Wow! As of 6 days ago I started reloading for my 20 gauge with a Lee Load-All II. 19.0 grains of Longshot and 1 oz. of #6 shot. Squirrel season opens in 14 days and I AM READY!!!
luckywyatt - These new Russian molds making the Russian slugs and then joining up the mated tail wads is a whole new world of accuracy beating any previous home cast slug previously available. Good shootin' to ya, FC Steve
I was just about to leave a comment on the video regarding the lee 1oz vs 7/8oz slugs. I had already bought the 1oz mold by the time I watched that unfortunately. Anyway I decided to machine a new aluminum insert for the mold that got rid of the key and made the walls thinner. This made the new slug the mold cast super nose heavy and reduced its weight to .86oz. This modification took the 1ft groups I was getting at 35 yards down to about 3in groups. I'm not sure if the wad was getting shoved into the base of the slug or what but that's quite a substantial difference given I'm not a very good shot. If your interested I'd be happy to send pictures.
MOO Tech - No need to send pictures - your word is good for me. There have been reports from some shooters of getting fine accuracy with Lee and Lyman reload slugs - even with the jerryrigged trap wads and all - and much has been tried with wads and spacers to get those wads to work with those slugs. What it boils down to is that there are some barrels out there that have some kind of magic in them that gets good results with those. But those are rare. Don't let go of that barrel..!! And keep shooting those loads. Meeting or exceeding factory proprietary slug systems has been extremely difficult for the vast number of shooters - we were simply happy to be able to shoot our reload slugs for 1/10th the cost of factory slugs so we accepted the accuracy/power limitations. Now, with these Russian home cast slugs, the game has changed. Best to ya, FC Steve
Well my friend,it was yourself and a few other good men who taught me how to reload and really have fun on a budget with range scrap, making my own bullet's and buckshot and slug's,pistol and rifle ammo and how to be safe while doing it, I LOVE reloading and going and shooting the ammo I have made with my own two hand's ,you have saved me incredible amount's of time in mistake making and avoiding the danger's only experience can teach with your informative video's....which I might add is extremely satisfying! . I cannot thank you enough FC Steve........KEEP ON ROCKING IT!........FortuneCookie45LC..............
One thing worth mentioning about picking up shotgun hulls, sometimes it might be worthwhile to just purchase brand new primed hulls, they come with the primers already in them and do not require hazmat shipping. And can sometimes be had for only a few dollars per hundred over the cost of 209 primers alone. That way, no time wasted searching and hoping and you can start off with the brand new hull of your choosing to match the load data you have.... but of course, if they are laying there once fired, pick em up!
spyderxtra777 - Great point on those primed hulls...plus they take roll or fold crimps very nicely. Nothing wrong with starting with new hulls at all - they are a pleasure to use. Good reloadin' to ya, FC Steve
Cookie, Thanks for setting the sparks on an old pile of timber, many of us never explore the aspect of shotshell loading. You are correct in the statement that bird and target shotshells that are sold nowadays in value packs negates any savings for general fun shooting or hunting. the only thing you can improve by crafting your own shot loadings is the level of quality of components used for better-tailored performance. I like how you brought to the dining table and carved up the fact that those shells can be loaded with no tool or expensive fancy stuff to buy and ranges will encourage you to take those empty's off their hands. shotshell loading is a recipe that needs to be followed and reading the manuals is in your better interest, not just because of safety, also because of wasted components that simply do not perform as an assembled combination. $$$$ down the drain. I believe that loading shotshell is an endeavor to make better quality at a cheaper price when it comes to performance loading for shooting. It still has its merit and worthwhile to do. Btw, on a personal note, I have Two new over/under shotguns, my first one was a Tristar Hunter, overall a value priced gun for the money, lots of features of the higher priced guns, and I also spent a little bit more and Got a CZ woodcock model, it is a grade of gun that is made for shooting, It has a heavier heft to it and ejectors for field use, good solid fitting and quality that is parsimonious with what CZ puts their name on. Dave.
The cheap bulk pack promo ammo rarely functions well in semi-auto shotguns, with a few auto-regulating designs being the exceptions. I have one that allegedly has a gas setting for low-brass shells, and it still won't run the cheap stuff well.
TA - Thanks, Dave -- I realized that this video seemed to suggest that we just scoop in some powder - any powder in any amount and then start stuffing in any wad and any shot. I'll put a disclaimer in the description post haste... Have a great Labor Day weekend, Dave -- Steve
Cookie, I didn't say that as a correction to you (As a recipe and read the books), however, you are right, That is something I believe we all do somewhere in our videos. So, I wasn't correcting you. It's all good dude. Btw, I have made my first batch of shot. Turned out pretty good, It is #8 for target shooting, I have a lot to learn about using the shot maker, It's not like a casting furnace. I have a few lessons that are time savers, one of them is it's in your best interest to use as small ingots of material as you can, The Ladle as they call it (Melting Pan) needs to heat up and stay hot. adding an ingot just cools the whole process down and you end up with stuff that looks like popcorn kernels, all of that gets into your good shot and is a hassle to sort out, also, sorting shot, I need to get a sieve to weed out the bigger pellets that are dribblings. These can be had on eBay for not much money. speeds things up. (I need to save some of my commentaries for my video or this could go on like a book). anyway. You have a friend in the shot business now. Dave.
_Suburban_, Right now I don't have an autoloader. However, you hit something that a lot of guys complain about, The low-cost stuff that is value packaged is "Promotion" ammo and is loaded with seconds of wads and hulls, it's material that is overage and they need to move it. also, cheap is what it is at the end of the day,, Cheap and problematic on performance. I use over/under shotguns, they seem to be what everyone likes, But a few people are shooting 1100's or other semiautos, You have to work more with loading and unloading because it is a manual deal. But 99% of no half ejected shell or jams. Thanks for your comments and advice. Dave.
I reload lead 7.5 shot. I don't care if it's more expensive to reload. I have a load that shoots really well out of my gun, and that's worth the extra money to me. Plus, knowing how, and then having something to do on my spare time is worth it...
It's been argued that reloading 9mm is dumb because it's so cheap to buy new. Yeah, well many service pistols will choke on the cheap promo ammo, and most of it gives rather poor accuracy anyway. There's a lot more to good ammo than price, which is why I've loaded something like 25,000 rounds of 9mm.
@@TheSuburban15 I also reload 9mm, and I can buy factory new through my work for $9 per 50 rounds. I get better accuracy loading my own 9mm than I've ever gotten from factory pistol ammo-- which makes it worth it. My loads also cost $8.07/50 rounds 😊
I also buy shot when I have $10 off a $50 purchase at Sportsman's Warehouse, so I buy a bag of shot and wads and save $10. My target shotgun loads cost $5.63... a little more than cheap Walmart ammo, but it shoots much better.
