Thread: 12ga shotgun slugs

I used a lee mold they have a bar across the inside of them. Just carefully cut the top off a shell and pour the shot out and poke the slug in the cup.
If you dont cut too much off you can roll crimp it. Surprisingly accurate.

I cast my own Lyman 525gr slugs, reasonably accurate too, ive tinkered with cutting the petals back and off, even used ballistic product cushions wads, a load of fun!
@Smallfoot if your really going to go down the rabbit hole flick me an email and ill send you some ideas on things to look out for

Originally Posted by Brian

I used a lee mold they have a bar across the inside of them. Just carefully cut the top off a shell and pour the shot out and poke the slug in the cup.
If you dont cut too much off you can roll crimp it. Surprisingly accurate.

I do the same with cheap clay shooting rounds, pick the star crimp open, pour out the shot, melt it and cast 1oz slugs with the Lee mold then poke them back in and roll crimp them. Haven't tried hunting with them but consistently does minute of A4 paper @ 50mtrs at the range

Originally Posted by Ben-tard

I do the same with cheap clay shooting rounds, pick the star crimp open, pour out the shot, melt it and cast 1oz slugs with the Lee mold then poke them back in and roll crimp them. Haven't tried hunting with them but consistently does minute of A4 paper @ 50mtrs at the range

They’ll be mild to fire compared to factory slug loads I dare say?

Yeah used the gun club ammo too. They will go right through a goats backbone at 60 yds.
Got a sxs shortened by 6in and express sights.
Poor mans double rifle.

Originally Posted by mimms2

Then there's the old, fill (still full of pellets) shotcup with wax.
Never actually tested it's terminal performance, but they're a bit of a hoot at the blunt end.

doesnt work well...have tried and gave up....the old stories of doing so to increase range of birdshot have grain of truth as it was in days BEFORE plastic wad cups....
as for cut shells....yeah well at 5 yards maybe...but to say they as good as a solid is pure BS.
Ive shot bailed pigs with birdshot...at VERY close range eg under 3 yards payload still hits as clump and wad will often enter hole too. done it with .410 on wallaby under 5 yards as well....

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

They’ll be mild to fire compared to factory slug loads I dare say?

They do have slightly less boot I suppose, not much in it though. Dont know if I'd call it mild still punting a 1oz lump of lead out the barrel. I would love to put it over a chrono just for interests sake

logic would suggest it will be similar to what the shot was going to be doing...1100fps or thereabouts....it wasn't until steel hunting loads got tweaked that shotgun birdshot loads got above 1300fps,most have always been 1100-1200fps because with lead shot that's what patterns best.

Prohibited ammunition:

"Discarding-sabot ammunition (excluding shotgun cartridges)

Legal Definition:

"Small-diameter projectiles designed to pierce armour that are placed into
a supporting plug (a sabot) and then pushed down the bore as an assembly;
the sabot is stripped off when the assembly leaves the barrel"

---

This law clearly targets armour-piercing projectiles.

I read that you can have discarding sabot ammo as long as it is not armour piercing, whether rifle or shotgun. Paper patching bullets / boolits has never been made illegal either.

Originally Posted by Ben-tard

They do have slightly less boot I suppose, not much in it though. Dont know if I'd call it mild still punting a 1oz lump of lead out the barrel. I would love to put it over a chrono just for interests sake

I never experience leading with any of the slug types. Here's a Lee 1oz @1330fps on a my chrony at 2 metres.
The Lyman 525 gr ( pellet shape) slugs make a whistling sound and never hit anything that I aim at. Round ball 480gr are more accurate than they should be, roughly equal to the Lee 1 oz at a modest 50 metres, at anything more from my smooth bore guns, is a crap shoot.

I am interested in doing a couple of single shot shotguns I have up as sluggers with shorter barrels & rifle sights. Just as a novelty thing really but curious to see the results & maybe use them on a few Hares for giggles. I'm Christchurch based & would be keen to load some up or buy slugs or pool resources to load up some with other forum members as I have trapshooting reloading gear ( lots of wads, shot in various sizes, primers & shells. Just need powder to suit)

Next time I get the pot out, I'll cast up some 1oz Lee Keydrives and send you some down to try.

Cheers, that would be fantastic.

I've been having a bit of fun with a pedersoli muzzle loading shotgun lately and patched 16 gauge round ball slugs. The accuracy with just the bead is 6 shots into a 10 inch circle at 50 yards next step is to fit a low profile rear sight to see how much better it can get.

I went through a phase of all kind of crazy testing in my younger years.
Loads of wax/pellet slugs and the like - most interesting though, 15mm socket actually makes a good mould for a pretty decent slug. Amusing at short range, tumbles at any distance.