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Shotgun lite loads


Asa Smith

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Finally ran out of my stash of Winchester featherlite powder.

I had been loading  7/8 oz of #8 shot with 12.3 gains of featherlite powder.

Bought a bottle of X-700 thinking i could use it, just not sure of the amount to use.

The 18 bushing that i used with the featherlite only drops 10 grains of X-700. Not sure that is enough but thought i would try a few.

 

Other loads, Ideas and experiences welcome...

Thanks

Asa

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I have been using a #17 bushing with 700x in my MEC 600 Jr with 7/8  shot.   Claybuster gray wads.   Works good for me.

 

I would be happy to give you a few to try next time you are out at the range.

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You can buy 3D plastic bushings for MEC presses on eBay. much cheaper than the aluminum ones and work fine. 

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Remington STS or Gun Club hull

Claybuster CB0178-12 wad

13.2 grain 700X

Depending on the primer used these have less felt recoil than AA LNLR. Primers in order of felt recoil are

Ched 209

Rem 209P

Win 209

Fed 209 

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Here is a list of recipes when I was looking for one when I started reloading shotgun shells. Hope this helps.

 

My recipe

AA or Remington Hull 

Win 209 Primer

13.5 grains Clay Dot (MEC #25) 

grey wad Claybuster 0178

7/8 ounce #8 shot

 

Each of these are from other shooters and what they recommended.

 

·         15 grains of red dot

·         clay buster 0178 wad

·         7/8 oz 7.5 shot

·         Remington STS hull

 

·         Winchester hull

·         209 primer

·         AA grey wad

·         7/8 ounce of 7.5 shot

·         15.5 gr. Red Dot.

 

·         12-15gr of clays

·         1oz of 7

·         209 primer

·         Pick a wad and stick to it

 

·         12ga hull of your choice

·         17.0-17.5 gn of Unique.

·         3/4-1oz of shot.

·         Std primer.

·         Less recoil than 'Featherlites'.

 

·         Clays or 700-X

·         3/4 oz #7.5 shot

·         Fed 209A

·         CB0175-12 wad

·         STS hull.

·         These are published Hodgdon loads for the lowest possible recoil in my SxS.

 

·         AA or Remington Hull

·         Win 209 Primer

·         13.9 grains Clays (MEC #25)

·         grey wad

·         7/8 ounce shot

·         Lighter than a featherlite shell

·         Knocks 'em down every time!

 

·         1 oz reclaimed shot

·         claybuster wad

·         31 bushing

·         Clay Dot

·         Same as my 16 yard trap loads. These are for AA hulls.

 

·         14.5 Red Dot

·         3/4 oz

·         AA

 

·         STS hulls

·         Primers

·         Grey 7/8 oz Claybuster wad

·         Claydot powder

·         MEC #27 bushing

 

·         13.5 of Clays

·         1oz shot.

·         STS hulls.

·         Reclaimed shot

 

·         AA's or Remington SS 12ga hulls

·         Winchester grey wads

·         7/8oz of 7.5 lead shot

·         12.4 gs (bushing #22) of Clays

 

·         AA's or Remington SS 12ga hulls

·         Winchester grey wads

·         7/8oz of 7.5 lead shot

·         bushing #18 of Clays


 

 

I got this from another shooter and felt it was good info to hang onto.

 

GAUGE: 12
LEAD SHOT 7/8 OZ.

MANUFACTURER
Hodgdon

POWDER
Clays

PRIMER
Win. 209

WAD
WAA12L

GRS.

PRESSURE(FT/S)

VEL.(FT/S)

17.1

8,100 PSI

1,200

18.0

8,900 PSI

1,250

19.3

10,100 PSI

1,300

20.1

11,400 PSI

1,350

 

 

SYMBOL

GAUGE

OPTIMUM SHOT WT.

WAA12

12

1-1/8 oz.

WAA12L

12

7/8 oz.

WAA12SL

12

1 oz. & 1-1/8 oz.

 

Clay Dot alternating between 1 oz and 7/8 oz loads using Remington hulls, Nobel primers, and Claybuster wads (specifically CB1100-12, CB0178 and CB4100). I'm averaging drops of 18.2 grains using a MEC 32 bushing. With a 7/8 oz load and those same CB wads the chrono measures about 1200-1250 fps. So far really enjoying this load for skeet. Appears to burn well and clean. Getting my best crimps with the CB0178 wads. 

