I agree with Paul on the universal charge bars & like them so much I sold all my bars/bushings. If you write down the settings you can easily return to a different load if you change.

Like Paul I have become enamored with the CB-4100 wad for 7/8 oz loads with Clays powder. Great load, soft shooting and burns really clean.

Mike

Ditto what Paul and others have said about the adjustable charge bar. I've had it for so long I couldn't even guess what year I started using it. Remember that not only will shot weigh differently depending on the amount of antimony but powder of the same manufacturer will vary from lot to lot. Also remember to mix powder when opening a new bottle/jug. This is especially important if you use Promo.

Why with Promo ? Some guys at my club use it and I'll make them aware of what you said. Paul

Paul, it seems like the different components in Promo settle out. You can weigh a new lot without mixing, start using it, and when you get low in the jug, the weight changes. It's happened to me and others have commented on it on Trapshooters.com in the past. Also Promo seems to vary from lot to lot quite a bit more so than Clays or Clay dot.

Also, I've switched from Claybuster wads to Downrange wads. Years ago I had so much plastic in my chokes that you could peal the plastic with a knife blade after only a couple of hundred shots. They probably had a bad batch of plastic but it was enough to make me sour on Claybusters. Have you ever had your wad seating ram snap when the wad goes in? It's due to the dry plastic Claybuster uses. OEM wads don't do it and neither do Downrange wads. Only drawback with Downrange is that they don't have the distribution network that Claybusters have so you may have to have them shipped to you if a distributer isn't close by.

Gee, I have about 6 Parkers and 5 Remingtons and none of them came with choke tubes :banghead: . Should I be looking for guns with them :). Na, I'll just keep what I got because I never seem to get any build up with fixed chokes. Never had a problem with my wad guide snaping. Had some Downrange wads but the pressure would have been too high with the load I was useing, so I just kept to my Claybusters. :bigbye: Paul

What Primers are you guys using or would recomend? Any particular types to stay away from?

Brian,
Right now I'm using Win 209.
Paul, Chuck,
I bought 10k Win. 12ga.SL wads[they are pink]. They work well for 1oz. but really shine for 7/8oz. as all the shot is enclosed in the shotcup and give truly amazing patterns. A good buddy of mine worked for a huge defense contractor here in MD and he had access to all kinds of testing equipment. 16.7gr. of clays, WWSL wad, WW209primer in either a AA, Rem, or Fiocchi hull at 1200fps gave 6700psi. When I run out I'll try the CB wads. On another note I've read with interest the various spreader wads that people use to open up their patterns. About 20yrs. or so ago I wrote Tom Roster a letter requesting some suggestions for opening up the patterns in some of my old tightly choked Parkers. He wrote back that the simplest method for opening up a pattern is to simply cut the petals off the wad allowing the shot to scrub the bore and slightly deform the pellets. Using high antimony shot I've used this method very successively since. You don't need to cut all the petal off to the base- about 1/3 removal works well for me but you can experiment to see what patterns best for your gun. I considered then and now, Tom Roster to be the eminent authority in reloading. I will try and find his letter and post it.
Daryl

Brian around here the best deal is the Fiocchi 616 (209 type). Not only the least expensive they generally provide lower pressures with the same load over other primers. HOWEVER, once you use the Fio's you have to keep using them as they are slightly oversize and stretch out the primer hole. If you use another primer after the Fio's your primers will fall out.

I just stick to using Winchester primers as they are the easiest to get around here. I will use Remington STS and Winchester interchangebly but the STS primers are a little pricey.

Brian,

Best advice to someone new to reloading is to make sure you follow the recipes exactly - hull manufacturer+ primer+powder weight+ shot weight.

I always refer to the powder companies reloading data since it is more current. http://www.hodgdon.com/basic-manual-inquiry.html

In a previous thread, you were thinking of using Remington STS's. A very good hull that I've had a lot of great results with.

Begin with the STS hull as a starting point and go to the link and start inputting information from the pull down menus and you can see how the different load combinations with different components effect velocity and PSI.

My load for skeet, trap, clays for my old doubles:

1 oz. Lead Shot
Rem. 209P primer
Clay Buster 1100-12 wad
23 grains of IMR SR 7625 powder
5,100 PSI
1150 velocity

Here you will see Winchester and Remington primers have the best loads for low PSI but Federals are higher. Federals are generally a hotter primer = higher pressures.