Brass, Bismuth, and nitro powder
 

New guy here.

I am curious about using RMC brass shells with nitro powders for modest pressure 12 bore bismuth waterfowl loads and have had little luck finding information. RMC tells me that any recipe for plastic shells and wads is ‘safe’ with brass, but how are pressures affected by fiber wads and overpowder and overshot cards? These would be for nitro proofed Brit fowlers. I’d be grateful for any advice and recipes.

Many thanks.

Welcome aboard, you'll find lots of good people and advice here.

I haven't loaded any smokeless in brass cases only black powder so I can't state for sure what the pressures may be but, as I understand pressures are lower with nitro card type wads as compared to plastic cup wads.

Pressure in a shotgun shell has a lot to do with the final crimp. Military brass shells have a slight crimp. We don't do that and one reason other than not having the equipment to do it is after a number of times the end of the shell would go bad. So we use a OS card and glue it in. When I loaded Magtechs with BP they shot fine, but when using nitro powders I always got bloopers. Charlie said he put pressure on the OS card as it was glued and it worked for him. Fiber OP and cushion wads don't seal as good as plastic wads so there'll be less pressure. There's also a guy on the reloading forum over at www.shotgunworld.com who loads RMC shells all the time for hunting. Go over there and post the question. Let us know how it works out.

Many thanks, Paul. I found his posts and have written him directly.

Who is that poster, Laurence? I have thirty eight gauge RMC brass empties and would like to know how others use them.

Hi Bill. I don't know what the protocol is, but I am reluctant to give out someone else's name/handle. I have been in touch with him and his brief response is that any published nitro recipe for straight-walled hulls can be used in brass shells, yielding the same or lower pressure. Kody from RMC told me the same, so he might be the source of that lore. Tom Armbrust can test them, but he needs to sacrifice a shell to drill a hole in it; I assume he can test 8 bores.

I also have RMC's for my 8, but it is BP only.

I hope others check in with their experience.

Laurence

bill smokeless powder will work in the brass 8 gauge hull....just keep pressure on the top wad while glueing it...works for me i used bluedot powder....charlie