Buckshot/Slug load data

Hey folks,

I was just looking at BPI’s selection of manuals and see a Cheddite manual, a Buckshot manual, a Slug manual…

Is there a good “one stop shop” for load data for slugs AND buckshot? I have several hundred primed Cheddite hulls, as well as a couple hundred Blue Magic hulls. I also have several hundred Claybuster AA12 equiv wads and a bunch of Cheddite 209’s. At this time, I’m ONLY loading buckshot and slugs (Lee 1oz and BPI “Thug Slug”) and a one stop shop manual/source would be very convenient.

What would be the recommendation for a guy in my shoes, with the above listed pile of supplies?


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I vote bubba rountree on YouTube. I don’t know of a one stop shop, but there is some overlap of payload weight it seems. I have the bpi buckshot manual and like it for the components I have on hand. They also have a database you can sift through. I feel it’s worth the extra funds to get a few manuals.

Mark

I'll agree with the above comment about spending some money to get a few manuals. The Lyman shotgun reloading manuals aren't bad and Reloading for Shotgunners is pretty good but it seems most manuals have limited listings for buckshot and slugs. There are so many components for shotgun reloading that it is a monumental task to assemble every variation of components with several different powder charges.

I try to keep things simple and use straight walled hulls and up until recently used Winchester 209 primers but they are not to be had locally anymore, all that is available are Federal 209A primers which are significantly hotter. This complicates loading more thna a bit!

I try to find as many sources as I can then cross reference... so in short there is no one stop shopping I know of.

For your Lee slugs I'd be inclined to use the Lee data which is free on their site:

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

Also BPI data for Lee slugs:

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/load14_04_25.htm

BPI also has the load of the week archives which have a wide variety of loads listed but it seems harder to navigate now. The entire archive used to open up but now it seems to be in bits and pieces:

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/lo...eekarchive.htm

This only goes back to 2014 but there are lots more recipes. If you Google "Ballistic Products Load of the Week 2004" you get this:

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/lo...eekarchive.htm

So to find all the archived loads you have to do that for each year or at least try several years to see what you find.

You will find Lee slug load data, Thug Slug load data along with several other slugs and buckshot... but you will have to search each year. It is all free but work to get to.

I'd be looking for posts by turbo1889 and Blood Trail, both have posted a lot of slug and buckshot recipes on Cast Boolits over the years. A search should find their posts.

Just in case you are not aware, it can be very dangerous to randomly substitute components in shotshell reloading. For instance 209 primers are not the same. A simple change of brand can change pressure by up to 3000 PSI. Not a big deal if you are using a low pressure load of say 7000 PSI but certainly could be if you ar eusing a load listed at 11,000 PSI and you increase that by 3000 PSI!

All the components play a part in each recipe so seemingly small substitutions can have large effects on pressure.

A safe approach is to use equal weight slug or buckshot to replace birdshot. There are a zillion and a half recipes for birdshot with about every component you can think of. They will not be as high velocity as dedicated slug or buckshot load sbut they will be safe and functional.

I have saved every pressure tested slug load I have run across so I can compare/cross reference and to increase my recipe database. If it isn't pressure tested I don't trust it.

My 2 cents worth.

Longbow

Thank you Longbow !
That was quit near a whole Silver Dollar worth of info !

In my experience (not much) the BPI manuals are worth the money. I only bought the buckshot manual, but the only slugs I’m loading are cast Lyman’s and I found a pretty nice load using red dot.


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Longbow, Thanks for sharing the information much appreciated. In your opinion, do you find the Lee key drive slugs more or less accurate than the sabot style? I have an older savage model 210 that seems to like most anything I feed it and so far, I have only played around with the sabot style slugs both empty and filled with wax.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by longbow

…a wealth of information…

Longbow

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Thank you so much for that wealth of information. A couple take always for me are: 1) buy the various manuals, and 2) it’s probably best to just stick with one set of components and find what works for me in there.

From reading, I’m becoming more and more aware of the importance of not subb’n components. I was unaware of the drastic difference in primers- so thank you again for that information.


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Ditto all of the above comments. You need to just "Bite the Boolit" and buy the Manuals from BPI and Lyman. There is a lot more to loading these rounds than just the data.

For example,,, the first 112 pages of the Lyman Manual is all about the many techniques for loading shot shells. Things like Roll Crimping, Fold Crimping, different types of Loaders and how to run them etc. Things like the different types of Shells and other Components. Lots of info you'll need to read multiple times to fully understand.

The last 300 pages contains load data for just about every type of shot shell known to man. well worth the cost.

The BPI manuals show more advanced techniques, and loads specifically for certain types of commonly made slugs. Again Well worth the cost!

In fact if you only learn one thing from any of these manuals it is worth the cost!

Knowledge is power,,, and Smart People get their knowledge from books,,, and not from a bunch of internet jockeys.