Keith Gee - One real good thing about our own shotshell reloads is that we can use the harder magnum shot - the patterns are better and more dense, and we get the best clay busting and terminal effects with the harder shot. When I was in trap competition, the best shooters only used the best factory target loads - winning and losing margins were one bird. Best to ya, FC Steve
I finally scored a deal like you're always talking about. A friend of a friend had a flood in his house and it destroyed all his slug ammo. So my friend said he'd take them, knowing he was going to give them to me. I pulled the slugs and wads, which click together/apart. The powder in every one of them was a solid chunk, water damaged. I haven't decided if I'm going to load them up or melt them down. Good score either way.
LIVIN CINCY - Thanks for the chuckles guys, I just realized that I'm also shooting 44 Russian and some steel core Russian ammo. I know it sounds like some collusion going on...hmmm just got done watching The Hunt For Red October again, plus there was that vodka martini I had at the party two weeks ago ...hmmm..what party was that?? Somebody can indeed make a case out of this...hmmm what case was that?? lol, I think... FC Steve
Michael G - Thanks for the chuckles guys, I just realized that I'm also shooting 44 Russian and some steel core Russian ammo. I know it sounds like some collusion going on...hmmm just got done watching The Hunt For Red October again, plus there was that vodka martini I had at the party two weeks ago ...hmmm..what party was that?? Somebody can indeed make a case out of this...hmmm what case was that?? lol, I think... FC Steve
We do not speak of the Hunt for Red October in Cincinnati,.. We have not a a Red October since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Red's have been a horrible baseball team longer than the Ice Age in the 1970's. Our only hope is for the Ice Age to return and the Big Red Machine rises from lower sea levels. Or the return of the Soviet Empire. thespeechatimeforchoosing.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/time-magazine-coming-ice-age-cover.jpg?w=500
I'm still working out all the science of slug and buck reloading. I have saved up a ton of Remington & AA hulls which dont really work on my lee slugs. What can I use all the AA & Remington tapered hulls for?
thanks for the vid Steve ! I have been reloading slugs for a couple of years now, as that's the only shotgun load allowed on the indoor range I use. I cast my own, and press the top of the shell completely open so the slug is showing which speeds ups the approval process... not sure of the accuracy, but I can hit the chest area at 25 yrds, which is good enough for me :-)
Joe P - If you get a chance to load these Russian slugs, you will find that you will be able to hit the individual shirt buttons if you wish. Good shootin' to ya, Steve
Bubba Rountree Outdoors - Wade - I'm glad you have these...tell all your friends, we now have home cast slugs that will outshoot any Lee or Lyman slug like they are stuck in the dark ages. Be sure you have the mated tail wads (DGS style) or screw on (frangible style). Based on repeated 3 and 5 shot group testing I just completed with the DGS style Russian, my conclusions are that - we do our part, these slugs will bring home the venison or bacon with full confidence and reliability 100% out to 85 yards. -- This is with smoothbore Benelli Nova and rifled Mossberg. I'd be interested to see your results, and your video on this - more data is good for everybody. Best to ya, Steve
Did you get to video the accuracy tests Steve?? I would love to see that my brother! I hope to get to the family range soon to test these slugs out! Gun season opened this weekend and we are wide open now... Take care over there my friend! Wade
I’ve worked up a couple good kids with these. These are the Russian Svarog hollow point segmenting slug. Since this is a plumbata-styled slug, these are suitable to shoot from both smooth and rifled barrels. Of course, accuracy will vary depending on powder used and rifling twist. -Leon Buck and Slug Reloaders.
Funny enough I just ordered 25 lbs of lead. Zip metals. Pure lead is the way to go. Thanks for the info on the Lee 12 gauge load all. I keep crushing the cases. Maybe I need to finger load and do one final crimp I don't know
Robert Sanchez - Crushed cases sounds like you are getting collapsed fold crimps...means your payload column height is too short. You will need to put in an over powder obturation wad and then some fiber spacer wads to get your crimps right...or you will need to shorten the hulls and readjust your crimp. If your crimps do not close, means your height is too much. Hope this helps... FC Steve
Even if you don't reload just pick then up whether or not it's yours . Also a lot of places will recycl them as long as you remove the brass from the plastic and the primers . Then recycle them separately ( throwing away the primers ).
Very good video.. shooting shotguns is such a blast! I'm glad you mentioned not needing a press to reload. I think alot of people think that it takes special tools and equipment. Are those Russian slugs a nose heavy hollow base design? Have you had a chance to test accuracy? Personally.. I have not found a slug that I'm happy with. My best performance comes from round balls or chewed balls. 3 to 4 inch groups, 50 yards, smooth bore, bead sight,... all day long. The other hulls I use are all brass. Add a base wad, redrill to fit 209 primers load as usual. You will never wear them out, unless you damage one by stepping on it or the like. Thanks for the video...
_Suburban_ - Yes, you can do that (you'll still need published loading data, of course), and your tabletop reloads work best in manual feed single and double guns...but sooner or later, we'll want to use tools and equipment better suited to the job especially if you run an autoloader or pump gun - that's why the video mentioned the Lee Loader (no longer made in 12 gauge) and Lee Load-All. I personally use a MEC and a Dillon shotshell presses. Have a great day, FC Steve
shadowcastre - Yes, have tested the Russian home cast slugs in 3 and 5 shot groups at 25 and 50 yards. They shoot safe, reliable and best of all splendid accuracy to rival and equal the many factory slugs that I have run in the past. Outshoot factory..?? Probably not as factory slugs are as accurate and powerful as any slugs can get. As you know, we can beat factory performance in rifle and handgun with our tailored ammo, but shotguns are a totally different world that the factories kept to themselves - until now. We can blow them out of the water with our home cast Russian slugs. Best to ya, Steve
Can you replace the lead shot with solid lead slug or lead ball and replicate the recipe for shot with slug ??? ( the same weight of the slug as the recipe tells for shot ???)
