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Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 208

I know a lot of you guys shoot these on occasion. What do you use them for? Hunting? Skeet?

Will 2 1/2" shells work fine in most 2 3/4" shotguns? How about 2 9/16"? Pumps? Semi-autos?

Is there a noticeable dropoff in performance with these shorter shells? Vastly reduced payload?

BIG QUESTION: How difficult is it to reload these shorter shells?

The reason I'm asking is that I'm looking at purchasing my first 2 9/16" shotgun, and it got me to thinking about all of this. Thanks. 8mmfan

8mm fan,
The shorty's shoot as well as the 2 3/4". Many loads duplicate the same velocities and payload without over pressuring the gun. Mec makes a short kit for the single stage press and works great. The LPG here has many recipes for the 2 1/2" hull. Easy to join and great info. Good luck
Charlie Wink

Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 208

Thanks, Charlie. Much appreciated.

Joined: 19 Feb 2008 Posts: 443

I only load/shoot 2.5" shells. That way I don't have to worry about which gun they go into. Easy mod for a PW375 took care of it. PM me for details.

sv

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

I am starting to load only 2.5" too. Using the same load, same velocity, and the load crimps better, no cards or adjustment to shot column height.

I shoot them out of both Belgian and Japanese Mfd Sweet 16's and have not had any problems.

Get a roll crimping tool, then you wont need the Mec to crimp.

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
Mike

I shoot mostly 2.5" also, and use cut down Federal hulls for their large internal capacity (which helps a lot on short shells), and their longevity. I also like to roll crimp as you can squeeze more into the hull then you can with a star crimp. I even shoot roll-crimped 1 1/8 oz. loads and spreader loads in my Fed. 2.5" hulls.

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

Uncle Dan, do you have data for your cut Fed hulls?

Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 208

Super awesome responses, guys. Thank you. I have PM'd a couple of you. I have a couple of further questions:

How do you cut down the hulls? Do you just use a knife/razor blade? Is there some sort of favored technique for this? Is 2.5" the length of the FINISHED shell, or the cut-down hull? Where do you measure from?

What is a roll crimper and where can I get one? Are they all the same? The load mentioned above with a 2.5" shell shooting 7/8 oz of #8's, with the Gaulandi wad sounds like exactly what I'm looking for for skeet/trap and clays from my 16's.

Thanks again, very much, for the good info. 8mmFan

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2350 Location: West MI

8mm, check these links out for the tools;

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/

http://www.precisionreloading.com/

I like the PR tools better but both work. For cutting the technique I use learned on this sight is to take a piece of PVC pipe or wood dowel that will fit snug in the hull you're trying to cut down, drill an 1/8"-3/16" hole at about where you want to cut the hull to, tap an exacto blade into the hole perpendicular but at a slight angle to the dowel and then with a twisting motion run a hull up onto the blade and it will cut off to the desired length leaving a spiral piece of left over hull on the dowel. You have to play with it but it works really well once diled in. I cut down any 2 3/4" hulls where the crimp is getting crunchy and use the shorties for easy to recognize spreader loads, polywad spreader inserts work great as over shot cards. Hope this helps, Mike

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

8MMfan,

I don't reload for the 16 but I do shoot RST 2.5" shells in at least 1 of my guns.
For facttory ammo you can't beat their stuff or customer service. Wink

Hootch,

pm sent.

Uncle Dan, me too please
Thanks
Mike

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

I have both the BPI and Precision Reloading's hull trimmer. The PR is better of the two. Works slick. You sure can get more for your money loading 2.75's then when you need to, cut them down to size!

I would like to see some data for 2.25 or 2" shells even!! Would even get more for your buck. I think there would be some good loads say at 3/4oz that would work nicely in a shorter hull??

Joined: 19 Feb 2008 Posts: 443