slug design concept: 1) lubed 2) paper patched.

[longbow]

James:

Thanks again for the info. I am hoping to get out this week and shoot my few Tuskers but it won't be over 46 grs. of Blue Dot! Ouch! I got beat up enough shooting 0.735" RB's over 36 grs. of Blue Dot. I was using a Reminton 870 off the bench mind you and I shot 30 + rounds. Next time I take some padding!

I'll likely set up targets a 50 yards since I am using iron sights but I have rolls of 36" wide paper so will try to set up a target frame at 75 and maybe 100 to see if I can catch the slugs on those too. It may give an indication of stability in smoothbore past 50 yards. I doubt that big slug will get too disturbed passing through a couple of sheets of paper.

johnch:

I've been messing about with home made Brenneke style slugs with little success so far. Similar idea to yours. However, I think the wad column is the issue. Likely dense felt attached using a jig would help. I have tried a variety of different wad materials so far with mediocre results. I would be interested to see how yours turn out.

So far the best "attached wad" home made slug I have produced is an AQ clone using 0.690" RB drilled and a screw inserted then with hot melt glue cast around the screw for the extended wad column. The few I tried did pretty well so I'll try some more.

All in all though it is a lot less trouble to cast a lead ball or slug and be done with it. If the Tuskers work well for me that is the style I like.

I know, why don't I just get a rifled barrel? Well, maybe that is next.

Thanks again,
Longbow

[Dixie Slugs]

I have always admired shooters trying different designs..... I have done the same. Bottom line is we all come back to a basic design for smoothbotre.....weight forward. And...having accepted that fact of life, we end up with what we think is the best nose design.
Over the years, I tried various exotic nose design...and finally settled on a simple truncated cone nose with a lot of meplat area. Cut a 1/3 relief groove to reduce sidewall friction...as the Brits did. Then try to establish what was a slip fit in present barrels....ergo the Tusker! We all come back to the simple shuttle-cork design!
The same-old-samo Foster design served it purpose for years! The only thing we can revise is design it for game other than smaller thin skin animals. Nothing magic indeed! What we learned over the years with big handgun bullet designs,,,,,big meplat for tissue damage amd heat treated to bust uo big green bones still applies to shootgun bore bullet design. The real bug-a-boo is recoil! You just can not hurl those big hunks of lead without recoil...and recoil equates to the shooter ability to be accurate!
Tusker is a powerful load indeed! Anytime you push 1 3/8 ounce of lead at 1500'/".....something had to give! Many shooters want the Muzzle Energy of an Ultra Bore, but with he recoil of a 222....it just does not work that way! Tusker produced 3000 ft lbs of muzzzle energy (compare that with centerfires) You can run its specs up on any computer program....the BC is about .144
But.....it converts the lowly shotgun into a firearm that can, and does, smash any walking game down...big ttime!
Regards, James

[longbow]

James:

I just loaded up a few slugs and hopefully will be out shooting tomorrow.

Just for interest I checked the balance point on the Tusker vs. the Lyman Foster. While the designs are quite different the balance point is about the same place. The thick skirt of the Tusker made me wonder how well it would fly out of a smoothbore but I guess there is the answer ~ it has about the same weight distribution as a standard Foster so should fly at least as well.

Having said that I have to add that the design of the Tusker is much superior to the standard Foster. It is a much tougher and nastier slug with that solid nose and thick skirt.

As for recoil, you are absolutely right, if you push a big hunk of lead hard it is going to hurt on both ends. I'm not particulary recoil sensitive but I also wasn't as prepared as I should have been last time for shooting all those slugs from the bench. I will be this time!

I have 5 different slugs to test and compare. I think it will be interesting.

Once again, thanks for your input and insight.

Longbow

[crowbeaner]

Shooting that Tusker at 1500 fps. out of my recoil operated A5 slug gun is NOT something I'd look forward to; I had enough fun with a rechambered Ruger #1 in .338 made into a .340 WBY. 3000 ft. lbs. of energy in ANYTHING is going to kick harder than a Show-me mule. Question is, how do I get some of the Tuskers to work with? I'd like to try some at 1300 to 1350 fps. I think SR 4756 would work, but I'm just guessing.

[longbow]

I got out slug shooting today with Tuskers and others so will start a new thread so as not to hijack this one any worse.

Longbow