Another great video Cookie. I'm in the process of getting into slug reloads. I've got the Lee Load All II, hulls, powder primers and and the Lee 7/8 ounce slugs. I've also purchased a punch die from TATV Canada for making my own shot cards, filler or cork/felt undershot cards. I'm having trouble finding a good start point for powder charges. I purchased a Lyman manual, but of course it has no data on the Lee slug of my choice. Any good thoughts? I've got Hodgdon Long shot and a few pounds of Unique, many one piece hulls and some with plastic base wads. I plan on using 12S3 wads or WAA12, filler/nitro card if needed with a Win. 209 to make it go bang. The punch die I picked up from TATV Canada is an awesome tool, worth checking out. Makes shot cards with a lot less banging then the traditional hammer/punch set...its actually a joy to use. Again, great video. I know loaders dont like sharing load recipes but any insight woud be a great help. Thanks for all you do!
avid huntr1016 - There is the Lee data available in the instruction sheets that came with the mold - or on the Lee Precision website for the 7/8 oz slug. The BPI Slug Loading Manual gives 29 grains of Green Dot for 1505 fps, 22 grains of Red Dot / Rem STS hulls or Win AA hulls / 1415 fps with BPI wads. Of course, you should start 10% less and work up. I've had success with the Lee 7/8 (it shoots better for me than the 1 oz) slug 19.1 to 20 grains of Red Dot in the Win AA or Rem Unibody cases and the Fed 12S0 wads (fits the 7/8 oz Lee slug nicely) and fold crimps for 1225 fps - great range load that you can shoot all day without loosening the fillings in the back teeth. You can hunt short range deer or hogs with that as well. Note: that's actually the start load for the BPI data. Best to ya, FC Steve
It does make sense to load birdshot in Cowboy Action Shooting. The double-barreled shotguns in CAS can only have extractors, not ejectors, so it's important to use premium hulls that fall out of the chambers easily. I reload Win. XX hulls which drop out easily. The cheaper Win. Universals are stickier and usually have to be plucked out with your fingers. As the vid illustrates, when loading buck or slugs you save a ton of money over buying factory.
Hey Steve, you mentioned something I was going to ask you about. When I was talking with a friend I mentioned I was having problems in cleaning my 12 gauge guns of the plastic fouling at the muzzle end of the barrel. He told me he heard to help with that put an over powder cork or plastic wad filler and that will help. Any thoughts, will that help ?
Nick J - How ya doin' Gig Hrbor..!! Some of the worse cleaning jobs of shotgunning is after a trap tournament ( approx 400 rounds fired), the muzzle end choke tubes had to be cleaned of the plastic fouling...A brass brush back and forth takes lots of work. Best to use some Ed's Red that has the acetone in the mix, take an old aluminum cleaning rod, cut the handle off and chuck it in an electric drill....then run a 12 gauge brush into the choke tube with the electric drill until the choke tube gets nice and warm - use the Ed's Red acetone dissolves plastic. A bigger rod made just for that is called the brass brute and it cleans out the barrel the same way - with the electric drill. Wads keeping the fouling down is left over black powder principles - you can't clean plastic with plastic, and the cork has no real cleaning aspects to it. On the trap circuits, we just shot the target loads and cleaned the guns with our brass brutes afterwards. Acetone is nasty and needs to be used outdoors. Best to ya, Steve
Nick J - You can do the same with any 12 gauge cleaning rod, but the Brass Brute has a chamber bore guide that is handy. We can do the same with an empty hull drilled out or simply use our gloved fingers as a guide. At any rate, cleaning our choke tubes with the electric drill is simple, easy and fast. Best to ya, Steve
Hey Steve, thanks for all the info. Are you still able to get this Brass Brute ? All is well in Gig Harbor :-) They told me the wads over the powder would lesson the amount of plastic fouling at the end of the barrel !
Thank You FC Steve I Can Definitely Get Behind The Reloading Of Shotgun Hulls I’ve Got 3 Winchester M 12 Shotguns I Use One Exclusively For Slugs n Buckshot 😀👍🏼
CC - Congrats on your M12s - if there ever was an American Classic shotgun, the M12 is one of the first that comes to mind. Continued good shootin' to ya, Steve
JCM45 - I have big plastic storage bins where I keep my once fired Winchester, Remington, Fiocchi and Federal slug hulls. I don't reserve the Federals for anything in particular...but the Federals are really good for any slug loads requiring a shorter shell...trimming shot shell hulls is a huge bother. Have a great day, Steve
MCK - Yes, indeed - it's really funny that the 410 is smaller and less in the way of components, but the shells cost as much as the bigger... you should show the tools you use in a video... Best to ya, FC Steve
Not really necessary at all! But powder coated slugs sure look cool & there is little to no lead fowling in the barrel or choke. That would be the only benefit to PC a slug. IMHO
Jimmy Tomlinson - In my own testing, PC slugs add nothing when in shot cups. However, with these bore riding Russian slugs and especially in rifled barrels, PC may very well have some effects - bears testing to see. Best to ya, FC Steve
I purchased a Lee load all do to your older reload videos I found it is very easy and takes me almost no time at all to reload I go to a old levy where people use lots of shot guns but never clean up after themselves I use a large magnet on a rope and pick em up I will have a shopping bag or to every visit Great video once more you need to make a book so you're knolige is not lost tips and tricks of reloading
Exploring With Larry - The steel used in the bases of those shot shells allows you to pick 'em up with that magnet of yours...neat way to help reduce the mess left behind. That Lee Load All is a nice way to go. When I started to shoot more shotgunning, I found I needed to go to the MEC, but then when I started trap competition, I went to the Dillon. Thanks for your kine remarks - Happy Labor Day weekend to ya..!! FC Steve
Andrew Desaulniers - I was going to do just that, but when I went to order, it was then that I had misread the cost - the price was not by the 5 pound bar, but rather the 1 pound ingot...so the cost of the bismuth was 5X the lead alloys. It's too expensive to cast - might as well buy factory non lead bullets. Good castin' to ya, FC Steve
I started collecting equipment and materials this week to start loading my own shotshells. I got sick of paying big money for buckshot and slugs. the fact that im helping the environment is a good bonus. I noticed federal and cheddite is putting out paper hulls again, I wonder if they anticipate a backlash from all the plastic waste on the ranges. Anyways man great video, earned a sub. I cant wait to get on the bench and experiment with my own custom rounds.
Steve I have a topic suggestion for you. I am a California hunter. Sept-1st 2018 is the last year we can use lead shot to hunt Dove.BTW it was outstanding yesterday in the Central Valley hunts. In 2019 all hunting must be done with non lead shot. The current average dove load round at Wal-Mart is around 25 cents each after tax. That's the best price I can find and has been consistent over the last few years. With the coming of steel only and only for California the price per round will go up tremendously. Can you do a topic review about the viability and the cost affectless of loading our own steel shot. I can't think of anyone more qualified than you to do this type of analysis on TH-cam.
