Shotgun questions

[Dirtlaw]

Are shotgun reload questions better directed to the shotgun forum or this forum? How many of you are shotgun reloaders?

[kcstott]

Are shotgun reload questions better directed to the shotgun forum or this forum? How many of you are shotgun reloaders?

I load for 20 and 12 gauge. what do you need?

[bigbossman]

I load for 12, 20, and .410.

What are your questions?

[Dirtlaw]

I changed my direction during the drought. Not all the components I need for published recipes are available. Looking for work-arounds. And I owe my wife too much to die needlessly.

[BigBronco]

I doubt you would die. Most likely a bulged barrel and a ruined shotgun. I doubt anyone would authorize your changing from published load data. After all your bulged barrel or your death would be on our conscience.

[Dirtlaw]

I doubt you would die. Most likely a bulged barrel and a ruined shotgun. I doubt anyone would authorize your changing from published load data. After all your bulged barrel or your death would be on our conscience.

Worse yet, I have not made my dibs list giving things to my Calgunner buds.

[kcstott]

the problem with mixing and match components is you have no clue if they are going to be safe or not. Shot gun reloading is very fickle. I'm in the same boat I have tons of pistol powder but none listed for the loads i want. so I'm waiting until reddot or clays becomes available again. it's not worth the risk of fouling up one of my shotguns.

[Dirtlaw]

the problem with mixing and match components is you have no clue if they are going to be safe or not. Shot gun reloading is very fickle. I'm in the same boat I have tons of pistol powder but none listed for the loads i want. so I'm waiting until reddot or clays becomes available again. it's not worth the risk of fouling up one of my shotguns.

I have seen some of the vendors starting to open up. That gives hope. Meanwhile I gather whatever I can.

[LeadPilot]

What are you trying to achieve and what components do you have on hand? I’ve used several loads that don’t have manufacturer data but have been verified safe by independent ballistic labs.

[JagerDog]

FWIW, it's pretty hard to kill a shotgun with judicious substitutions.

Shotgun deaths are:

A) obstructions
B) wrong powder (like grabbed the Red Dot in place of the Blue Dot).

A wad or primer change isn't going to kill a shotgun. That said, there are "rules of thumb" when subbing a "hot" primer for a "std" primer and what types of loads have some "headroom".

If one is still concerned, lab testing is pretty affordable (like $25 for 5).

What are you trying to load and what components do you have/missing?

FWIW, shotgunworld has gobs more shotshell experience than CG.

[bigbossman]

the problem with mixing and match components is you have no clue if they are going to be safe or not. Shot gun reloading is very fickle.

Well, yeah - you kind of do. For example, there are several different wads in 12ga that are direct replacements for the WAA12 wad in an AA hull. And if you're not loading to the hairy edge, pretty much any 209 primer will suffice. Powder is a bit on the unknown side if you're trying to use pistol powders, but there are a variety of powders available for a given gauge, and there is plenty of reloading data for most of it. I probably have at least 8 powders on-hand that can be used for 12 gauge in an AA, STS, or pretty much any compression formed one piece hull, and can find load data for all of them.

I do agree that shotgun loads need to be more exact, but you can find data to "mix and match" and be safe. It is a bit more of a "fickle" beast, and you have to pay attention - but it is not rocket science.

[kcstott]

Well, yeah - you kind of do. For example, there are several different wads in 12ga that are direct replacements for the WAA12 wad in an AA hull. And if you're not loading to the hairy edge, pretty much any 209 primer will suffice. Powder is a bit on the unknown side if you're trying to use pistol powders, but there are a variety of powders available for a given gauge, and there is plenty of reloading data for most of it. I probably have at least 8 powders on-hand that can be used for 12 gauge in an AA, STS, or pretty much any compression formed one piece hull, and can find load data for all of them.

I do agree that shotgun loads need to be more exact, but you can find data to "mix and match" and be safe. It is a bit more of a "fickle" beast, and you have to pay attention - but it is not rocket science.

[JagerDog]

Stack height/fit might vary a bit between AA's, but no source I'm aware of differentiates between the different evolutions of the AA.

If a guy really wanted, I'd bet he could develop an acceptable 3/4oz 12g load with 231. I'd start with the historical (you won't find it in current published data) data for Bullseye.

One such: W/W AA hull, a W/W 209 primer, 16-1/2 grs. Bullseye, a Fed. 12SO wad, and 7/8 oz. shot. Chamber pressure is 7,400 PSI. Velocity is 1200 FPS.

This was data from before Claybuster made 3/4oz 12g wads.

Performance isn't exactly critical in CAS.

[ar15barrels]

I changed my direction during the drought.
Not all the components I need for published recipes are available.

Get more sources of published information and it gets easier to find published recipes that work with the components that you have.

[bigbossman]

Stack height/fit might vary a bit between AA's, but no source I'm aware of differentiates between the different evolutions of the AA.

..............................

Performance isn't exactly critical in CAS.

I stick to the older AA hulls for that reason. The new ones require that I reset/fiddle with my crimp, and I'm too lazy. Also - I've found no difference between the old red/silver AA hulls and STS, Remington Peters Premier, Gold Nitros, or blue Peter's. All are compression formed, and seem to be pretty much interchangeable. I've been loading those with eh same load form an old Lyman book for a couple of decades. Killed lots of birds, shot thousands of rounds, no broken guns or other issues.

As far as CAS - just load 80gr of BP and call it good. Something like 4,000 PSI on those.