light and fast steel in .12ga

Elvis · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 1:45 am Post subject: light and fast steel in .12ga

well we are trying to get together the components to put some loads together.here in kiwiland its not easy. lead wads...no trouble but try to get steel type a whole different ball game, the same goes for shot.
my lyman manual has some super looking loads of 1 oz or even 7/8th oz fair sizzling along that we want to try as the recoil will be much less so the youngun can use the big gun (and Dad doesnt get knocked around either)
1700fps on one of these loads and heaps above 14-1500fps which is where we want them to be. I want to find some size#4 steel shot as the remington 3" 1 1/8th oz loads doing 1550 fps work super great on mallards.
any thoughts???
anyone tried these light fast jobs???
I will call them "sweet duck all" loads ifn we can get the bits together Very Happy

Vince · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:42 am Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

I can get the wads below over here mate. This guy usually sells wads in bags of 500. I know him pretty well as I buy wads etc from him myself…and he is a two minute drive from my place…so I will have a chat with him tomorrow.

Email inbound mate.

Ominivision1 · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 5:16 am Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

I have a load using the following and it's a duck buster.

Federal 3" Game load shell
1 1/8th oz #4 shot
Ballistic Products #3221230 wad or equivalent
Federal 209A primer
39.5 grs of Alliant "Steel" powder
1/4" under card
these loads constantly average 1550 fps.

Elvis · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:26 pm Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

thanks guys,yip that looks like a great load Omni.

gelandangan · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

Well, this is the part that I would not have a clue in.
I do not know much about shotgun loads..
In fact so far all my shotgun loads are factory, and I believe I have not shot even 25 rounds in the past 4 years.

So Elvis, Vince and Omini any pointer for what loader to use?
I believe Lee has a cheapish loader but would it be good idea for me to load my own due to the lack of uses I have?

Elvis · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 5:35 pm Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

nah mate you would not get any cost savings at all, and the only thing you could gain is a special loading, but with the small amount you use it wouldnt be worth it. factory loads are very good and trap loads are dirt cheap too.

gelandangan · Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 1:46 am Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

Thats what I thought mate.
OTOH, I definitely roll my own for all other rifle and handgun ammo, except for rimfire 22 LR and WMR.

Ominivision1 · Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

Elvis is right, unless you can find a shotshell loader for cheap or a person that does a lot of trap or skeet shooting it's probably balances out pretty close to what the factory has. Now .410 shotshells on the other hand......

Vince · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 6:37 am Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

Yup...what Elvis and OV1 says Gelan. I reload because theat's "just me"...and I load an odd-ball shot weight for trap shooting...I load 26 gram loads.

For the amount of 12g you shoot mate, I personally would stick to factory rounds.

Aloysius · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 7:17 am Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

Or you look up the method that Turner Kirkland described in one of his catalog of DIXIE GUN WORKS Inc. and you reload without press, without dies, etc. only using empty shells, primers, blackpowder, shot and toiletpaper or plastic wads you recover from the clay-pigeon-stand.

but I cannot recommend you to use such load in your dry season...
alltough in our part of the world firemen say they need a fire every now and then just to prove they are necessairy... Smile

Elvis · Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:35 pm Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

woohoo

got me some steel #4s today Very Happy

,just a couple of kilos to get us going...took some balls (pun Embarassed

intended) to get it, had to just front up at a shot shell loading factory Shocked

and ask real nice like....if you dont ask you wont receive. now to talk SWMBO out of some $ to buy some alliant steel powder as one awesome guy has organised to send me some wads...thanks again mate your a ripper Very Happy

. then we will be into it. cant guarantee my testfires will be as in depth as Slimjims but we will try to keep up the high standard.

Elvis · Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:32 am Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

well its a steep learning curve with steel thats for sure...
nothing is as easy as Id hoped but thats the challenge I guess,
I have got the bits together and a couple of guys over on duck chat are helping me with load data as it is plurry hard to get any that fit what components Ive got. its driving me nuts
for exzample both kent and game bore use cheddite hulls
so why the f%&# cant you find any steel data for those hulls????
there is none in my 5th edition lyman manual at all.
bought 100 new primed cases and have made a start but crimping looks to be fun and games...oh well it keeps me busy/occupied.

Elvis · Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

fired a few off this morning without any issues so it looks like we have got there in the end all thanks to help from others.

Elvis · Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:40 pm Post subject: Re: light and fast steel in .12ga

I suspect our newest member "goosepit" is the great chap who helped me out with the recipe. welcome to the nut.

Elvis

well I have learnt quite a bit about shotshell loading since starting this thread. my loading set is very old and primative but does a good job.
getting good info is a godsend
the loads do work
it is possible to have good killing loads without massive payloads/recoil.
these dont look to flash but my old bakail likes them just fine,Ive got better since then and learnt(I hope how to crimp properly.