20 Gauge Damascus Pressure
 

I have searched the reloading forum and probably missed this, but what it the maximum pressure for a Damascus 20 gauge? Specifically a 20 GH 28" with Damascus barrels on an 0 frame. Would it be 8000?

I have a Mec 600 Jr on the way. I would like to load Cheddite 2 1/2" both 7/8 and 3/4 ounce shells. Also I am hoping I can find some Alliant 20/28 as that seemed to have some lower pressure recipes. It looked like Green Dot, Unique and Herco were good powders too.

Thanks!
Jay

Jay, here are the service pressure limits from TPS.

Difficult as it may be to find loads with low pressure 12 gauge equivalents in the 20 gauge column, keep trying until you find one you like. I'm saying not to accept an 8000 psi load just because it is hard to find a 6500 load. Keep looking until you find one, or invent one.

Thanks Garth and Bill. It really looks like Alliant's 20/28 powder would be perfect for this. However, I have spent a week trying to find some 20/28(even on GunBroker with those soul crushing prices) without any luck.

It looks like I can use Unique and keep pressure in the mid to high 7000psi range for 3/4oz and the low 8000psi range for 7/8oz loads. With velocities for both in the 1100-1150fps range.

That will get me started since I have some Unique until 20/28 is available again. In my research I read where the burn rates on these two powders were close.

Jay, I would suggest sending in some of your hand loads to have the pressures and velocities tested. I have had an eye opener with having loads tested and being way higher pressures and velocities from published recipes. Precision reloading out of South Dakota is who I send my loads to.

Just as an example I just sent in a 12 ga 1 1/8oz that had a published pressure of around 7500 and velocity of 1175 and it came back 9400 psi and 1300 fps. I have been told there can be differences like this even from one batch of powder to the next. I was using 800x powder with this particular recipe.

This is what I use :

Reasonable costs.

Me also

That's what I load all my 20ga to Bruce. It's the perfect load for any type of clays and for hunting.

For me it's load my own to known low-press recipes or buy RST.





.

Thanks for all the replies they are helpful. I have been meaning to send a few loads to get pressure tested and I am going to follow through this time. I think it would be enjoyable to come up with some new low pressure loads. I am down to my last few boxes of 20 gauge RSTs and what I like is not currently in stock.

As a somewhat related follow up question. Do you see having to be a little creative with reloading in these challenging times when shelves are empty and online retailers are out of stock? I not asking for permission to be careless, I just can't find the shells and/or the reloading components I would like to have...