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Thread: 3d Printed Shotgun Wads

  1. #61
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Looking very good Mike! As in good looking slugs/sabots and groups reflecting that!

    Is your HB filler glued it or loose?

    Did you recover any slugs?

    Did you recover any sabots? I'd be interested in seeing the recovered sabots.

    Very impressive!

    Longbow

  2. #62
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    This is all very encouraging ! Thank you for the photos included. It sure helps the mind to put it all together.
    "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
    Male Guanaco out in dry lakebed at 10,800 feet south of Arequipa.

  3. #63
    Boolit Bub
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    Thanks Longbow!

    The day I went to test these was "free range day" so it was super packed and I didn't get a chance to try to recover the slugs. I did find pieces of the sabots and they were pretty fragmented I don't think this is very surprising, though, since they were all a short distance out in front of my shooting position and probably hit the ground at some speed. 3d prints tend to break along their layer lines since there is less of a bond in between individual layers than plastic molecules in the same layer. So they tend to be strong in compression but not so much in tension. It's also possible they broke up when going through my choke tube. In any case, whatever caused them to shatter didn't seem to hurt accuracy.


    I did glue in the HB filler with some superglue and this seemed to keep the base attached to the slugs I recovered from the previous tests with the "cap and gown" style slugs. I don't know if this is really necessary but it helps when loading the slugs into the shells. If the HB falls out into the shell it is annoying to try to re-align it through an opaque shell.

    Next up, I would like increase the velocity of the slugs and try the accuracy at longer ranges (100 yards). I'm not sure if this is possible with my cheap Walmart birdshot conversions though. Probably the safest way to do this would be to follow the recipes from the Lyman reloading data that came with the mold. Tests in a fully rifled barrel would also be interesting. If I can convince the wife to allow me it would be great to pick one up and see what kind of results I get.

    Another awesome thing about these sabot slugs is that it doesn't leave lead in your barrel like Foster slugs. So you can basically just run a bore snake and you're good to go.

  4. #64
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by missionary5155 View Post
    This is all very encouraging ! Thank you for the photos included. It sure helps the mind to put it all together.
    Yes, I think I'm on the right track. It is only 50 yards but the results are quite good for a smoothbore shotgun and Walmart birdshot conversions.

  5. #65
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    Mike: I haven't followed this thread much but I see what you are doing, and it looks like you are making some good progress.

    What is the OD of your nose and tail wads? Is your Smoothbore barrel Choked or Cylinder Bore?

    Have you fired any of these in a Rifled Barrel?

    These could easily be made on a lathe much faster than 3D printing, Have you considered that?

    I can see excellent possibilities here with a rifled barrel. I have not been able to get these slugs to work at all from a Rifled Barrel using standard wads.

    Randy.
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  6. #66
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    Mike: I haven't followed this thread much but I see what you are doing, and it looks like you are making some good progress.

    What is the OD of your nose and tail wads? Is your Smoothbore barrel Choked or Cylinder Bore?

    Have you fired any of these in a Rifled Barrel?

    These could easily be made on a lathe much faster than 3D printing, Have you considered that?

    I can see excellent possibilities here with a rifled barrel. I have not been able to get these slugs to work at all from a Rifled Barrel using standard wads.

    Randy.
    Randy,

    I’ve had excellent results with the Lyman 525 using the following data from The Lyman 5th ed.:

    STS hull
    25 grs of Herco
    Real WAA12 wad
    Fold crimp

    50 yard groups from my USH:




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  7. #67
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    BT yes it appears that these work best from a Smoothbore. My A5 with the Buck Special Smoothbore Barrel shoots these pretty well and I need to get some pics of groups up.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  8. #68
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    BT yes it appears that these work best from a Smoothbore. My A5 with the Buck Special Smoothbore Barrel shoots these pretty well and I need to get some pics of groups up.

    Randy
    That group was from a rifled barrel. Ultra Slug Hunter.


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  9. #69
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    Mike: I haven't followed this thread much but I see what you are doing, and it looks like you are making some good progress.

    What is the OD of your nose and tail wads? Is your Smoothbore barrel Choked or Cylinder Bore?

    Have you fired any of these in a Rifled Barrel?

    These could easily be made on a lathe much faster than 3D printing, Have you considered that?

    I can see excellent possibilities here with a rifled barrel. I have not been able to get these slugs to work at all from a Rifled Barrel using standard wads.