 

I've been loading clays and now claydot for years, using 17.5 grains, with a Winchester 209 primer and a pink one ounce claybuster wad. For registered shooting it's in a gun club hull, but for practice I've loaded about everything at one time or another. I now shoot mostly 7/8 ounce, but occasionally I will load some one ounce for long sporting clay targets, and I've loaded some 3/4 ounce as well. Wih the pink CB wad, they all crimp nicely regardless of the hull or the shot drop on my 9000 hydro. Early on I experimented with different powder drops in 7/8 and one ounce shells, but I always went back to the 17.5 as I don't like recoil.

 

I use 15.6 grains of Clays (Clay Dot) with 7/8th oz loads and it works fine and functions all the Auto I have used it in as long as the temp. is over 40 degrees F. I use the 7/8th oz gray wads in AA and Gun Club hulls with any primer I can get that is the least expensive.

I went up to 16.5 grains of Clay Dot with 3/4th oz and it also works fine, but is not as clean burning as the 7/8th oz loads are. Same hulls and wads.

 

 

 

 

Shotshell

12 Gauge

·         2 3/4-in. Remington Plastic Shells (STS, Nitro 27, Premier RXP and Gun Club)

·         7/8 shot wt.

 

Dram Equiv.

Shot Wt.
(ounces)

Velocity
(fps)

Primer

Powder

Wad

Grains

Approx. psi

Spacers

Print

---

7/8

1,200

Rem 209P

Clay Dot

CB 0178-12

17.5

5,916

-

View this recipe

---

7/8

1,250

Rem 209P

Clay Dot

CB 0178-12

18

6,060

-

View this recipe

---

7/8

1,310

Rem 209P

Clay Dot

CB 0178-12

18.5

6,544

-

View this recip

 

Alliant Extra Lite. Been loading 7/8 oz with the win. gray wads and 14.5 grs @ 1150 and 15.5 grs @ 1200 and they do very well. 

 

18.5 gr. Clay Dot, STS primer, Gray clay buster wad, and 7/8 #8. Great load right out of the book. Low recoil and pressure at 1,250 fps.

 

 

Shot gun loads I use one ounce of #6, #7 or #7.5 shot. 

Green or Gold once fired Remington STS shotshells. 

Claybuster Premium wads - CB8100-12 ( light green )  They currently call this the TGT12 Replacement wad

Winchester 209 primers.

Clay Dot powder at about 10.1 grains.

 

about 747 fps according to my results.

 

Texas Maverick

 

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1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Remington STS or Gun Club hull

Claybuster CB0178-12 wad

13.2 grain 700X

Depending on the primer used these have less felt recoil than AA LNLR. Primers in order of felt recoil are

Ched 209

Rem 209P

Win 209

Fed 209 

This ^^^ but I used 14gr. of 700X

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I don't believe I'll join in doing someone's thinking for them... If you go to the MEC Outdoors website under shotshell reloading, you'll find a drop down menu.  On that menu is a option to look up a MEC bushing size chart.  It will give you a good cross reference of what size bushing will give you an amount of any number of popular (and maybe not so popular), shotgun powders.  Using Hodgdon's website for loading you can look up what type of performance you can expect from a selection of hulls, wads, primers and powder for various weights of shot.   You'll be a much better, knowledgeable, and HOPEFULLY safer reloader for the experience.  Relying on other folk's formulas is recipe for disaster.  For I doubt you'll get intentionally wrong info here, mistakes... err... typos, can and do occur.  Plus, it's a bad habit to get into... 

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cant argue with you there - we all been there done that with less resources and access , you have a load figure out what parts you need from the mfgrs stuff you can get , there is a learning curve here that we all go thru to get to where we are today , there is also a satisfaction curve that goes along with it getting there , if you dont care to do it buy factory lite loads ,  

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MagTech All Brass Hulls, Large Pistol Primers, your choice.  40Gr (by weight) 2F APP.  Ballistic Products Spitfire Wad for 1 Ounce pay load.  Over shot cards.  Enjoy.

 

I agree wid ya Griff.  'Cept my load suggestion isn't listed anywhere.

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On 4/27/2023 at 10:47 AM, Griff said:

I don't believe I'll join in doing someone's thinking for them... If you go to the MEC Outdoors website under shotshell reloading, you'll find a drop down menu.  On that menu is an option to look up a MEC bushing size chart.  It will give you a good cross reference of what size bushing will give you an amount of any number of popular (and maybe not so popular), shotgun powders.  Using Hodgdon's website for loading you can look up what type of performance you can expect from a selection of hulls, wads, primers and powder for various weights of shot.   You'll be a much better, knowledgeable, and HOPEFULLY safer reloader for the experience.  Relying on other folk's formulas is recipe for disaster.  For I doubt you'll get intentionally wrong info here, mistakes... err... typos, can and do occur.  Plus, it's a bad habit to get into... 

