16ga.com ~ View topic - Looking for a 16 GA steel shot target load recipe

I'm looking for a 16 GA steel shot target load recipe -

Ideally 1,325 FPS muzzle velocity, 3/4 oz ?, 7/8 oz ?, preferably using Alliant powders - Blue Dot. Green Dot, Red Dot, or Steel (that's what I have in stock).

Something that's not going to knock the hell out of my shoulder.

Joined: 13 Oct 2015 Posts: 348

Bill,
There are a bunch of recipes that will fit your desire, published in the Lyman's 5th and also in the FREE VP80 wadsheet. Steel shot will need to be loaded using one of only two wads, either the VP80 also known as the PT1680 (supplied by BPI), or the CSD16 supplied by BPI. The CSD wad is actually the Gualandi 16ga steel shot wad, it has another name if you get it from Precision or Gualandi too. Both of those wads hold 7/8oz of #3 steel shot basically. They will both hold more if you are using an appropriate target sized steel shot, which I think is #7 steel.

Here is the link to the free wadsheet supplied by BPI Inc. :
https://www.ballisticproducts.com/VP80%20data.pdf

p.s. when they use "multihull" or MH209, that is the cheddite hull (herters) and the CH209 primer. BPI used to call them multihull trying to keep folks from knowing they were reselling cheddite stuff.

Here are some thoughts for you:
1. 7/8oz of #8 chilled lead is 353 pellets, and most everyone will agree that is an outstanding target load and plenty sufficient-- it is the standard 20ga target load.

You can replicate this load using any of the 7/8oz loads listed on that wadsheet, there are several BlueDot and A-steel loads. 7/8oz of #7 steel is 365 pellets, so it will match and slightly exceed normal 20ga target loads at normal target ranges.

2. I used 3/4oz loads for my skeet shooting in 28ga, 20ga, and 12ga all, in #8 or #9 shot. 3/4 oz of #8 works just fine for me and I get the same type of scores, 23-24 usually, as I do with 1-1/8oz of shot. The 3/4oz of #8 lead is 302 pellets. This can be replicated with 3/4oz of #7 steel which gives 313 pellets. You can just use a 7/8oz steel recipe for this and use less shot. Or, here is a 3/4oz recipe from Lymans:
Fed 16 Plas Fed-209A BlueDot 24.5 gr VP80/pt1680 (1)20ga. felt under wad 3/4 328.0 Steel 8,000psi 1,300fps Lymans 5th

3. The smaller #7 shot will likely not fill up the wad all the way. You should place felt or cork spacers, or what I think even better is just discs cut from foam meat-trays, BELOW THE SHOT! NOT above. Bring the shot up to be level with the top of the wad.

4. Lastly, if you go with 3/4oz shot in a 7/8oz recipe, it is of course safe and more conservative so there are no pressure worries. Additionally, the shot will achieve slightly higher speeds so you could drop a grain or two of powder probably and get the published speeds, but those changes would both certainly be conservative and safe.

Good luck.

Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Illinois

Having sent some of their loads off to get pressure tested I’m always cautious with BPI data. You can get these wads pre slit from precision which saves time. Here is a link to precision data. https://www.precisionreloading.com/docs/uploads/TUWSBL1627%20Load%20Data%20-%20Website.pdf

Mike

Thanks guys !