Big JJ - Thanks for the kind remarks. I've done videos on the cost savings of reloading shotshells before, and most found the subject boring. It will not be long before steel shot will be required for all our shotgunning...right now, we can still use lead at our clay bird shooting venues. The cost for loading our own lead shot shells would be as follows: 15 cents for the shot charge, 3 cents each for powder, wad and 4 cents for primer on average bulk buy. Hulls cost 0. So the cost for our reload lead shot shells is roughly 25 cents matching the cheapest factory shot shells - hence no savings loading our own. We could use reclaimed shot, but we really don't improve our shooting that way. Note, if we cast our own slugs, our reload slugs cost roughly 12 cents a shot (more powder needed) or roughly 1/10th the cost of factory slugs. Now with steel, the cost of steel shot is actually a little less than lead (depends on the price of lead that actually fluctuates), but more steel shot is needed to get the same performance (often with larger shot size as well) - plus we need more powder for the 3 and 3 1/2" shells often used. We might be able to save 3 or 4 cents per shell if we reload our steel for hunting applications. Our savings for steel target loads would be higher. But if we want to excel in competition, we need to shoot factory shells only so the point there is moot. For informal target shooting, our target steel loads will yield us 5 to 6 cents a shot savings - worthwhile if an entire family shoots a lot of clays for fun. But once anyone gets serious, the switchover to factory shells is inevitable. There was a time years ago, when we clay shooters started the season off by buying 3 big jugs of Red Dot powder and 300 pounds of magnum shot and couple cases of WAA12 wads. It took a lot of shooting to amortize the cost of the big Dillon press. But we were the shooters that fed money into the trap tournaments with the only returns being a belt buckle every now and then in the lower divisions. When you get down to it, reloading shot shotshells is not worth the time spent unless someone simply wants to do that. Now cast bullets and cast slugs really does save money allowing much more shooting handguns and shotguns. And reloading rifles allows better performance than factory. Have a great day, Steve
FortuneCookie45LC Thank you for the info. I have came to the exact same conclusions that you just expressed about lead shot ammo. My point being is next year in Cali only you will see the final phase of the total switch over to non lead for all hunting. When this happens you will have to pay a very high price for steel shot shells when hunting dove. When you compare the current price of the lead shot ammo to the current price of the steel shot ammo there is a difference of $5 to $8 a box more than the regular ammo that we are now using. This price difference should open room for the reloader to realize a substantial saving by reloading steel shot for Cali bird hunting. We will have to wait a see what the best pricing will be at the box stores next year to make that determination. Thank you for your time and patience.
Big JJ - I once read an article from a noted gun writer (can't remember the exact guy though) that said for bigger game rifle hunting, once we get our loads set, we don't fire that many rounds...so any savings in reloading really don't amount to much in comparison to what we are spending on the whole hunt in the first place. Even if we shoot a couple of boxes of shot shells during a bird hunt, just buying the factory shells is OK. It's when they make us use steel for clay target games, then the cost savings per the lot of shells would be substantial enough to reload for money savings alone. What it really boils down to is if we enjoy reloading...then the satisfaction to us is max worth all the time and effort. Serious shotgun competition shooters use only the best factory shells. None of our Olympic shooters would dream of shooting any kind of reloads even for practice. Best to ya, FC Steve
Psyko Klown - Those Russian slug molds are simply the way to go. Jeff didn't feature shooting groups or chrono on those slugs. I've already done the 3 and 5 shot group testing at 25 and 50 yards - the Russian slugs shot very well from both smooth and rifled barrels. I'm going to have to get that mold myself... Best to ya, Steve
I was surprised that he didn't chrono them, and I don't think they ever shoot groups, but they it was easy to see that they were accurate. It's great to hear that they grouped well in your testing. It seems that the Russians really know their slugs, as they've developed several good shooters over the years.
Psyko Klown - In my group shooting at 50 yards, it was easy to see that the slug impact that Jeff was getting made a lot of sense...Best to ya, PK..!! -- Steve
I learned how to load shot-shell from this channel I have a bunch of stuff I don"t use any more but I do have a Russian roll-crimper and a field loader that is kind of cool. By the Way This is Matt Lord. I started a channel and this is my first comment from it. Did you see the mountains of shot-shells they have in England? Happy reloading.
If you want better performance and shot patterns , which constitutes be hits, you need to reload shotgun shells. Promo or cheap shells do not contain the components that the more expensive shells do.
Psyko Klown - Hello to the Psyko Klown..!! Jeff didn't get a chance to shoot groups or chrono them. So I went ahead and did that...these Russian slugs shot splendidly. I'm ready for 85 yard mule deer or big hogs - they are as good as bagged. -- Steve
Franco Barrientos - Taofledermaus -Jeff didn't get a chance to shoot groups or chrono them. So I went ahead and did that...these Russian slugs shot splendidly. -- FC Steve
Knowing that the plastic is bad for the environment, now is the time to develop and lead the change ahead of the authorities, in replacing the plastic with paper or metal. it gives us environmental support when the anti gun lobby starts from that angle and they will!! Good to see a video on youtube, keep them coming.
Chris Smith - Right you are, but it's hard to score any points at all with the anti-gun crowd. If we go to paper, we will have come full circle...Paper shot shells were what was used for many decades before plastic came along. Best to ya, FC Steve
Mold and components (especially the wads) are still too pricey for my taste. Someone needs to replicate the design and start making these stateside. Great channel, BTW
carl everhart - Haven't seen "Biodegradable" on the packaging as of yet, but there might be some of that out there. We may very well return to paper hulls at some point. Best to ya, FC Steve
Wow! As of 6 days ago I started reloading for my 20 gauge with a Lee Load-All II. 19.0 grains of Longshot and 1 oz. of #6 shot. Squirrel season opens in 14 days and I AM READY!!!
Warblade357 - Good huntin' to ya, FC Steve
Thanks, your videos years back got me into shot shell (slug) reloading. Opened up a whole new door to my shooting / reloading enthusiasm.
luckywyatt - These new Russian molds making the Russian slugs and then joining up the mated tail wads is a whole new world of accuracy beating any previous home cast slug previously available. Good shootin' to ya, FC Steve
I was just about to leave a comment on the video regarding the lee 1oz vs 7/8oz slugs. I had already bought the 1oz mold by the time I watched that unfortunately. Anyway I decided to machine a new aluminum insert for the mold that got rid of the key and made the walls thinner. This made the new slug the mold cast super nose heavy and reduced its weight to .86oz. This modification took the 1ft groups I was getting at 35 yards down to about 3in groups. I'm not sure if the wad was getting shoved into the base of the slug or what but that's quite a substantial difference given I'm not a very good shot. If your interested I'd be happy to send pictures.
MOO Tech - No need to send pictures - your word is good for me. There have been reports from some shooters of getting fine accuracy with Lee and Lyman reload slugs - even with the jerryrigged trap wads and all - and much has been tried with wads and spacers to get those wads to work with those slugs. What it boils down to is that there are some barrels out there that have some kind of magic in them that gets good results with those. But those are rare. Don't let go of that barrel..!! And keep shooting those loads. Meeting or exceeding factory proprietary slug systems has been extremely difficult for the vast number of shooters - we were simply happy to be able to shoot our reload slugs for 1/10th the cost of factory slugs so we accepted the accuracy/power limitations. Now, with these Russian home cast slugs, the game has changed. Best to ya, FC Steve
Well my friend,it was yourself and a few other good men who taught me how to reload and really have fun on a budget with range scrap, making my own bullet's and buckshot and slug's,pistol and rifle ammo and how to be safe while doing it, I LOVE reloading and going and shooting the ammo I have made with my own two hand's ,you have saved me incredible amount's of time in mistake making and avoiding the danger's only experience can teach with your informative video's....which I might add is extremely satisfying! . I cannot thank you enough FC Steve........KEEP ON ROCKING IT!........FortuneCookie45LC..............
