Short ten & Green Dot
 

I've been given a Remington 1889 and I am thinking about proper loads. I understand 1 1/8 oz. load using 19 gr. of Red Dot or 22 gr. of Green Dot. For 1 1/4 oz. loads where should I start with Green Dot? The powder loads on the PDF seem way high. So what are you guys using?

According to the Alliant Reloaders Guide 29grs of GD with a mild primer [ win 209 ] , 1 1/4oz of shot with a SP-10 wad and fiber fillers gives 1265fps at 8800psi. That pressure wouldn't bother me, but the recoil would. I think using about 27 or 28 grains would give around 1160 to 1200fps which should be enough for any game bird and a little less pressure. After a bit more looking in the guide I see they're using in the 12ga 21 to 23grs depending on the primer and wad for 9000 to 10,000psi and 1235fps. I've always said using a 12ga load in a 10ga will have less pressure and in this case even more powder will have less pressure. I would start at least at 23grs and wouldn't be afraid of 28grs if I wanted something a bit hotter. Try a 23gr load and see how it feels. Do the Charlie test on a pop can at 30yds for penetration. You can always take it up a couple of grs without worry. Good luck. For clay birds I use 21.5grs and 1 1/16oz of shot.

Wish someone would give me a 89, have to buy all mine.

Thanks Paul, I'll start with 23 grains and do the Charlie test.

And nothing in life is free. The guy that gave me the Remington 1889 had two of them and I'm doing a strip and clean on the better one for him and gluing a few small stock cracks. The one I was given had a loose rib (repaired by me) no stock and barrels that had bores like a rough road. So we'll see.

He came to the Vintagers shoot and I guess he had a new appreciation for the two hammer guns that had been rusting in his father's garage for the last 30 years or so. His father had always meant to throw them away. I told him he'll be shooting his this fall.

George, don't know how you repaired the loose rib, but a friend had one loose at the muzzle end. He epoxied it back together [ acru-glass ] and then drilled through the upper and lower rib, tapped the lower and made a bead with a long thread. Screwed them together and trimmed the extra thread sticking out the bottom. Just a idea.

I did do a proper job on the rib. It was a simple solder job.

Using the published Alliant loading for 1 1/4 ounce lead shot in 3.5 10ga with Green Dot as a guideline I settled on 27 grains of Green Dot in the Federal hull shortened to 2 7/8", Win primer, SP-10 wad and enough 16ga fiber filler wad to get the crimp correct. Given the published velocity and pressure for the 3.5" loading I am guessing 27 grains is delivering 1175 to 1200 fps and somewhere around 8000 psi. I have shot this load through Parker, Remington and Lefever composite barrel tens without issue.

Thanks for that. That let's me know I've got a bit of wiggle room for the 1 1/4 oz. loads.