16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 28 Mar 2009 Posts: 31 Location: kansas city

Hi all,

Just found the site today and thought I'd ask about load data for 2.5" shells.

Interested in sources of info, tips, actual loads etc.

I'm kinda into oddball and older stuff for the most part and will be loading (at least to start) with an old Lee Loader.

I'm wondering about cutting down 2 3/4" wads and hulls to use in 2.5" shells.

Also, I'd like to try some old style felt wad loads. Probably couldnt' find plastic hulls for 2.5's anyway am I right?

Any info on cutting my own felt wads, trimming plastic wads or places to buy online, materials to use etc would be much appreciated.

I'm even interested in all brass shells and loads for them.

Thanks!

Dave

Hello
There is NO problem in loading 2.5" 16 gauge ammo.
Here is my process,

Federal hull, cut to 2.5" , size and prime with Winchester 209 primer.

17.0 grains of Hodgdon Universal Clays

For a wad I use the Gualandi TUWG1816 16 Ga Super G Mini Wad.
Precision Reloading 1-800-223-0900 has them.
I just bought 2000 wads for 69.98 which included shipping

http://www.precisionreloading.com/2004catalog.htm

7/8 oz of shot (8s or smaller)

6 Star crimp as normal.

I am using a Pacific 155 with a quarter of an inch cut off the final crimp die.

Velocity is about 1200, pressure is 9,045

Their recommended load for Bismuth is 16.5 clays, 13/16 ounce of 7 1/2 or smaller for about 1200 fps.
Pressure 9,155

Hope this helps

Enjoy the day

If you cut your 2 3/4" hulls to 2 1/2" or 2 9/16" and roll crimp them, you should be able to use the componants for 2 3/4" loads. The 1/4" you cut off is about the same as if you were 6 crimping them.
I have found out that in order to get a nice looking roll crimp, sometilmes you have to trim more than 1/4"

If you are not roll crimping than use the advice already given.

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

You came to the right place. Bunch of folks here loading 2.5" hulls.
Join the low pressure reloading group, alot of 2.5" (and other) data there.
Buy Ballistic Products Inc's 16ga reloading manual, although some of the data there has come under question as to accuracy. Cross reference with the Low pressure group data.

2.5" hulls can be hard to come by, but are available periodically throught Precision Reloading and Ballistic Products Inc. Also, RST, Poly-wad, Kent Game Bore all make 2.5" loads. B&P I think makes 67mm too come to think of it.

And many 2 3/4 loads will work in a 2.5" hull if you roll crimp which I strongly recommend, as someone already stated.

Joined: 28 Mar 2009 Posts: 31 Location: kansas city

Okay..... Off to a good start it looks like.

As for roll crimping, how do ya do that? I know what it is, just don't know how to do it.

Hello
Give this a look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNk_d8xaK1g

Mike

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

If you go to Ballistic Products Inc's website, I think they have a video you can watch.

It is no big deal, use drill press or hand-held, put crimper in and at a medium to slow pace lower on to hull, and with a tad of pressure, hull rolls right down on top of card.

Guest

I prefer to cut down plastic hulls after they start to tear at the case mouth to make my own 2 9/16th inch hulls but Graf and Sons over at Mexico Missouri sells 2 1/2 inch hulls and their prices cant be beat. If you roll crimp Circle Fly (you can find them on line) sells over shot cards as well as nitro cards and filler wads but there are enough tested loads available that you can use one piece plastic wads for any loads from 3/4 ounce to 1 ounce. Because I primarily shoot vintage guns I really like 1 ounce and 7/8th ounce loads. Do a search for "roll crimp" on this site and you will find some more information.

Dave

I cut down my 2 3/4 hulls on my table saw with a slide that I made out of pylwood. I used a 3/4 inch length of oak for the mitre slide,a piece of 3/4 plywood for the base and another peice of oak for the shell holder. I bored 10,three quarter inch holes in the large peice of oak. I bored ten holes the length of the block. I then set it up with the saw blade at 2 1/2 inches to the blade. To keep the hulls in the block I used a long peice that piviots at the front of the oak block. This keeps the hulls from backing out. I have found that if the slide is run quickly through the saw the hulls can crack but if the slide is run slowly it works just fine. Cutting hulls down 10 at a time sure cuts down the time needed to make a bunch of 2 1/2 hulls.

If you want a picture email me at gdisharoon@allianzsweeper.com

I would post a picture here but computers and I don't really work well. To old I guess

Regards, Gordon

Hello Gordon :

If you will email the pic's to aaprecision@yahoo.com I will post those for you .

Regards Charles

Be kinda neet to see how your doing it , would help a lot of folks out .

Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 158 Location: NW Florida

I use a 5/8in piece of copper tubing cut to length and a box cutter to trim. I takes about 3 seconds per hull. Bob

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

I use the Lyman hull cutter, works better than BPI's in my opinion. Can cut alot of hulls fairly quick. Do it while watching tv for a few nights in a row and you will have a box full. I try to avoid doing it when I realize I need to load some!!