Fantastic video ! Cover all the bases here, with info almost never heard elsewhere. Thank you.
One thing worth mentioning about picking up shotgun hulls, sometimes it might be worthwhile to just purchase brand new primed hulls, they come with the primers already in them and do not require hazmat shipping. And can sometimes be had for only a few dollars per hundred over the cost of 209 primers alone. That way, no time wasted searching and hoping and you can start off with the brand new hull of your choosing to match the load data you have.... but of course, if they are laying there once fired, pick em up!
spyderxtra777 - Great point on those primed hulls...plus they take roll or fold crimps very nicely. Nothing wrong with starting with new hulls at all - they are a pleasure to use. Good reloadin' to ya, FC Steve
Cookie, Thanks for setting the sparks on an old pile of timber, many of us never explore the aspect of shotshell loading. You are correct in the statement that bird and target shotshells that are sold nowadays in value packs negates any savings for general fun shooting or hunting. the only thing you can improve by crafting your own shot loadings is the level of quality of components used for better-tailored performance. I like how you brought to the dining table and carved up the fact that those shells can be loaded with no tool or expensive fancy stuff to buy and ranges will encourage you to take those empty's off their hands. shotshell loading is a recipe that needs to be followed and reading the manuals is in your better interest, not just because of safety, also because of wasted components that simply do not perform as an assembled combination. $$$$ down the drain. I believe that loading shotshell is an endeavor to make better quality at a cheaper price when it comes to performance loading for shooting. It still has its merit and worthwhile to do. Btw, on a personal note, I have Two new over/under shotguns, my first one was a Tristar Hunter, overall a value priced gun for the money, lots of features of the higher priced guns, and I also spent a little bit more and Got a CZ woodcock model, it is a grade of gun that is made for shooting, It has a heavier heft to it and ejectors for field use, good solid fitting and quality that is parsimonious with what CZ puts their name on. Dave.
The cheap bulk pack promo ammo rarely functions well in semi-auto shotguns, with a few auto-regulating designs being the exceptions. I have one that allegedly has a gas setting for low-brass shells, and it still won't run the cheap stuff well.
TA - Thanks, Dave -- I realized that this video seemed to suggest that we just scoop in some powder - any powder in any amount and then start stuffing in any wad and any shot. I'll put a disclaimer in the description post haste... Have a great Labor Day weekend, Dave -- Steve
Cookie, I didn't say that as a correction to you (As a recipe and read the books), however, you are right, That is something I believe we all do somewhere in our videos. So, I wasn't correcting you. It's all good dude. Btw, I have made my first batch of shot. Turned out pretty good, It is #8 for target shooting, I have a lot to learn about using the shot maker, It's not like a casting furnace. I have a few lessons that are time savers, one of them is it's in your best interest to use as small ingots of material as you can, The Ladle as they call it (Melting Pan) needs to heat up and stay hot. adding an ingot just cools the whole process down and you end up with stuff that looks like popcorn kernels, all of that gets into your good shot and is a hassle to sort out, also, sorting shot, I need to get a sieve to weed out the bigger pellets that are dribblings. These can be had on eBay for not much money. speeds things up. (I need to save some of my commentaries for my video or this could go on like a book). anyway. You have a friend in the shot business now. Dave.
_Suburban_, Right now I don't have an autoloader. However, you hit something that a lot of guys complain about, The low-cost stuff that is value packaged is "Promotion" ammo and is loaded with seconds of wads and hulls, it's material that is overage and they need to move it. also, cheap is what it is at the end of the day,, Cheap and problematic on performance. I use over/under shotguns, they seem to be what everyone likes, But a few people are shooting 1100's or other semiautos, You have to work more with loading and unloading because it is a manual deal. But 99% of no half ejected shell or jams. Thanks for your comments and advice. Dave.
Cookie and Thor are both a wealth of knowledge and great assets to the shooting/reloading community. God bless you both :-D
I reload lead 7.5 shot. I don't care if it's more expensive to reload. I have a load that shoots really well out of my gun, and that's worth the extra money to me. Plus, knowing how, and then having something to do on my spare time is worth it...
It's been argued that reloading 9mm is dumb because it's so cheap to buy new. Yeah, well many service pistols will choke on the cheap promo ammo, and most of it gives rather poor accuracy anyway. There's a lot more to good ammo than price, which is why I've loaded something like 25,000 rounds of 9mm.
@@TheSuburban15 I also reload 9mm, and I can buy factory new through my work for $9 per 50 rounds. I get better accuracy loading my own 9mm than I've ever gotten from factory pistol ammo-- which makes it worth it. My loads also cost $8.07/50 rounds 😊
I also buy shot when I have $10 off a $50 purchase at Sportsman's Warehouse, so I buy a bag of shot and wads and save $10. My target shotgun loads cost $5.63... a little more than cheap Walmart ammo, but it shoots much better.
Keith Gee - One real good thing about our own shotshell reloads is that we can use the harder magnum shot - the patterns are better and more dense, and we get the best clay busting and terminal effects with the harder shot. When I was in trap competition, the best shooters only used the best factory target loads - winning and losing margins were one bird. Best to ya, FC Steve
excellent share. So what would you do to trim down a shotgun shell to your desired length?
I finally scored a deal like you're always talking about. A friend of a friend had a flood in his house and it destroyed all his slug ammo. So my friend said he'd take them, knowing he was going to give them to me. I pulled the slugs and wads, which click together/apart. The powder in every one of them was a solid chunk, water damaged.
I haven't decided if I'm going to load them up or melt them down. Good score either way.
spraynpray - Nice score on that lead. That flood was a misfortune, but at least you can recycle the lead....Best to ya, FC Steve
Thanks again for another great video and informing the masses not just on loading but on the plastic waste.
Dateline The Hot Lead Zone
Fortune Cookie 45LC linked to Russians thru Thor's Axe's Russian Slug Mold.
Film at 11...
I think they got Elvis Ammo when he went to Wally World this summer.
