Question Concerning Shotshell Reloading

[otrman]

I'm not a total newbie to reloading but am new to shotshell reloading. I finally got a very nice 12 ga. auto loader and have been going thru shells like mad and decided I better start reloading them or go broke, lol. I got a MEC 600 Jr. and have done some nice loads with Hodgdon Longshot, WAA12 wads, and 1 1/8 to 1 1/2 oz loads. So then I decided to load up some buckshot in some Winchester Supreme 00 buck high brass hulls that I had lying around. I used 31.5 gr. Longshot, WAA12 wad, and 9 pellets of Hornady buckshot that weight 1 1/8 oz, which is the same as I have been loading #6 shot. I then discovered the the only recipes that Hodgdon has for buckshot use Universal and HS-6. I know there are major differences in the loading of steel, bismuth, and hevi-shot but I figured lead shot was lead shot regardless of the size of each pellet as long as the weight was the same. I'm thinking that may not be the case. Can anyone explain what the difference is and if that load would be ok? I tried to call Hodgdon today but they are not open on Fridays. I only loaded 10 of them so if anyone thinks that load may be dangerous let me know and I will pop the tops and start over. Thanks in advance for the help.

Eddie

 

[Encoreman]

otr, I have been loading metallic for awhile and started shotgun last year. I always thought shotgun was simpler, but I'm not so sure anymore. From what I understand the shotgun can't take the pressure that a rifle of pistol can and that all that I read says " go by the book and do not deviate from it" they claim that changing any component, a hull, primer,etc has varying affects. I wouldn't shoot these loads until a more experienced shotgun loader said it was okay. I think I may start to make my own shot with the high prices. You can make your own shotmaker. Check out the castboolit forums. Good luck, Mac BTW welcome to THR there is a wealth of knowledge here and some really nice people.

 

[NCsmitty]

Have you looked at the www.hodgdon.com site or is this out of a manual?
IMO, your buckshot load is fine and should give you less than 10,000 psi.
A 1 1/8 oz of buckshot will shoot like a 1 1/8 oz of #6 with the same components.
If you have a buckshot load that fits the case with a good crimp, it will work fine. You seem to have a safe charge of Longshot for that weight of shot.
The only unknown is it's pattern, usually not a concern with buckshot, as a rule.

NCsmitty

 

[Birdhunter1]

Longshot is a great powder, I use it in my 20 gauge to get the most speed I can in my STS hulls on a 7/8 or 1 oz charge. I have used it in my 12 gauge too to make some 1450 fps stuff that I use for high flying varmints, with a full choke it shoots one heck of a pattern at a distance, even loaded some for a buddy of mine in #6 shot to turkey hunt with. Mostly though I use IMR 800X in the 12 gauge so I can keep the volume of powder and have an about equal speed to my 20 gauge loads, plus I have a bunch of 800X powder.

 

[Bboomer]

I used to reload for Sporting clays until the price of shot exceeded 30 bucks a 25lb bag. I think its around $40 now.

Its more feasable to buy factory than to reload now days. The only reloading that I do now is for hunting loads which in this case, my 25lb of #5 ought to do it. I also use Longshot btw.

 

[ants]

Reloading buckshot and slugs is not very popular, so you won't find many published loads because manufacturers simply don't want to work up a load for every possible hull-wad-powder combination. They work up a few loads that perform well, and leave it at that.

As you surmise, the 1-1/8 oz load is the same mass of lead, whether 00 or #6 or #8 or a slug. The issue isn't pressure. The issue is performance. Buckshot used for deer and turkey must travel 25 to 100 yards and kill a fairly large animal with a pattern tight enough to perforate several vital organs and cause rapid fatality. Slugs used for hunting have limited gyroscopic stability, making it hard to get tight groups. Loads for self defense must be reliable and perform at very limited ranges, usually avoiding overpenetration through walls and across neighborhoods. So performance for the selected application is the issue.

Your load won't blow up your shotgun, but patterning it is essential. Go to the Shotgun subforum and look at the sticky on Patterning.