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Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 54 Location: San Francisco

I'm looking for a 7/8 oz (or 3/4 oz) steel load for 6s and 7s using 2 3/4" Cheddite primed hulls and CSD16 wads. I assume there will be filler and overshot wads but powder is the real question. I'm told Aliant Steel doesn't drop accurately so it has to be something else, for which there's an appropriate Mec powder bushing.
Thanks in advance,
Larry

Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Illinois

This is the exact same as the CSD wad. If precision has the data they usually post it on the same page where the wad is for sale. Plus precision sells preslit wads. Enjoy. https://www.precisionreloading.com/docs/uploads/TUWSBL1627%20Load%20Data%20-%20Website.pdf

Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 54 Location: San Francisco

Thanks. I see the loads , have bought Precision's preslit wads, and have BPs 16 ga manual. I should have asked if anyone has actual experience with any of these loads and with powders that work with those components in a Mec 600. There are at least half a dozen and I'm not sure which to choose or why.

Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 119 Location: Illinois

I tend to use blue dot as there is less of a chance for migration and keeps speed up and pressure in check better than any other powder(except steel). I don’t have my notes handy but I seem to remember the 7/8 load calling for 1/8” or 1/4” felt, but really needing 1/4” or 3/8” felt. I ended up using 1/8 or 1/4” felt and a Cheerio on top (cause I’m cheap) to get good firm crimps. (So cheap in fact that I used generic brand Cheerios). You justify have to experiment with the first 3-4 reloads and see how your crimps turn out.

Mike

If you can access vitavuhori 3n38 powder it'll push 26g of steel shot (15/16ths OZ) along at 1400fps with a 29gn charge and a cx2000 primer. It drops perfectly through a bushing or a meter. Don't use it with a VP80 wad though only a CSD or it'll go massively over pressure.
That doesn't need any wad packing or overshot cards and has killed a lot of fucks and geese for me.

Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 54 Location: San Francisco

Thanks for the very helpful replies. Will consider the Dlue Dot loads. But has anyone used Steel, Longshot or Universal? Also, I note that the BP 16 ga guide lists steel shot sizes for various loads. I can see no reason why 7/8 oz of #7s should behave any differently than 7/8 oz of a larger size shot. Am I missing something?

Joined: 05 Oct 2017 Posts: 284 Location: Central MN

I’ve shot a lot of steel powder with fed209a pushing 7/8oz of #3 steel for ducks.

With a vp80 wad from BP.

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/VP80%20data.pdf

Their listed 27.5gr seems quite hot but 24gr didn’t cycle my auto.

I settled on 26gr.

Use at your own discretion.

Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 54 Location: San Francisco

At this point I want to use up the primed Cheddite hulls I have. From the looks of things Steel and Longshot offer loads with the lowest pressures (under 10k psi). Anybody have experience with either?

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1841 Location: Central ND

I have quite a bit of experience with both powders and steel shot.

Personally I wouldn't give Longshot a second look when it comes to steel shot.

Steel is the right powder for the job.

I know that folks don't like to use Steel because it doesn't meter well, but the ballistics are superior regardless of the load.

Longshot is OK with steel when you are using it for target loads.

Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Posts: 74 Location: las vegas NV

L Kenny I had just loaded

Win shells
Win 209 primer
21gr longshot
TUWSBL1627 Wad with filler
7/8 oz #6 steel

from Precision's load sheet and it loaded some very nice looking shells however I have not shot them yet. I only went with longshot because I did not have the right bushing for Bluedot.

Steel 6's and 7 looks like a target or dove load to me.

Joined: 13 Oct 2015 Posts: 348

Joined: 11 Dec 2017 Posts: 77 Location: South Dakota

Alliant STEEL powder is it for maximizing steel shot. There is no other comparable powder.

Do you need all that speed though? Surely you aren't going to be shooting animals with #6 and #7 steel shot. The ideal powder for lower pressure steel shot I would say would be sr4756, but that powder has not been made in a number of years now. Bluedot is a phenominal powder for a lot of things, but it's ideal range is around 10K to 14K psi for shotguns. It doesn't work as well with lower pressures, especially with light payloads. 800x could work well, but suffers from the same metering problem as STEEL. I've seen a few loads for Universal that might be the ticket for you.

Also be sure you want to shoot steel shot in your gun. My 11-48 has the scars of having had steel shot through, although it does not seem to have hurt anything.