LIVIN CINCY - Thanks for the chuckles guys, I just realized that I'm also shooting 44 Russian and some steel core Russian ammo. I know it sounds like some collusion going on...hmmm just got done watching The Hunt For Red October again, plus there was that vodka martini I had at the party two weeks ago ...hmmm..what party was that?? Somebody can indeed make a case out of this...hmmm what case was that?? lol, I think... FC Steve
Michael G - Thanks for the chuckles guys, I just realized that I'm also shooting 44 Russian and some steel core Russian ammo. I know it sounds like some collusion going on...hmmm just got done watching The Hunt For Red October again, plus there was that vodka martini I had at the party two weeks ago ...hmmm..what party was that?? Somebody can indeed make a case out of this...hmmm what case was that?? lol, I think... FC Steve
We do not speak of the Hunt for Red October in Cincinnati,.. We have not a a Red October since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Red's have been a horrible baseball team longer than the Ice Age in the 1970's. Our only hope is for the Ice Age to return and the Big Red Machine rises from lower sea levels. Or the return of the Soviet Empire.
thespeechatimeforchoosing.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/time-magazine-coming-ice-age-cover.jpg?w=500
Fine.... send me the hulls
I'm still working out all the science of slug and buck reloading. I have saved up a ton of Remington & AA hulls which dont really work on my lee slugs. What can I use all the AA & Remington tapered hulls for?
Buckshot
thanks for the vid Steve ! I have been reloading slugs for a couple of years now, as that's the only shotgun load allowed on the indoor range I use. I cast my own, and press the top of the shell completely open so the slug is showing which speeds ups the approval process... not sure of the accuracy, but I can hit the chest area at 25 yrds, which is good enough for me :-)
Joe P - If you get a chance to load these Russian slugs, you will find that you will be able to hit the individual shirt buttons if you wish. Good shootin' to ya, Steve
Where do we get the Russian mold?
The infamous Russian Mold.
eBay is the only source I know of
DaveTex2375 - And I hear that the Russian mold is much nastier than the regular molds we might run into...lol. Have a great day, FC Steve
spyderxtra777 - Going to have to get my own Russian molds now...Best to ya..!! -- Steve
When ya do please make a video of it I need to know the details.
Do you need high brass shells for buck shot and slugs?
Can I use black powder with slugs
Awesome point Steve!! A buddy sent me some of those Russian slugs but I haven't tried them yet.
Hello to ya, Wade...And a great Bar-B-Que and Grill Labor Day weekend to all y'all..southern style..!! -- Steve
Bubba Rountree Outdoors - Wade - I'm glad you have these...tell all your friends, we now have home cast slugs that will outshoot any Lee or Lyman slug like they are stuck in the dark ages. Be sure you have the mated tail wads (DGS style) or screw on (frangible style). Based on repeated 3 and 5 shot group testing I just completed with the DGS style Russian, my conclusions are that - we do our part, these slugs will bring home the venison or bacon with full confidence and reliability 100% out to 85 yards. -- This is with smoothbore Benelli Nova and rifled Mossberg. I'd be interested to see your results, and your video on this - more data is good for everybody. Best to ya, Steve
Did you get to video the accuracy tests Steve?? I would love to see that my brother! I hope to get to the family range soon to test these slugs out! Gun season opened this weekend and we are wide open now... Take care over there my friend! Wade
Bubba Rountree Outdoors hey Wade, are those the ones I sent you?
I’ve worked up a couple good kids with these. These are the Russian Svarog hollow point segmenting slug.
Since this is a plumbata-styled slug, these are suitable to shoot from both smooth and rifled barrels.
Of course, accuracy will vary depending on powder used and rifling twist.
-Leon
Buck and Slug Reloaders.
Funny enough I just ordered 25 lbs of lead. Zip metals. Pure lead is the way to go. Thanks for the info on the Lee 12 gauge load all. I keep crushing the cases. Maybe I need to finger load and do one final crimp I don't know
@@bradwagner6876 zip-metals
Robert Sanchez - Crushed cases sounds like you are getting collapsed fold crimps...means your payload column height is too short. You will need to put in an over powder obturation wad and then some fiber spacer wads to get your crimps right...or you will need to shorten the hulls and readjust your crimp. If your crimps do not close, means your height is too much. Hope this helps... FC Steve
Even if you don't reload just pick then up whether or not it's yours . Also a lot of places will recycl them as long as you remove the brass from the plastic and the primers . Then recycle them separately ( throwing away the primers ).
Mad Sexy - You've taken the plastics policy to a higher level... Best to ya, FC Steve
@@FortuneCookie45LC thank you
Very good video.. shooting shotguns is such a blast!
I'm glad you mentioned not needing a press to reload. I think alot of people think that it takes special tools and equipment.
Are those Russian slugs a nose heavy hollow base design? Have you had a chance to test accuracy?
Personally.. I have not found a slug that I'm happy with. My best performance comes from round balls or chewed balls. 3 to 4 inch groups, 50 yards, smooth bore, bead sight,... all day long.
The other hulls I use are all brass. Add a base wad, redrill to fit 209 primers load as usual. You will never wear them out, unless you damage one by stepping on it or the like.
Thanks for the video...
Never even considered loading shotgun shells without a press. Makes sense now that I know you can do it.
_Suburban_ - Yes, you can do that (you'll still need published loading data, of course), and your tabletop reloads work best in manual feed single and double guns...but sooner or later, we'll want to use tools and equipment better suited to the job especially if you run an autoloader or pump gun - that's why the video mentioned the Lee Loader (no longer made in 12 gauge) and Lee Load-All. I personally use a MEC and a Dillon shotshell presses. Have a great day, FC Steve
shadowcastre - Yes, have tested the Russian home cast slugs in 3 and 5 shot groups at 25 and 50 yards. They shoot safe, reliable and best of all splendid accuracy to rival and equal the many factory slugs that I have run in the past. Outshoot factory..?? Probably not as factory slugs are as accurate and powerful as any slugs can get. As you know, we can beat factory performance in rifle and handgun with our tailored ammo, but shotguns are a totally different world that the factories kept to themselves - until now. We can blow them out of the water with our home cast Russian slugs. Best to ya, Steve
it looks like they are screwed to the wad. What Wad is that?
Can you replace the lead shot with solid lead slug or lead ball and replicate the recipe for shot with slug ??? ( the same weight of the slug as the recipe tells for shot ???)
