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< 16ga. Ammunition & Reloading ~ How fast the ideal 1oz? |
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Posted:
Sat Oct 19, 2019 6:54 pm
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Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1256
Location: Nebraska
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I don't know if this has been addressed before, but here goes. In the 12ga world the traditional "Pigeon Load" of 1 1/4oz of shot at 3 1/4DE (or 1220fps) is often considered a load very likely to perform well in a variety of barrels and chokes, particularly tight chokes for longer ranges. There's an even chance, I suppose, that this has simply been repeated through the years and has no real foundation in fact. To be fair that potential doesn't make it a bad thing, since the image of square loads carries enough of its own weight with fans of 28ga and 16ga guns and there's little reason to argue too hard against them.
If we're going to be excited about a 1oz charge in our 16's, what's the ideal speed to send it out? The commercial standard seems to be 2.5DE or 1165fps and those work well for me. I've seen 2.75DE listed with 1oz for 1220fps.
If in fact the 1 1/8oz loads are optimal the range goes from 2.75DE or 1185fps to 3.25DE or 1295fps. I've only got a handful of the difference splitter, 3DE for 1240fps, and haven't used any of them that I can recall. It's probably not fair to compare factory shells of the past against themselves unless we can determine they contain equal quality shot, but as handloaders we can use the same bag of shot to load the same round to a variety of velocities and maybe with a single powder to keep that variable down to simply pressure rather than burn rate characteristics.
Has anybody here done the patterning to find an optimal 1oz velocity in their particular gun, or for any other shot charge for that matter? |
_________________ Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern |
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Posted:
Sat Oct 19, 2019 7:14 pm
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Joined: 04 Mar 2019
Posts: 1819
Location: Central ND
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I like 1250 to 1300 FPS for hunting.......1200 to 1250 for clays.
This is 6 inches between the ears stuff.
Anything between 1150 and 1300 works just fine.
Whether a person can handle the recoil is another conversation. |
_________________ Mark...You are entitled to your own opinion. You aren't entitled to your own facts. |
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Posted:
Sat Oct 19, 2019 7:15 pm
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Joined: 05 Oct 2017
Posts: 284
Location: Central MN
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Interesting concept. I’m fairly new to the 16ga but have patterned a lot of 12ga steel shot loads I’ve the years as I primarily duck hunt. The hand full of loads that I have patterned from my 16ga have all done quite well.
They are,
1oz lead from approx. 1100-1250fps.
7/8-15/16 oz of steel from approx. 1300-1500fps.
1oz of bismuth from approx. 1250-1480fps. |
_________________ What's behind what your shooting at? |
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Posted:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 4:07 am
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Member
Joined: 06 Oct 2007
Posts: 2343
Location: West MI
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I view speed as a factor or component of the end game/desired terminal ballistics. No different than deciding which choke or pellet or gauge or whatever is going to help get the job done.
1200-1250 lead, 1500-1600 steel, bismuth TBD
Regarding speed and the 6" between the ears stuff, I'm finding it interesting learning/thinking about Time In Flight stuff or following the exploits of a member of this forum who is playing with jacking the speed of small amounts of small shot up to blistering speeds and being successful with it. |
Last edited by putz463 on Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:10 am; edited 1 time in total _________________ Sorry, I'm a Duck Hunter so shouldn't be held strictly responsible for my actions between Oct 1st and ice up. |
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Posted:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 7:36 am
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Member
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 3436
Location: Illinois
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Posted:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:20 am
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Member
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
Posts: 1550
Location: Minnesota and Florida
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Ooooo . . . . I see the mention of the hallowed and magical square load concept, KGB. Careful there . . . . |
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Posted:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:57 am
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Joined: 28 Mar 2008
Posts: 1460
Location: Eagle, Nebraska
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I don't load any hunting loads to less than 1300fps (lead) |
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Posted:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 11:10 am
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Posted:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 2:01 pm
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Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1256
Location: Nebraska
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MaximumSmoke wrote: |
Ooooo . . . . I see the mention of the hallowed and magical square load concept, KGB. Careful there . . . .
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Just to make ourselves feel better about not carrying 12ga guns, Tony.
The two rounds I've settled on for hunting are on the lighter side, they pattern well out of tight chokes with my belief in hard shot as the main cause. My stash of the old WW CF loadings are 1 1/8oz, the patterning I've done with them indicates softer shot as they pattern more open. I doubt the 1 1/8oz charge is a mismatch, whether 2 3/4 or 3 1/4 DE, but they're plenty effective for the hunting done with them.
I certainly like loading to 1200fps down to 1150fps for 12's and 16's, will try for that with 20ga if I ever load them just to keep things simple. |
_________________ Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern |
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Posted:
Mon Oct 21, 2019 6:31 am
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Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2062
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)
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Putzie , the afforementioned speed freak guy is purported to be using 12ga , 1/2oz bizz loads of 9's at 1750 fps . Quite happy with this as a duck load ! I guess I've always been a 7.5 guy at everything from 1150 to 1450 in the day - didn't seem to matter to critters - even fox ! |
_________________ Molly sez AArrrooooooah ! |
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Posted:
Mon Oct 21, 2019 6:48 am
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Dave Erickson wrote: |
818.1818 mph
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For the record: 818.1818 mph = 1200 fps |
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Posted:
Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:22 am
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Member
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
Posts: 1729
Location: Central Missouri
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Smiling 😀 , just finished loading 10#'s of #9 Bismuth .
Yep been buying so many SXS in 12 GA and a few 16's from Simpson's that it's not funny .
😀🤗🤗🤗😀 I love my Lachmiller that Skeetex was so nice to turn me into, one of the best pieces of equipment that I have come across for reloading.
Using aforementioned piece of equipment been loading and shooting thousands of 1/2 oz loads in 12 GA and quite a few in 16 GA , used the 1/2 oz loads at 1400 fps to shoot my 15 doves on opening day and several since then , low gun Skeet with 1/2 oz loads proves the loads effectiveness to me that I have started loading them by the thousands , provided one shoots some choke ( 3/4 ) oz is for cylinder bore guns , I thought 5/8 oz was the lower limit , I changed my mind it's not.
I have an SD card full of game pictures that I have not posted , I kind feel like it will serve little to no purpose any more , those that want to try something different already have , the other's well ??? MMA cage fighters respond to more force than I care to experience.
My throw away hulls for duck hunting are loaded with 1/2 oz #9 Bismuth shot @ 1625 fps shouldn't have to load any for a couple of years now.
I bet I can post a whole lot of pictures that these loads have taken and will take .
I am lucky to live on the farm where I shoot something everyday with horsebow , air rifles , shotguns , center-fire rifles and even the Ole catapult.
If it doesn't kill it , dear ole Mom doesn't get dinner , now it's not nice to make Mom mad.
Regards , Nick |
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