Please disregard the term "Internet Jockeys" with respect to the people from this site that are telling you to buy the books! We all bought the books! You should too! ( we have no affiliation with BPI!)

Randy

I don’t mind buying the books, just was a little lost of which books would be deemed necessary for the loads that I’m planning to make. Sounds like I should order the Lyman manual and BPI manual(s) and be done with the matter. [emoji1417]


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I have 3 editions of the Lyman Shotshell Reloading manuals and all have different info especially for slugs. One of them has listing for 0.662" round balls and 0.690" round balls.

I have the Federal manual (Free from Federal), the Winchester manual (Free from Winchester), the old Hercules manual, IMR manual (free from IMR), Alliant manual (free from Alliant), Lee loading info (free from Lee), Reloading for Shoitgunners (very good in my opinion but limited slug data), BPI Buckshot manual, BPI Slug manual, BPI Shotshell manual, several of BPI's downloadable data sheets ($0.99 ea.), pressure tested load data from magazines, Precision Rifle pressure tested slug data for the Pile Driver slug, downloaded info from powder manufacturer websites, turbo1889 load data, Blood Trail's load data (pressure tested) and I am sure some other info. A guy just can't have too much info! There are so many components and variables in shotshell reloading it is hard to keep track and generally when I am looking for data I'll have everything except that hull, or everything except that primer or... so having a large database makes it easier to find a load recipe for what I have or can get. I have spent some money on manuals but much of what I use is from free sources too and again, BPI's Load of the Week Archives is pretty useful.

BPI info tends to use what BPI sells and that applies to the Load f the Week as well as BPI manuals but still worth the money as they are a good source of info.

And to repeat, there are a zillion and a half load recipes for birdshot so if you aren't specifically looking for high performance slug loads you can substitute an equal weight slug for birdshot and the load will be safe, just a bit lower velocity than typical slug/buckshot loads. There aren't many component and powder combinations that aren't listed in manuals so that makes it easier to standardize on components and powder. Pretty easy when you are using a wad slug like the Lee or Lyman, just find an equal weight of shot then substitute the slug for shot. You way have to use a different wad to get proper fit and crimp height but that's okay as long as you sub a cushion leg wad for a cushion leg wad. As Randy has said, he uses the same Green Dot Trap load for birdshot and slugs and it works just fine.

So, in short, the Lyman Shotshell Reloading manual and Reloading For Shotgunners would be my recommendations for manuals. Therre may well be other good manuals out there but those I know are good. Also, as noted, older editions have a variety of different load data as well so check used bookshops, auction websites, estate sales, etc. and you may be able to pick one up for a good price

Deadcenter: I am not much help with the Lee and Lyman sabot slugs. So far I have gotten mediocre accuracy with Lee slugs and I do not have the Lyman sabot slug mould ( I am assuming that is the comparison you are looking for). Also, I only have smoothbores (so far though that may change).

I have modified my Lee slug moulds so I can add a tailwad and that is showing some pretty good results depending on gun. I have an old Cooey single shot that has been my "standard test gun" and it shoots almost every thing very well but my Mossberg Slugster is not so accomodating so far! I have gotten some extremely good accuracy from the Cooey out to 50 yards but the Mossberg, well, not so much so far and I don't know why as slugs are loaded to suit the bore push through... the Cooey runs about 0.733" and the Mossberg runs about 0.729". Different guns, different preferences!

A very useful bit of info for Lee slugs was written up by Ranch Dog:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-Tail-Feathers

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-Tail-Feathers

There's a guy who put a lot of thought and work into developing a good load and I believe what Ranch Dog says! However, I am still messing with 2 3/4" hulls in 3" chambers but will eventually get an order in to BPI and 3" hulls will be part of that order.

Longbow

The best buckshot data I've found in a manual is in BPIs buckshot manual. I didn't start making good patterning loads though until I found Wade Rush on Bubba Roundtree outdoors and later Roger Adkins. While it's not "data" I guess, following their advice will have you putting together loads that pattern tight at long range.

Well since starting this thread, I have purchased the Lyman shotgun reloading book and, from BPI, both the Cheddite and Buckshot manual.

After doing a short initial look through each of them, I believe I have the absolute worst choice of wad to go into my primed Cheddite hulls, to be stuffed with buckshot. When I bought all of my stuff, I got a bag of Claybuster AA12 clones. From what I’ve read so far, what I SHOULD be using is a HCD18 or 21, or a 12S3, or just a gas seal. This is all based off of using Longshot powder- which is my only shotgun powder right now.

Would y’all agree with my wad ignorance, so far?

Now, I DO also have a bunch of Blue Magic hulls and that AA12 clone wad would do just fine in those with a Lee 1oz slug. I’ll be investigating that soon.

All said and done, I think I went down this road backwards. I should’ve bought manuals first, and then sourced components based on the information from those manuals.


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