Another great video Cookie. I'm in the process of getting into slug reloads. I've got the Lee Load All II, hulls, powder primers and and the Lee 7/8 ounce slugs. I've also purchased a punch die from TATV Canada for making my own shot cards, filler or cork/felt undershot cards. I'm having trouble finding a good start point for powder charges. I purchased a Lyman manual, but of course it has no data on the Lee slug of my choice. Any good thoughts? I've got Hodgdon Long shot and a few pounds of Unique, many one piece hulls and some with plastic base wads. I plan on using 12S3 wads or WAA12, filler/nitro card if needed with a Win. 209 to make it go bang. The punch die I picked up from TATV Canada is an awesome tool, worth checking out. Makes shot cards with a lot less banging then the traditional hammer/punch set...its actually a joy to use. Again, great video. I know loaders dont like sharing load recipes but any insight woud be a great help. Thanks for all you do!
avid huntr1016 - There is the Lee data available in the instruction sheets that came with the mold - or on the Lee Precision website for the 7/8 oz slug. The BPI Slug Loading Manual gives 29 grains of Green Dot for 1505 fps, 22 grains of Red Dot / Rem STS hulls or Win AA hulls / 1415 fps with BPI wads. Of course, you should start 10% less and work up. I've had success with the Lee 7/8 (it shoots better for me than the 1 oz) slug 19.1 to 20 grains of Red Dot in the Win AA or Rem Unibody cases and the Fed 12S0 wads (fits the 7/8 oz Lee slug nicely) and fold crimps for 1225 fps - great range load that you can shoot all day without loosening the fillings in the back teeth. You can hunt short range deer or hogs with that as well. Note: that's actually the start load for the BPI data. Best to ya, FC Steve
It does make sense to load birdshot in Cowboy Action Shooting. The double-barreled shotguns in CAS can only have extractors, not ejectors, so it's important to use premium hulls that fall out of the chambers easily. I reload Win. XX hulls which drop out easily. The cheaper Win. Universals are stickier and usually have to be plucked out with your fingers. As the vid illustrates, when loading buck or slugs you save a ton of money over buying factory.
Hey Steve, you mentioned something I was going to ask you about. When I was talking with a friend I mentioned I was having problems in cleaning my 12 gauge guns of the plastic fouling at the muzzle end of the barrel. He told me he heard to help with that put an over powder cork or plastic wad filler and that will help. Any thoughts, will that help ?
Nick J - How ya doin' Gig Hrbor..!! Some of the worse cleaning jobs of shotgunning is after a trap tournament ( approx 400 rounds fired), the muzzle end choke tubes had to be cleaned of the plastic fouling...A brass brush back and forth takes lots of work. Best to use some Ed's Red that has the acetone in the mix, take an old aluminum cleaning rod, cut the handle off and chuck it in an electric drill....then run a 12 gauge brush into the choke tube with the electric drill until the choke tube gets nice and warm - use the Ed's Red acetone dissolves plastic. A bigger rod made just for that is called the brass brute and it cleans out the barrel the same way - with the electric drill. Wads keeping the fouling down is left over black powder principles - you can't clean plastic with plastic, and the cork has no real cleaning aspects to it. On the trap circuits, we just shot the target loads and cleaned the guns with our brass brutes afterwards. Acetone is nasty and needs to be used outdoors. Best to ya, Steve
Thanks FC, things are well in Gig Harbor. Did a little hunting for the Brass Bruit, but no success :-(
Nick J - You can do the same with any 12 gauge cleaning rod, but the Brass Brute has a chamber bore guide that is handy. We can do the same with an empty hull drilled out or simply use our gloved fingers as a guide. At any rate, cleaning our choke tubes with the electric drill is simple, easy and fast. Best to ya, Steve
Hey Steve, thanks for all the info. Are you still able to get this Brass Brute ?
All is well in Gig Harbor :-) They told me the wads over the powder would lesson the amount of plastic fouling at the end of the barrel !
Thank You FC Steve I Can Definitely Get Behind The Reloading Of Shotgun Hulls I’ve Got 3 Winchester M 12 Shotguns I Use One Exclusively For Slugs n Buckshot 😀👍🏼
CC - Congrats on your M12s - if there ever was an American Classic shotgun, the M12 is one of the first that comes to mind. Continued good shootin' to ya, Steve
Excellent info, Cookie. Thanks much! By the way, what do you reserve your Federal hulls for?
JCM45 - I have big plastic storage bins where I keep my once fired Winchester, Remington, Fiocchi and Federal slug hulls. I don't reserve the Federals for anything in particular...but the Federals are really good for any slug loads requiring a shorter shell...trimming shot shell hulls is a huge bother. Have a great day, Steve
Great video, I've worked up a set of tools to reload 12 and .410 definitely worth it for the .410
MCK - Yes, indeed - it's really funny that the 410 is smaller and less in the way of components, but the shells cost as much as the bigger... you should show the tools you use in a video... Best to ya, FC Steve
Would it make any sense to powder coat slugs?
No. If you take a slug apart you'll notice none of them are PC'd
Stephen G. I see. I haven’t really done much with slugs in shotguns. Thanks for the info!
Jimmy Tomlinson PC is handy when you use fiber/paper wads instead of basket plastic wads. I don't think is necessary though.
Not really necessary at all! But powder coated slugs sure look cool & there is little to no lead fowling in the barrel or choke. That would be the only benefit to PC a slug. IMHO
Jimmy Tomlinson - In my own testing, PC slugs add nothing when in shot cups. However, with these bore riding Russian slugs and especially in rifled barrels, PC may very well have some effects - bears testing to see. Best to ya, FC Steve
Hey Steve, I heard you mention the accuracy was impressive, did you do a vid testing these slugs/wads? Hoping to see 'em available on TRN real soon.
I purchased a Lee load all do to your older reload videos I found it is very easy and takes me almost no time at all to reload I go to a old levy where people use lots of shot guns but never clean up after themselves I use a large magnet on a rope and pick em up I will have a shopping bag or to every visit Great video once more you need to make a book so you're knolige is not lost tips and tricks of reloading
Exploring With Larry - The steel used in the bases of those shot shells allows you to pick 'em up with that magnet of yours...neat way to help reduce the mess left behind. That Lee Load All is a nice way to go. When I started to shoot more shotgunning, I found I needed to go to the MEC, but then when I started trap competition, I went to the Dillon. Thanks for your kine remarks - Happy Labor Day weekend to ya..!! FC Steve
Can you do a video of casting with Roto metals lead free alloy
Andrew Desaulniers - I was going to do just that, but when I went to order, it was then that I had misread the cost - the price was not by the 5 pound bar, but rather the 1 pound ingot...so the cost of the bismuth was 5X the lead alloys. It's too expensive to cast - might as well buy factory non lead bullets. Good castin' to ya, FC Steve
I started collecting equipment and materials this week to start loading my own shotshells.
I got sick of paying big money for buckshot and slugs. the fact that im helping the environment is a good bonus.
I noticed federal and cheddite is putting out paper hulls again, I wonder if they anticipate a backlash from all the plastic waste on the ranges.
Anyways man great video, earned a sub. I cant wait to get on the bench and experiment with my own custom rounds.
EXCELLENT VIDEO - Thank You.
Reloading shotgun ammo is so easy and satisfying
Pabcio - Amen to all that, bro... Best to ya, and good reloadin' to ya FC Steve
Steve I have a topic suggestion for you.
