Shotgun reload question

lugeboy · #1 03-25-2011, 09:38 PM

So now that I have some reloads (2 3/4", 1 1/8th target loads using red dot powder) How do I know if they are working properly???
Any Help would be great

Lonnie · #2 03-25-2011, 10:26 PM

try them out. over water is good as you can see your distance where they play out then try a factory load of same type and that at least gives you an idea if there any good or not.

Gonehuntin' · #3 03-26-2011, 07:54 AM

Try shooting at a pattern board.

catnthehat · #4 03-26-2011, 08:05 AM

Red dot and 1 1/8 oz of shot is a pretty god combination - AA wads?
The pattern board will let you know a bit of what is going on, and so will a chronograph, but as far as real time results go, simply shootig them at some clays works as well.
The main reason I use a pattern board is to check my point of impact of the load when in the gun, and to take a quick look to see of the choke i am using is correct.
Some chokes, even though they are desginated for , say "modified" , may be shooting a bit tighter or looser than that, so several shots much be taken with each choke you have.

If you have a fixed choke gun then ignore this advice!!

If you have some factory stuff you were using before, and the hand loads, shoot them both, with a friend loading the gun for you so you cannot tell which is which, and record the results.
This will let you know for sure if things are workig well.
OR, you can just start shooting them and not worry about sweating the little stuff!

Cat

lugeboy · #5 03-26-2011, 01:05 PM

yes AA hulls, Just being my first ever reload and my wife smart enough to say no to pulling the trigger for me I just hope all goes well, I followed the recipie to a tee so all should be good where do you get these pattern boards? I though mabye a chronograph wouldnt work as there is many projectile comming out
I was gonna shoot low to the ground and see how it marks on the snow seeing that my water is all frozen still.

catnthehat · #6 03-26-2011, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srpiasta

yes AA hulls, Just being my first ever reload and my wife smart enough to say no to pulling the trigger for me I just hope all goes well, I followed the recipie to a tee so all should be good where do you get these pattern boards? I though mabye a chronograph wouldnt work as there is many projectile comming out
I was gonna shoot low to the ground and see how it marks on the snow seeing that my water is all frozen still.

Sit a clay bird on its edge in the snow and shoot at it, that will give you an idea of the width, anyway.
About 40 yards away is good.
A pattern board can be made from nothing more than a big sheet of paper on plywood!
Did you weigh a charge of shot and powder/
I'm sure everything will be okay, anyway, don't sweat the small stuff!

Cat

lugeboy · #7 03-26-2011, 03:02 PM

So this is what they looked like crimped I am using a mec 600 junior does this look ok to use?

catnthehat · #8 03-26-2011, 03:56 PM

looks alright to me!
Cat

greylynx · #9 03-26-2011, 04:31 PM

What is the exact reload you made?

What type of primer, WWA12's, how many grains of Red Dot. Did you check the powder bushing amount to a powder scale?

lugeboy · #10 03-26-2011, 06:28 PM

So I used the 30 bushing, it was only producing a 16.8 grain weight and the other bushing I had was a 32 and it was making 18.9 so I ordered the 31 bushing and used the 30. I used red dot powder, win209 primers and winchester waa12 wads. I got my wife to load the gun with my loads, some remmington gun club rounds and some kent loads randomly. I really couldn't tell which was which so tells me two things my loads will be good when I use the right bushing and I must be doing something right as I still have my 2 hands to type. I just thought mabye the crimp was a little deep as I can just see the inside of the shell but no shot is comming out when I tip it over.

greylynx · #11 03-27-2011, 02:21 PM

I used to shoot that load a lot for clay piegons.

That was until my free keg of Red Dot ran out.

Good Luck.

lugeboy · #12 03-27-2011, 07:13 PM

So I was able to bring it down to 5 minutes per box of 25 (Granted I deprimed, resized and reprimed all the shells) to load worked out to 1 lb of powder gave me 350 rounds so I think thats pretty good

densa44 · #13 03-27-2011, 08:31 PM

With all the vote for me signs going up you will soon have lots of very good free targets. Wait until after the election and pick up as many as you like. I still find old ones on country roads for the last county election. I use the big ones to pattern my shot gun and the small ones for center fire practice.

You can even get out some of your frustration if your are lucky enough to get signs from your political adversaries.

Your load and shells are fine. If you don't increase the weight of the shot I have found that you can go a few grains more of that red dot.

Years ago there was a recommended load of 1 1/4 oz. over 21 grains of RD and it was the best goose load I ever had.

lugeboy · #14 03-28-2011, 03:10 PM

I will have to wait for the signs after the election as the canidates in my area know not to come up our driveway and try to sell themselves to me........

