Well it came in! After a quick trip to Bass Pro for a few components I loaded a few shells. I loaded a handful of 7/8 oz at around 1225 fps 12 ga and they shot very well out of my Mod 1300 and my M1.
The loader is a used mec 650 so it doesn't re-size the brass but both of my 12's eat them just fine. As of now, I don't see any reason to buy a resizer.
Now that I have played with it a little, I have a question. Does anyone shoot a target load of 3/4 oz in a semi-auto 12 ga? I have my doubts as to whether they will cycle. If they will, I will try some of those next.
I can tell already I am going to love stuffing my own. Thanks for encouraging me to give it a try.
__________________
"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
they would cycle but you'd have to load them hot to create enough recoil so you'd burn more powder and would not save.Use more shot 1 ounce to 1 1/8 ounce and lower speed to 1215-1225 or even 1200. I wouldn't use less than 7/8 even for target unless you find a powder charge that will cycle them without too much pressure.of course if you use a pump or breakopen you can really reduce loads with no adverse effects. But if a semi is clean and broke in it will cycle some light loads too. goto website of the powder company you are using and see what they list, if it is a listed load it is safe to try it in any modern gun.
__________________
whatever i'm doing i'm thinking about crow hunting
Greg, you will want the resizer, eventually you will encounter hulls that stick and jam your gun, that will happen at the worst possible time. Resizing prevents that.
I just started loading and shooting 3/4 ounce 12ga. They work well on the skeet field. Very light in recoil and with lead at $40 and some places $50 a bag it is very economical. To get mine to crimp right I simply took a 7/8 ounce recipe and placed a single Cheerio in the wad prior to dropping the shot. The Cheerio is a filler taking up the room of 1/8 ounce of shot allowing for a perfect crimp. I also went down a size on the powder bushing. I don't shoot break actions guns so cycling is not an issue for me.
I have read in other forums that people are reporting the 3/4 ounce loads in 12ga pattern too tight for skeet. Less crushing, less bore scrub lead to tighter patterns.
PS. I am using Red Dot powder for 3/4 and 7/8 loads in 12ga.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Saturday 23rd of April 2011 12:55:13 PM
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Sunday 24th of April 2011 10:04:13 AM
I am using a universal charge bar so I was able to get it to throw a 7/8 oz load (give or take a few grains). I am using Clays power and it seem to throw the light power charge very well also. I found a load that is delivering 1200 - 1225 fps loads in STS, Gun Club, and AA and was able to adjust the crimping stations to where it crimped all hulls well.
That is funny about the Cheerio. I have a buddy they uses a black eyed pea. He shoots skeet with his 3/4 oz load for his practice loads. I may load up a few and see what happens.
__________________
"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
Why are you chosing such light loads. Why not shoot a 20 ga. If they are just for skeet O.K. , but why handicap yourself for live birds. We all miss, why put 150 less pellets in a load for a crow.
Mike
-- Edited by Mike27 on Saturday 23rd of April 2011 04:58:12 PM
3/4 oz 12ga loads are for target....skeet and trap, maybe even sportingclays. I use 1 oz for hunting and target games. Generally the lighter payloads are for target, not hunting.....but if it dusts a clay at 35 yards, it should kill a crow. Mind you, all you need is 1 pellet for a break. 7/8 oz is the standard 20ga skeet load. So, my 1 oz load is 1/8 heavier than the 20ga loading. There are fellows that use a .410 for hunting rabbit, and partridge. I used to know a fellow that used a 28ga for goose hunting.........pick your poison boys !!! Your not undergunned unless you feel that way.
The 7/8 and 3/4 I am loading are for clay only. I have something a little heavier in mind for the black bandits. I loaded some 3/4 this afternoon and they shot well and cycled. I haven't patterned any of these loads.
I took some 7/8oz 1225 fps to the sporting clay range today and really liked how they shoot. I couldn't tell the difference in the way they broke targets. I shot about 65 of Nitro 27 in 7 1/2's and 8's and around 65 of the 7/8 in 9's and if I put the clay in the pattern it broke with all loads. I actually shot a little better with the 7/8 oz as I was able to concentrate better with them as they had very little recoil.
__________________
"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
Sounds as though you are having fun, it's great to be able to experiment and make loads that are not available or readily available. People who don't reload don't realize how comfortable and effective a 12ga 7/8 ounce load is on clays. Next thing you know you will be loading trap loads with hard 6's for crows and swearing by them
Sounds as though you are having fun, it's great to be able to experiment and make loads that are not available or readily available. People who don't reload don't realize how comfortable and effective a 12ga 7/8 ounce load is on clays. Next thing you know you will be loading trap loads with hard 6's for crows and swearing by them
I have been eying the 4's, 5's, and 6's for a couple of weeks. Clays are the only thing in season here unless you want to hunt those big bronze birds (I have killed enough of those to fill a truck so they don't interest me much.) So the clay load is taking residence. Once I have a good reloading routine down and am very comfortable with reloading I will start working on hunting loads. As for now, it is just practice loads. I am still trying learning to watch all the stations and remember to put the new hull on, check the primer drop, insert the wad and now there is the cheerio to think about also.
Buying a used loader was the way to go for me. It was already broke in and set up and adjusted so to get it to work was a snap. It took very little adjustment to get it to throw light loads and crimp well. I did replace the 6 point crimp with a 8 point and then had to adjust it. I know you are supposed to start off with a single stage but I am very glad that skeetshooter talked me into going with the progressive. He assured me that if I had problems he could help me. So far a couple of phone calls has been all that was required.
Thanks again for the encouragement.
__________________
"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
. I use 7/8 wads for my twelve,but the charge of shot weighs out at 1 oz.
I loaded some 3/4 this afternoon and they shot well and cycled. I haven't patterned any of these loads.