I am a California hunter. Sept-1st 2018 is the last year we can use lead shot to hunt Dove.BTW it was outstanding yesterday in the Central Valley hunts.
In 2019 all hunting must be done with non lead shot.
The current average dove load round at Wal-Mart is around 25 cents each after tax.
That's the best price I can find and has been consistent over the last few years.
With the coming of steel only and only for California the price per round will go up tremendously.
Can you do a topic review about the viability and the cost affectless of loading our own steel shot.
I can't think of anyone more qualified than you to do this type of analysis on TH-cam.
Big JJ - Thanks for the kind remarks. I've done videos on the cost savings of reloading shotshells before, and most found the subject boring. It will not be long before steel shot will be required for all our shotgunning...right now, we can still use lead at our clay bird shooting venues. The cost for loading our own lead shot shells would be as follows: 15 cents for the shot charge, 3 cents each for powder, wad and 4 cents for primer on average bulk buy. Hulls cost 0. So the cost for our reload lead shot shells is roughly 25 cents matching the cheapest factory shot shells - hence no savings loading our own. We could use reclaimed shot, but we really don't improve our shooting that way. Note, if we cast our own slugs, our reload slugs cost roughly 12 cents a shot (more powder needed) or roughly 1/10th the cost of factory slugs. Now with steel, the cost of steel shot is actually a little less than lead (depends on the price of lead that actually fluctuates), but more steel shot is needed to get the same performance (often with larger shot size as well) - plus we need more powder for the 3 and 3 1/2" shells often used. We might be able to save 3 or 4 cents per shell if we reload our steel for hunting applications. Our savings for steel target loads would be higher. But if we want to excel in competition, we need to shoot factory shells only so the point there is moot. For informal target shooting, our target steel loads will yield us 5 to 6 cents a shot savings - worthwhile if an entire family shoots a lot of clays for fun. But once anyone gets serious, the switchover to factory shells is inevitable. There was a time years ago, when we clay shooters started the season off by buying 3 big jugs of Red Dot powder and 300 pounds of magnum shot and couple cases of WAA12 wads. It took a lot of shooting to amortize the cost of the big Dillon press. But we were the shooters that fed money into the trap tournaments with the only returns being a belt buckle every now and then in the lower divisions. When you get down to it, reloading shot shotshells is not worth the time spent unless someone simply wants to do that. Now cast bullets and cast slugs really does save money allowing much more shooting handguns and shotguns. And reloading rifles allows better performance than factory. Have a great day, Steve
FortuneCookie45LC
Thank you for the info. I have came to the exact same conclusions that you just expressed about lead shot ammo.
My point being is next year in Cali only you will see the final phase of the total switch over to non lead for all hunting.
When this happens you will have to pay a very high price for steel shot shells when hunting dove.
When you compare the current price of the lead shot ammo to the current price of the steel shot ammo there is a difference of $5 to $8 a box more than the regular ammo that we are now using.
This price difference should open room for the reloader to realize a substantial saving by reloading steel shot for Cali bird hunting.
We will have to wait a see what the best pricing will be at the box stores next year to make that determination.
Thank you for your time and patience.
Big JJ - I once read an article from a noted gun writer (can't remember the exact guy though) that said for bigger game rifle hunting, once we get our loads set, we don't fire that many rounds...so any savings in reloading really don't amount to much in comparison to what we are spending on the whole hunt in the first place. Even if we shoot a couple of boxes of shot shells during a bird hunt, just buying the factory shells is OK. It's when they make us use steel for clay target games, then the cost savings per the lot of shells would be substantial enough to reload for money savings alone. What it really boils down to is if we enjoy reloading...then the satisfaction to us is max worth all the time and effort. Serious shotgun competition shooters use only the best factory shells. None of our Olympic shooters would dream of shooting any kind of reloads even for practice. Best to ya, FC Steve
I've been eyeing that Russian slug mold ever since Toafledermaus featured it.
Psyko Klown - Those Russian slug molds are simply the way to go. Jeff didn't feature shooting groups or chrono on those slugs. I've already done the 3 and 5 shot group testing at 25 and 50 yards - the Russian slugs shot very well from both smooth and rifled barrels. I'm going to have to get that mold myself... Best to ya, Steve
I was surprised that he didn't chrono them, and I don't think they ever shoot groups, but they it was easy to see that they were accurate. It's great to hear that they grouped well in your testing. It seems that the Russians really know their slugs, as they've developed several good shooters over the years.
Psyko Klown - In my group shooting at 50 yards, it was easy to see that the slug impact that Jeff was getting made a lot of sense...Best to ya, PK..!! -- Steve
I learned how to load shot-shell from this channel I have a bunch of stuff I don"t use any more but I do have a Russian roll-crimper and a field loader that is kind of cool. By the Way This is Matt Lord. I started a channel and this is my first comment from it. Did you see the mountains of shot-shells they have in England? Happy reloading.
Thanks from Texas
You’ve convinced me next time I go to a blm I’m gonna pick up all the husks I can find.
How are you Fortune Cookie? Are on another platform?
If you want better performance and shot patterns , which constitutes be hits, you need to reload shotgun shells. Promo or cheap shells do not contain the components that the more expensive shells do.
Good Video,Good Info.
'"With the ready availability of Russian slug" ACCURACY ?
Taufledermaus showed them to be quite accurate.
Psyko Klown - Hello to the Psyko Klown..!! Jeff didn't get a chance to shoot groups or chrono them. So I went ahead and did that...these Russian slugs shot splendidly. I'm ready for 85 yard mule deer or big hogs - they are as good as bagged. -- Steve
Franco Barrientos - Taofledermaus -Jeff didn't get a chance to shoot groups or chrono them. So I went ahead and did that...these Russian slugs shot splendidly. -- FC Steve
Knowing that the plastic is bad for the environment, now is the time to develop and lead the change ahead of the authorities, in replacing the plastic with paper or metal. it gives us environmental support when the anti gun lobby starts from that angle and they will!! Good to see a video on youtube, keep them coming.
Chris Smith - Right you are, but it's hard to score any points at all with the anti-gun crowd. If we go to paper, we will have come full circle...Paper shot shells were what was used for many decades before plastic came along. Best to ya, FC Steve
Mold and components (especially the wads) are still too pricey for my taste. Someone needs to replicate the design and start making these stateside. Great channel, BTW
Aren't companies starting to make biodegradeable hulls
carl everhart - Haven't seen "Biodegradable" on the packaging as of yet, but there might be some of that out there. We may very well return to paper hulls at some point. Best to ya, FC Steve
👍🏻
Roll crimp 😉
00BuckOperator - Yes, sir...roll crimping is an extra bother, but the results sure are nice... Have a great day, FC Steve