Hunter Trav · #15 03-29-2011, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srpiasta

So I used the 30 bushing, it was only producing a 16.8 grain weight and the other bushing I had was a 32 and it was making 18.9 so I ordered the 31 bushing and used the 30. I used red dot powder, win209 primers and winchester waa12 wads.

If your just using that load for shootin clays, you can drop down to a one oz load to make it more economical for you. Granted you would have to go to a different wad, everything else will work for you. 17gr of red dot with 1 oz of copper plated 7 1/2 shot over it is a great load to shoot, at least IMO. One thing you may want to watch when reloading those AA hulls, is make sure you check the base wads, as they do come loose, and I have found a couple myself. If you do find one that the base wad has come part way up the hull, toss it. Last thing you want is that thing stuck in your barrel before your next shot...

lugeboy · #16 03-29-2011, 05:39 PM

I also have about 500 rem gun club hulls and they say its a good hull also so I was going to build some 7/8 oz shots is this gonna break the targets? I am new to all this but seems like I can make alot of shells with 7/8ths

densa44 · #17 03-29-2011, 05:45 PM

If you like using the standard cardboard boxes for your new shells. I like them a lot, they are free, easy to carry and don't take up much space.

There is a cheap "tool" that MEC sells that holds the new shells as you load them, when you get 25 you can easily slip an empty cardboard over the new shells and voila! A new box of shells. You can buy one for every gauge that you reload.

Have fun, you'll love it!

lugeboy · #18 03-29-2011, 05:54 PM

Yes I ordered the packer thing today I also have a bunch of reloader things too they hold 50 and I can fit them in my tool box, wich will hold 500 rounds. But before I go and build 7/8oz rounds will they be any good out at dewinton at the trap field?

greylynx · #19 03-30-2011, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by densa44

With all the vote for me signs going up you will soon have lots of very good free targets. Wait until after the election and pick up as many as you like. I still find old ones on country roads for the last county election. I use the big ones to pattern my shot gun and the small ones for center fire practice.

You can even get out some of your frustration if your are lucky enough to get signs from your political adversaries.

Your load and shells are fine. If you don't increase the weight of the shot I have found that you can go a few grains more of that red dot.

Years ago there was a recommended load of 1 1/4 oz. over 21 grains of RD and it was the best goose load I ever had.

x2

And those signs are made of good paper.

Hunter Trav · #20 03-30-2011, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srpiasta

Yes I ordered the packer thing today I also have a bunch of reloader things too they hold 50 and I can fit them in my tool box, wich will hold 500 rounds. But before I go and build 7/8oz rounds will they be any good out at dewinton at the trap field?

You can go down as low as 3/4oz for shooting clays. As long as you do your part they should work just fine. I suggest you go over to shotgunworld forums, and spend some time in the reloading section. There is also some other sites that are full of good info, but I don't know them off hand. They will be refered to over at shottie world. What you'll find over there is many guys load down for the economics of it. If your shooting a ton of trap, skeet, etc, ammo is a huge cost, and if you can save any amount that puts more ammo through the gun. Buying in bulk once you've found a good combination of componants is the only way to go. Its just finding that right combination that can take some time...

catnthehat · #21 03-30-2011, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srpiasta

Yes I ordered the packer thing today I also have a bunch of reloader things too they hold 50 and I can fit them in my tool box, wich will hold 500 rounds. But before I go and build 7/8oz rounds will they be any good out at dewinton at the trap field?

7/8oz will e fine.
I suggest you talk to will Bilozir in Dewinton, he can give you lots of good info on shooting the 12 with light loads.
Myslef, I shoot lots of trap with a 28 with 3/4oz loads, and have been know to shoot some respectable 16 yard rounds art wobble trap.
Cat

greylynx · #22 03-30-2011, 04:01 PM

Will has the best selection of 7/8-1 ounce wads you can buy anywhere in Canada.

Get the reloading manual for all of his wads first. Just looking at the manual and all the wads is lots of fun in itself. Each wad has a description for what it is designed for.

Choose a few different bags of wads that interest you.

Try the different wads out in different loading combinations.

Reloading shot shells is a lot of fun except not worth it in western Canada if you are shooting a 12 guage.

Like I posted before, I load special spreader loads for old double side by sides.

lugeboy · #23 03-30-2011, 08:23 PM

So we went to dewinton club today and shot 150 rounds of my reloads and 50 of the rem gun clubs. Now being so new to this I wish I actually knew how to hit the targets but when I did the reloads were blowing up the target and the gun clubs were breaking them but not like the reloads. Only thing that happened was with the gun clubs out of the 50, 5 would not eject after firing I am using a 870 remmington 28" barrel pump. Wasent sure if it was because of the hull or the ejection finger not grabbing it right.