    Randy.
    Randy,

    Apologies for the slow reply. I am not sure what the OD of the sabots were but I will check it tonight when I get home and let you know. I do recall they are a bit over 0.73".

    I am shooting a Mossberg 930 with a 24" smoothbore with a Carlson's rifled choke tube. They seem to shoot best with the choke tube.

    I definitely agree. I suspect these would shoot best out of a rifled barrel. I am a bit strapped for cash at the moment but in the future I would love to test the performance out of a rifled barrel. I think they have high accuracy potential with a bit of spin stabilization.

    To me, the "Lightfield" design and "nose and tail wad" design seem to show comparable performance, however, the "nose and tail wad" system is simpler and uses less materials.

    I hadn't considered doing this with a lathe but it is a good idea if you have one. Unfortunately I don't but as a lifelong tinkerer I'm sure I'll pick one up at some point.

  10. #70
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    Went out last Thursday to get squared away till deer season. Wasn't going to post this because this was the best I ever shot my Lyman 525 and it seems like so much bee ess. But for what it's worth, 101 yd off piilow across hood of truck. Remington 870, Hastings 20" cantilevered barrel, Nikon slug hunter 3x9. Load was clear Fed multi-hull, nobel sport gtt1 wad, Fed 209a primer, 37 gr Longshot, Mp lyman clone cast from shrimp net weights (soft), cavity filled with hot glue and trimmed flush, clear frangible OS plastic card on top, 6 pt crimp. Wad petals shear off at firing. Blind hog finds acorn with this load but has killed 10-12 hogs. Shot 3" group with it last year so I guess it's the real deal.Click image for larger version. 

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    "My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list."
    Leonard Ravenhill

  11. #71
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Now that's not too shabby Hal! Not too shabby at all!

    Its funny (strange funny) that some people get that slug to shoot and some don't.

    Even though you've got a shooter there in gun and load you should get in on the Buckbuster clone group buy! A guy just can't have too many slug moulds can he? And we need a few more before it gets cut... hint, hint.

    You can teach us how to load for it! You seem to have some magic tough!

    Longbow

  12. #72
    Boolit Buddy
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    This is making interesting reading.
    As about to embark on loading the Lyman slug for my C-More straight pull I was going to use the star crimp on existing hulls.
    I see some use a roll crimp. I have an old roll crimp tool but was wondering how you get to it. Do you shorten star crimp hulls, as in cut the folded bit off somehow and just use the rolled bit?

  13. #73
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Keith View Post
    This is making interesting reading.
    As about to embark on loading the Lyman slug for my C-More straight pull I was going to use the star crimp on existing hulls.
    I see some use a roll crimp. I have an old roll crimp tool but was wondering how you get to it. Do you shorten star crimp hulls, as in cut the folded bit off somehow and just use the rolled bit?
    Aaahh, grasshopper, the wisdom you seek is found in a very special place........


    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...l-in-one-place
    "We take a thousand moments for granted thinking there will be a thousand more to come. Each day, each breath, each beat of your heart is a gift. Live with love & joy, tomorrow is not promised to anyone......"

    unknown

  14. #74
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by centershot View Post
    Aaahh, grasshopper, the wisdom you seek is found in a very special place........


    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...l-in-one-place
    Woops. Thanks for that , I dont know how I missed it. Some reading there

  15. #75
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan View Post
    BT yes it appears that these work best from a Smoothbore. My A5 with the Buck Special Smoothbore Barrel shoots these pretty well and I need to get some pics of groups up.

    Randy
    Randy,

    The OD of the nose and tail wads are bang on 0.73".

  16. #76
    Boolit Bub
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    Update:

    I know I haven't done a great job of keeping this thread going but for those of you interested...I recently got a resin 3d printer which has a much higher dimensional accuracy than my old FDM printer. Although I can't really test the sabots at the moment please take a look at the results of the 3d printed sabots on a resin machine. The printer cost about $250 and makes parts that look like they were injection molded...unreal.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by mikehill85; 06-12-2020 at 05:39 PM.

  17. #77
    Boolit Buddy
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    I hope we can resurrect this thread. I'd like to know what $250 printer produces results that look like that!

  18. #78
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Yes, we need any update!


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  19. #79
    Boolit Master


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    Mike:
    Wow, that looks great. Looking forward to seeing your range results.
    If a 41 won't stop it, I wouldn't bet my life on a 44.

  20. #80
    Boolit Grand Master

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    That is looking good!

    Yes... range report!?!

    Longbow

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check