rounds which were "factory seconds". In truth, most of today's slugs were less-than-perfect compared to the previous batch, but I try not to be too picky most of the time. First, I zeroed the scope at 25 yards, walking it in to the 10 ring:
Attachment 293081
So far, so good! Shot these over the chrono and found velocity was a bit less than published data would suggest; 1075 avg, so this is subsonic.
Then backed it out to 50 yards and shot a 5 shot group:
Attachment 293082
One shot was distinctly off sounding, but it wasn't the outlier in the group. That was a genuine flyer, as the hold and release were good. Maybe one of the less-than-perfect castings. Still, happy with that! 4 out of 5 in the 3 inch black.
Next 5 shot group:
Attachment 293083
Not awful, but not great. Again, I think I held these pretty well, shooting a heavy gun from a bag; they were just a little off, but only a little. Cleaned the bore with a bore snake and shot another 5 shot group:
Attachment 293084
2 more distinct flyers, definitely didn't go where I shot them, though this is still a lot better than most previous attempts.
At this point, I had 10 rounds left, so I started another group. It went pretty well, so I just kept shooting for a 10 shot group:
Attachment 293085
That was satisfying! It almost seemed like 2 separate groups, with the lower group shooting from a hot barrel, but that felt good.
As a reality check, and because I wasn't done shooting, I ran some 525 gr Lyman slugs (coated, from Gardner's Cache) and some .735 RBs by way of comparison:
Attachment 293086
Attachment 293087
One of the things that struck me was that the 525 gr slug showed the same flyer phenomenon as the Lee slugs, despite good general accuracy. Perhaps this is simply an artifact of wad separation. The RBs were quite accurate, but showed a little bit of vertical stringing; these were loaded with an all-fiber stack, and perhaps the gas seal wasn't so great.

In any event, I need to cast some more slugs, because I'm all out! Just received a new Svarog "Match" mold, which is a clone of the Lyman 525, but with multiple core pins for different weights---next casting session should be interesting...

My results were similarly disappointing with my USH. Eventually measured the bore and it was .731 on the lands. Try them out of smoothbore, cylinder and improved cylinder just for kicks. Might also load a few a little faster and see how that shakes out.

I get best accuracy with 0.735" RB's with a hard card wad column... plastic gas seal over powder then 1/2" hard card wad then a 1/8" nitro card wad or two under the ball, roll crimped.

I tried trap wads with petals cut off and fiber wad over a plastic gas seal but the hard card wad column did best for me.

That is for smoothbore.

Longbow

I'm actually quite happy with this, as these were not my best castings (the first range report used all 1st quality slugs) but these are, by far, the best groups I've gotten with Lee slugs at 50 yards. Especially that 10 shot group, which was just over 3 inches. Smooth bore groups in the past (strictly measured, 5 shot) have never been under 8 inches at 50 yards. Here I got a few flyers, but previous experience has been nothing but flyers!

The chrono did show that this low charge of e3 yielded somewhat erratic velocities, so bumping this up to 17 grains or more would probably help. My favorite tactical slug loads are in the "International" range, at about 1350 fps. However, it seems that one component of the good accuracy in this load is the low pressure and lower velocity. All the CB3118-12AR (12C1) wads from this session were intact, just like last time, and I take that as a good sign. That could change if these slugs get pushed much faster. This load also reminded me of match grade .22s, which are normally around 1050 fps, to avoid the trans-sonic zone. So, that might contribute to accuracy as well.

As always, the experiment continues. Next up, the Russian slugs.

Are your Lee slugs soft or hard lead?

These are range scrap bullet alloy bought on eBay, pretty hard and water quenched. I add a little tin solder to help with fill-out. Not formally tested, but you can't scratch these with a fingernail. They measured .685 at the widest part. If you look carefully at the pics, you can see that I widened the pour hole at the top because the mold developed a burr a few years back, so now the slugs have a slight "nipple effect". Pretty minor modification which only adds a couple of grains to the weight, but all in the nose, so that's good.

Good to know! Thanks for that.

I have been using range scrap or wheelweights but not quenched.

I have not tried soft lead for Lee slugs.

Longbow

Fun shooting. I have the roundball mold also. I'll look forward to comparing that to the slugs.