Horsefeathers. He asked a simple question about a powder he’s unfamiliar with because that’s all that was available. We’re all in that boat. 
 

Most SASS shooters are loading shot shells well below published minimums, so spare him and us the lecture about looking it up himself so he can become a better and safer reloader. I’m betting your pet load isn’t published either. 

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2 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

Horsefeathers. He asked a simple question about a powder he’s unfamiliar with because that’s all that was available. We’re all in that boat. 
 

Most SASS shooters are loading shot shells well below published minimums, so spare him and us the lecture about looking it up himself so he can become a better and safer reloader. I’m betting your pet load isn’t published either. 

Since nothing BP is published, no!  But giving powder & shot weight without hull and wad info is only half the necessary data needed for a safe load.  Something in my post was incorrect?  Report it.  I don't care for quite a number of posts, but if they really cause heartburn, that's what PMs are for.  I didn't point to any single post... did I happen on a nerve?  If so, my most abject apologies!  

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On 4/26/2023 at 8:01 PM, I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321 said:

10.5 gr Red Dot, grey wad, 7/8 - 1 oz shot, a lot lighter than Win. light loads.  Takes down knockdowns no problem.

It takes em down if you hit em!!!:lol:

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On 4/26/2023 at 7:33 PM, Asa Smith said:

Finally ran out of my stash of Winchester featherlite powder.

I had been loading  7/8 oz of #8 shot with 12.3 gains of featherlite powder.

Bought a bottle of X-700 thinking i could use it, just not sure of the amount to use.

The 18 bushing that i used with the featherlite only drops 10 grains of X-700. Not sure that is enough but though i would try a few.

 

Other loads, Ideas and experiences welcome...

Thanks

Asa

What’s Winchester featherlite powder?? 

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22 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

MagTech All Brass Hulls, Large Pistol Primers, your choice.  40Gr (by weight) 2F APP.  Ballistic Products Spitfire Wad for 1 Ounce pay load.  Over shot cards.  Enjoy.

 

I agree wid ya Griff.  'Cept my load suggestion isn't listed anywhere.

That is the main problem with most of our loads. We load for a lower rate and most of our loads are not listed. At least these are loads that others have used successfully. Take it as you wish. I found the info reliable and was able to put together my own load from the data gleamed from others. It isn't listed anywhere but it works and will knock down any plate I have come across and has less recoil than the factory low loads.

 

TM

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1oz of #7 shot, 16 grs of Universal Clays with a pink wad. Winchester AA hulls. 

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FYI This was the powder i was using, for those who are unfamiliar with it.

image.png.af4903bf8fab653ea14e3beef799e4b4.png

It is very hard to find current published data that gives the 980 FPS result of the factory low recoil ammo.

I had been using the factory data from when this powder was available along with shot size, weight, wade, primer and hull recommendations.

(For those who make assumptions)...

 

Thanks to all who offered valuable advise...

 

Asa

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On 4/30/2023 at 7:07 AM, Rye Miles #13621 said:

What’s Winchester featherlite powder?? 

 

THIS.

19 hours ago, Asa Smith said:

FYI This was the powder i was using, for those who are unfamiliar with it.

image.png.af4903bf8fab653ea14e3beef799e4b4.png

It is very hard to find current published data that gives the 980 FPS result of the factory low recoil ammo.

I had been using the factory data from when this powder was available along with shot size, weight, wade, primer and hull recommendations.

(For those who make assumptions)...

 

Thanks to all who offered valuable advise...

 

Asa

 

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19 hours ago, Asa Smith said:

FYI This was the powder i was using, for those who are unfamiliar with it.

image.png.af4903bf8fab653ea14e3beef799e4b4.png

It is very hard to find current published data that gives the 980 FPS result of the factory low recoil ammo.

I had been using the factory data from when this powder was available along with shot size, weight, wade, primer and hull recommendations.

(For those who make assumptions)...

 

Thanks to all who offered valuable advise...

 

Asa

I’ve never seen that anywhere around here!

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1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I’ve never seen that anywhere around here!

I have seen them before but didn't buy any as I have a couple of 8lb jugs of Red Dot that I am currently using.  I Think they made  production run of this powder for a short time then they stopped for whatever reason.  I heard they were great powder for light loads as mentioned by Asa Smith. Too bad it's not available.   I 

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