I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Discussions covering the components and techniques of reloading for your scattergun; be it buckshot, shot, or slugs.
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I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

Now that I have the Hammerhead worked out, I cannot keep my mind from wandering back to the Lee Slug. The thinking centers on a couple of points; Hammerhead vs. the Lee "package"):

The Hammerhead pressure wad is a tight hull and bore fit. The pressure wads are easy to find at the target berm, and the one thing that you notice is full groove contact on both the sabot body and pressure seal. I have tried eleven different, recommend pressure wads, but only two have a tight fit of the pressure seal; the BPI 078 Lightning and PT1205.

The Hammerhead experience has lead me to believe that most column pressure wads are not up to the task. They might be suitable for moving shot but not the mass of the slug. The pressure columns on the recovered Hammerheads look like they could be reused. The pressure columns are typically destroyed on the different wads I've shot.

Where this is heading is that I'm not going to use a pressure wad with the Lee slugs. I need the pressure wad's cup, but I'm leaving the tail feathers behind.

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A few minutes ago, my 20 Gauge cork and felt wads arrived. I immediately tried the fit and think I will go with the felt (white). I like the feel when seating the slug. Eventually, I will compare both cork and felt.

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I bought a box of slugs when I was a kid, for my Sears & Roebuck 20 Gauge single shot, and immediately cut one open with a razor blade. I remember that thick waxed cards were below the slug. The Lee Loader instructions state and Lee's original Reloading Handbook illustrates the waxed cards in use. Right now, all I have are cards that are 10mm thick, so two are needed to complete the stack.

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I have BPI's Flex Foam Wad, a .7" column of memory foam on order and it should be here tomorrow or Wednesday. In the meantime, I loaded up a couple of them yesterday to shoot this evening to see how they do.

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I settled on either the 078 Lightning or PT1205 cup as they are both are ⅞ ounce cups which means that they are shallower than the others I have on hand and require less filler behind the slugs to bring the slug's ogive up to the leading edge of the petals. Why use a cup at all some might ask? The Lee Slug is under bore diameter and depends on the wad cup to act as a sabot for bore contact.
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

The shooting was extremely promising from my New Haven 600's (Mossberg 500) smoothbore barrel.

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I didn't think about it when I grabbed the shotgun, but when I got up to the range, I realized it doesn't quite look like it is pictured above. I had removed the Williams rear sight and installed a Skinner dovetailed Ghost Ring. It was late, sunset, as I wanted the sun directly across the range so I could see the components in flight and still in the nineties, so there would be no walking back to get the Marlin. The target was out at 50-yards, with the Skinner sight not being sited in, I was not sure I would even hit the target backing.

I also discovered that the front bead completely covers the 1" square bullseye. After the first shot, I walked out to the berm and saw that I had hit the top right corner of the target. I went back and tried to get a better bead on the 1" square and shot. I hit the top left corner of the target. It was then that I realized that the front sight bead covered a 2" square, so I just stopped fooling around, centered the bead within the grids, and shot. At the target, I had cut the top of the paper, centered. My three-shot group was 10 ½" x ¾." The width of the group doesn't bother me, that is on me and my target selection. With no vertical deviation, I think it has promise, but will wait to shoot again once the Flex-Foam Wads show up.

What was also interesting was that I did not see any components, the wad cup and the three Mini-Nitro cards under the slug, separate in flight. I could see the two 50mm Waxed hard cards dissipating, but the slug's "sabot" seemed to stay together. It is effortless to find pressure wads on my range, but I did not find a wad cup. Apparently, they remained with the slugs into the berm.
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

One thing that I noticed was how quiet the shot was; a whooshing sound. It took me back about 55 years ago when I bought paper over plastic for my S&R single shot. I suspect the plastic components "snap" with the pressure.
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by mikld »

Thanks for the report on your "trials" with slugs. I'm still working on the basics of shotshell reloading and understand the wad height concept, but haven't gotten enough experience/info yet. I'm thinking I may have to get a mold and cast my own slugs and pass on shot. I searched my small town for shot, but found none. I tried on line but found some shot for $39.00 for a 22 lb bag, but shipping was $46.00. I'll keep looking, but I may just ferget shot and go to slugs... :lol:
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

It's hard to hit those birds, clay or feathered, with a slug!

There are a couple of shot drippers out there; Littleton and Oasis, both about $400 ~ $450. It seems like a lot of work to me. If there are any skeet or trap ranges near, they might sell it.

I don't shoot any shot, just BBs, the slugs, and will probably try 12 Gauge round balls (Lee mold); everything for big game. A friend sent me a bag of BBs, which was rather nice. I have two bags of shot that I bought locally; one for adding antimony to my lead alloy mixes and the other for a Lead Sled. Yeah, they were expensive.

You might try Roto Metals. You can get 50 lbs of reclaimed shot, two 25 lb bags, for $88 shipped. If you had someone that would split it with you that is as cheap as you will find it. You might look at Roto's shot prices on their sized shot, depending on your needs.
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by Macd »

I had been playing with getting into reloading shotshells but the whole shot availability issue kept me from moving on the urge. I lost the urge but have since found out that the guys at the local club who shoot trap and skeet order it in large quantities in a group buy and get it transported by a trucking firm that runs to and from Ontario. Shipping costs are kept to a minimum as a lot of shot doesn't take up much space in a 44 foot trailer and weight is seldom an issue. Worth checking out at your nearest club.
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by mikld »

Nah, I don't think I'll make my own shot. I've been casting bullets for quite a while, but shot? (RD 240 and 265 RNFP for my 44 Magnums is my all time fav bullet). I'll figger this out, and because I'm stubborn about buying factory ammo, I know I'll find a way... :lol:
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by RBHarter »

Lead shot doesn't take long to get really heavy in not very much space in a truck . Just as a reference a 30 cal ammo can will close on 3 25# bags and a 50 cal can can be forced closed on 5 if you shake , wiggle and mash shot less than #4 .

A 40×48 with 36 boxes of of 4 cans ea of 9mm like the 24 box pallet of 45 ACP scales close to 4000# .
It doesn't take long for ammo to get very heavy .
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by horseman »

Waiting for further reports..... :D
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Re: I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs

Post by AlaskanGuy »

i am also waiting.. i was wondering about the wads under the cup. you went from waxed lubed BPI to something un lubed?... are those replacement wads lubed with anything??? remember the old Alcan wads were infused with wax... you diddnt find any of the wad cards at all??? where could they have gone?? i dont think they burn up did they?? they should tell the story for ya.. smooth bore really is the way..
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