horseman wrote:The more I read on "reloading for shotgun slug accuracy" just confirms that it's not something I'm interested in trying anytime soon, or ever. It appears to be "almost" an exercise in futility and an endeavor only to test one's patience and determination. But I'm rooting for you, and hopefully you'll find success and if you do please post the results. You may change my mind about the process. Maybe.
I'm enjoying the venture. There are times that my metallic reloading isn't stretching my imagination and I get bored.
I might try the graphite on the wads, probably use mica as I have so much of it, but since trimming the petals shorter, all column wads have had their pedals intact downrange. Since the start, I've been using a 20 Gauge .070 Nitro card wad behind the slug. One, two, or three depending on what the stack was.
When I switched to the six segmented star crimp, I noticed that it top unfolded after awhile. The component stack is too high, so I removed one of the two nitro cards behind the slug. Then the star folded inside which means the stack isn't high enough. I pondered that a bit and decided to try something new. I added an orange BPI overshot card wad (.045") between the nose of the slug and the star fold. After the fold and with the clear hull, I could see that the card was drooping where there was no slug contact (you can see how the meplat of the slug indented the orange disk in the image below). So, I carefully added BPI's Buffer until the filler's level was flat across the nose of the slug and then dumped the Buffer in a scale pan and weighed it so that I could use the Safety Disk with the actual reloading run (5.5-grains ~ .83cc).
It all slid together real quick. I did goof up and use the Load-All II's 8 segmented star folder on one hull... damn it!
I couldn't get up to the range until right before dark, but when I did, I shot the two six-fold shells first. The load sounded better (good compression of the components), the barrel was cleaner (better gas seal), and the two shots produced a double POI that was very acceptable. Both wads were recovered and looked like they could be used again (I am trimming the petal length to the ogive). Then came the eight-fold shell and it didn't hit the paper, just the greater backing. I think that made a good test of the star fold if nothing else, six-segmented star fold or nothing. I could not find the wad. I'm going to load up another this morning, properly, and see where it hits.
All that I've written on these pages sounds like a lot of work and it really hasn't been. A lot of thinking maybe, but I can see it moving forward, and I would rather hunt with a reload than the factory ammo. The actual effort of reloading, prepping and completing the load, is ten times faster than metallic reloading.
and that is to lube the inside of the wad (maybe the slug as well) with graphite powder to help facilitate wad, slug, separation. Same idea as the nitro card under the slug in the wad. Also it would seem a lot of guys are casting and shooting pure and claiming great accuracy. Although with some of the accuracy claims I read I get a mental picture of a fat kid sitting at his computer eating twinkies and drinking Red Bull and telling everyone he bench presses 350lbs, 3 sets at 10 reps. 
But I'm rooting for you, and hopefully you'll find success and if you do please post the results. You may change my mind about the process. Maybe. 
I have and do load some hunting loads with 4 and 6 shot but there really isn't much bird hunting around here anymore and I really miss that. I'd rather hunt pheasant and grouse than anything else, including big game. But it's been a number of years since that was really plausible here. Never thought much about crimps, but commercial hunting loads do seem to always have a 6pt crimp and the 8pt is generally just for target type ammo. I always thought it was for a "tougher" crimp because of the way hunting rounds may be handled. Hmmmm, hafta' read up on that a bit. Maybe more to it than I thought. I may have to get a Lee slug mold, or maybe just buy some different slugs and give this a try. I'll have to use smooth bores because that's all I have but it may be just what I need to keep me "occupied" this winter season. I probably could be talked into buying a rifle like yours just for fun, then when the "fun" stops I could put it in the safe next to my in-line muzzle loader that hasn't seen the light of day in years. It stopped being "fun" a long time ago... 
) they were somewhat better in a pump but not much. No ducks were harmed in the making or testing of these shells....Maybe the crimp?