Reloading shotgun slugs

[CZ2506]

I live in the shotgun zone of Southern Michigan, and I've been using a handgun or muzzleloader for a long time. Finally bought a Rossi single shot shotgun and it seems to work OK with factory slugs. Problem is, its so darned expensive to practice. I'd like to start reloading saboted bullets in the 300gr to 350gr range. Anybody have any experience? I'm looking for info on equipment, components, etc.

[Frank in the Laurel]

TO be honest about it.. how many do we shoot each year and they aren't that expensive compared to centerfire shells.. heck I picked-up a bunch of Federal tru-balls last week for a couple of dollars for 5 of them. I turely don't know a single person who has ever reloaded a slug of anyking.. not one and I know alot of people who reload shells.. I'm not sure you even can reload them.. I've never seen the bullet for sale...

You can load slugs. I looked into it. But your slug selection is very limited. No fancy partitions, or barnes expanders available to reloaders. ONly thing available I can find is cast lead slugs. Might as well by remington sluggers.

[DeerandbearhoG]

I bought the lee key drive mold and the loading press once, the idea is to load the slug into a standrd wad like a sabot and star crimp like a standard shell . didnt work out too good though, I couldn't figure out the right wad ,hull, and powder charge, combo to seat the slug at the proper depth, it either went in too deep and wouldnt crimp, or the slug pushed out. I think it wouldve worked better roll crimped, but I lost interest and gave up, sold everything on GB. light field use to sell their commander slugs seperatly for reloading but they were like a buck each. so not really worth it.ballistic products sells slug components too. also try shotgunworld.com for better info on slug loading.

[Pete D.]

Just last weekend, I was loading up SG slugs for some testing in an old Savage 430 smoothbore. I used Lee slug already mentioned and the Lyman 525 grain Sabot slug.
I have used them in the past and accuracy is quite good out to 50 yards - the farthest that I have shot them. They will shoot right to POA at that distance from the Savage bottom barrel.
Easy to load. I roll crimp them. I prefer the Lyman slug as I get better crimps. The Lee star crimps better than it roll crimps; you need an overshot card on top of the Lee slug to get consistent roll crimps.
Pete

[CZ2506]

What I was hoping to find was a sabot that would fit a 12ga hull and hold a 45 cal bullet. then use a roll crimp to hold it. I think that's how the Rem. Premier Core Lokt slugs are put together. If I could find the sabot, I think I could figure out the rest of it.

[Pete D.]

CZ:

a sabot that would fit a 12ga hull and hold a 45 cal bullet. then use a roll crimp to hold it.

Does that little Rossi have a smooth or a riflled barrel? For accuracy with the load that you want, you are going to need a rifled barrel.
The only thing that I can think of at the moment is kinda Rube Goldberg = get a sabot for a large bore muzzleloader that will accomodate the .45 bullet and then see how well (or not) that fits into a shotgun wad cup. One sabot inside another so to speak.
How would that shoot? Dunno.
The .45 slug is going to need some spinning, though.
Pete

[4patches]

this was asked by me quite some time ago, the opinion then was the same. if you have the equipment already go right ahead and experiment, but dont expect alot of improvement over factory loads and dont expect to cut cost. this is purely for your own satisfaction.