I guess I'm not a quitter ~ Lee Slugs
Posted: 15 Jul 2019 15:32
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.