Lee Loader

Results from the Texas Parks and Wildlife September public hunts drawings are in and I was selected for a whitetail and nilgai hunt in November on the East Lake NWR. It is a relatively small unit so hunters must use a muzzleloader or slug gun.



I will start working the the Lee slugs in about a week. Will need to get past a root canal I'm having done tomorrow.

Waaaay south!

GasGuzzler wrote:Waaaay south!

Yep. The other end of the world from where you are at. That would be a long drive.

Good luck on both hunt and dentist work. Last time I used slugs was in a single shot break open shotgun. At beyond 50 yards it was more luck than skill. The slug guns have sure made it better.

Macd wrote:The slug guns have sure made it better.

They sure have. I remember my dad describing how when my brother shot at a very close range buck with a Sears top break 20 gauge, "the slug corkscrewed completely around the deer."

I'm just getting into my Marlin Slugmaster, I replaced a Mossberg 695 with it. The Mossberg was a modern slug rifle with a very poor trigger. It shot well, it all hinged on the trigger though. I ran across the Marlin, loved its trigger; out with the old and in with the new!



I'm going to change up my slug loads a bit, going from a star to a roll crimp which will trim the hulls shorter. That will eliminate all the problems of finding the correct wad for the length of the components within the case. Earlier this year I bought some BPI tools to help with the trimming work. I will probably stick with the Load All II for sizing and primer seating as I like it better than hammering them out with the Loader. The Deluxe Perfect Powder Measure for the drop and the crimping on the drill press with the BPI tools.

Suggestion. Don't know how far you expect to shoot. But if it is inside 50 yds, and maybe inside 75 yds, AND you want to be lazy... The most accurate smooth bore bbl slug I have found is the plain old Win pumpkin ball rifled slug (12 ga)! Even if you are bent on casting/reloading your own, I would suggest using the Win PB load as an accuracy std. My old A5 would put 3 into ~2-2 1/2" at 50 yds out of a Mod choke (benchrest/rifle sights). New Mossberg 500 Tactical with ghost ring sights is putting 3 on top of each other OH at 25 yds. Cheap/easy to find/accurate. Would not hesitate to use this load out of any gun inside of 75 yds...
PS: IF you are shooting a rifled bbl, then recommend Brenneke sabot slugs. My Mossy 500/24"bbl/4x scope would dump 5 inside 3" at 100 yds benchrest. All of the above based on a lot of slugs down range and testing. Once upon a time I hunted exclusively on military bases that required SG only!

Thanks, Oscar. As I mentioned above, I will be using my Slugmaster which is has a rifled barrel. I've loaded the Lee slugs for several years, just not a lot of them, but they have shot very well out of my Rossi Single Shot, Mossberg 695, and the Marlin. The last slug gun standing is the Marlin.

I've been looking at roll crimp vs. the star crimp, trying to find the best solution of the Lee slug but as I sit here this morning after working with the roll crimp, I think the best is probably the star. It does make the component stack a bit of a hassle to work out. Lee's data is useless as it is very dated, and with limited components. Some components have been discontinued. Clays has a new slug wad for the Lee slug that I will add to the mix.

What I would like to do is figure out a stack that eliminates a card wad behind the slug. The star crimp makes that easier as it uses the space ahead of the slug for the fold. I've been reading, and it seems like the fold of the star is better for Lee's round nose. I tired some roll crimps this morning, and that theory proved right. All I end up doing was waste some hulls without securing the slug in the column of components.

If it comes down to it. I do have Lightfield's Hybred Elite and will fall back on it if needed.

Thanks, Oscar. As I mentioned above, I will be using my Slugmaster which is has a rifled barrel. I've loaded the Lee slugs for several years, just not a lot of them, but they have shot very well out of my Rossi Single Shot, Mossberg 695, and the Marlin. The last slug gun standing is the Marlin.

I've been looking at roll crimp vs. the star crimp, trying to find the best solution of the Lee slug but as I sit here this morning after working with the roll crimp, I think the best is probably the star. It does make the component stack a bit of a hassle to work out. Lee's data is useless as it is very dated, and with limited components. Some components have been discontinued. Clays has a new slug wad for the Lee slug that I will add to the mix.

What I would like to do is figure out a stack that eliminates a card wad behind the slug. The star crimp makes that easier as it uses the space ahead of the slug for the fold. I've been reading, and it seems like the fold of the star is better for Lee's round nose. I tired some roll crimps this morning, and that theory proved right. All I end up doing was waste some hulls without securing the slug in the column of components.

If it comes down to it. I do have Lightfield's Hybred Elite and will fall back on it if needed.

Like I noted above, I just cannot get a secure stack with the components Lee lists. They list the Federal 12S3 wad with the 1-ounce slug and there is no way to get a star crimp with the slug secure without using two nitro cards at the base of the slug. Powder and Federal wad are too tall for a 2 3/4" hull. Adding a gas seal between the powder and wad puts the stack right for a 3" hull. A lot to balancing this with no data other than Lee's suggested charge.



I'm using my Load-All II. Don't know if I have ever posted a picture of it with my wooden block mount for the bench plate. I must use a 90º driver to secure the front screws but that is not an issue. I don't think Lee offers the primer assembly anymore but I have it and have used it without issue.



I've got two loaded, I'm just going to shoot these two before I go any further. My hope is that the new Claybuster Slug wad has a shorter cup to eliminate the use of the nitro cards. I have a bunch of different height gas seals so I can make adjustments to the stack that way or might be able to return to a 2 3/4 hull.

No way to roll crimp the Lee slug with the BPI roll crimper as it bottoms out against the slug. I'm also of the belief now that the star crimp is better for the Lee offering as it really is not a slug but a sabot and depends on the wad petal thickness to secure it as it travels down the barrel.

Claybuster usually includes a load card with a new wad. At least with shot wads they have. I see this new slug wad on BPI web sight but nothing on Claybusters. Hopefully some load info will show up as word gets out.