Smooth Bore & Slugs

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W.R.Buchanan
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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by W.R.Buchanan »

I had to buy some Lightfield Hybrid Lites and some Brenneke Tactical Home Defense Slugs for my own testing to establish baseline accuracy levels for my three guns.

I had to take both of them apart to see what was inside as I was very interested in what the slugs actually looked like. The one thing both had in common was that they were swaged not cast. Both slug had perfectly sharp trailing edges and as all you boolit casters know that is the steering end of the boolit.

But as far as being the end all, I have to defer. Both of these slugs were loaded into Regular RIO hulls just like available from BPI. The Brenneke slug was loaded into a Clear Rio hull and had the same headstamp as the ones I just bought. The Lightfield slug was loaded into an Orange RIO hull except it actually had a Light field Head stamp still it was identical in every other way to the ones I just bought last week.

In fact I reloaded those slugs back into new RIO hulls and you can hardly tell the difference.

My point here is that with the right payload you can load ammo just as effective as these companies offer at a fraction of the cost.

Here's pics of the loaded and reloaded store bought slugs. and a pic of a BPI 1 1/8 oz.Thug Slug that is very similar to a Brenneke, but "Swaged" in Italy by Gualandi. .70 cents each. Primed Hull .11 cents, add powder and crimp. Obviously "Cast Slugs" like some of the Russian ones will take about .70 cents out of that equation.

As far as an accuracy slug goes Lightfield sells an STI Slug for reloading. STI sells the Sabots for .40 each and
The mould for the insert is $25 and made from Lee blocks.

There is a way thru to Home Brewed Success here.

Randy
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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

One of my next projects with the STI Hammerhead is examining alloy. I'm going to cast with three different alloys and see what difference it makes with rifled and smoothbore barrels, to see what mix my guns prefer. Each might prefer one over the other.

This was brought on by what you pointed out. As far as I have looked, all factory slugs have been swaged, not cast and that might be a key to the performance I've seen from the Lightfields.

I still would like to shoot the Lee slugs but I feel they need a mated sabot designed just for them. A pressure or column wad that securely delivers them downrange. I like the 3D effort the fellow on the CBF was working on, but I don't think that material is the answer. I think they need to be injection molded.
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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

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This is an absolute work of art. Well done!
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W.R.Buchanan
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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by W.R.Buchanan »

Thanks for the nod RD! Yes, I sent the Paperwork into CA F&G for Non Toxic Certification for use in CA after July 1.

That is a brass insert turned from bar stock. That one weighs 550 gr on the nose but I will have to turn the OD down a little more so the crimp seats on the sabot like the regular STI's do.

Of all configurations of the STI Sabot this one should fly the best of all. It is perfectly balanced radially as the insert was turned, not cast. No voids and perfect concentricity.

I feel it should deliver the best accuracy available from home loaded ammo. The cast STI inserts should be a close second as the mould I got drops about as perfect a Boolits as any I have cast.

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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

W.R.Buchanan wrote:The cast STI inserts should be a close second as the mould I got drops about as perfect a Boolits as any I have cast.
You are right about that, the mold turns out some very nice slug inserts.
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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by larryw »

Yes Sir that is a work of art. I'd buy one of those to put in my equipment collection/display.
A day late & A dollar short? Story of my life +guns
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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by W.R.Buchanan »

Larry: I can fix you right up! $2 ea. plus shipping :mrgreen:

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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

Larry, now you know what you can get me for Christmas!
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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by larryw »

Ranch Dog wrote:Larry, now you know what you can get me for Christmas!
Only if your on the nice list :) & I'm kinda sceptical. Dogs been sending me messages,
says your not flying as much as he wants, he wishes you guys would go poke some
holes in the sky real soon!!! Oh yea, & he says to also take more video?? 8-) 8-)
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Re: Smooth Bore & Slugs

Post by Ranch Dog »

larryw wrote:Only if your on the nice list :) & I'm kinda sceptical. Dogs been sending me messages,
says your not flying as much as he wants, he wishes you guys would go poke some
holes in the sky real soon!!! Oh yea, & he says to also take more video?? 8-) 8-)
My dog quit on me. Got tired of flying. He won't even get in the truck if I tell him I'm going to the airport. He loves watching the ranch.
Michael
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