8300 PSI TOO MUCH FOR 10 GA TWIST

[J. A. EARLY]

I am looking for opinions if one of Sherman Bell's loads is too hot.

I had the components, Remington black letter hulls cut to 2 7/8", Winchester 209 primers, 29 grains Universal Clays powder, and SP10 wads. Loaded his 1.5 ounce loads with #4 American E shot and buffer (loads same as lead). He list the load at 8300 psi with a velocity of 1161.

I have an urge to kill a deer with the 33 #4 lead buck shot or the 23 #2 lead buck that equals 1.5 ounces in a NH Twist with .040" minimum right barrel and .050" minimum left barrel. Slight pitting.

I've fired one of the #4 AE shot through the left tube (strange pattern, shot holes through paper looks like a bullet that has tumbled in flight).

Still have all my fingers and did not kick much at all, but have not fired the right barrel yet. Opinions on should I back down to the 1.25 oz. loads and 6000 psi and same velocity?

Both barrels are full (.783/.747 & .783/.746).

Thanks.

[J.B. Books]

I would think shooting a heavy load of buckshot would be infrequent once you find a load that patterns well. If it is one of Bell's listed loads he considered them to be within the acceptable range for their purposes of shooting composite barrels. Your gun sounds stout but you did not note the wall thickness at and just ahead of the chamber where the most pressure occurs. You asked for opinions here is mine, I would shoot an 8300 psi load through my 10ga NH but I prefer a lower pressure if possible in the 7000 range. I would also try 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 ounce loads and use whichever patterns the best.

[Hammer Gun]

Mr Early I shoot damascus barrel guns all the time with RST shells I would be hesitant to recommend a certain load to someone not without the gun in hand, If you are going to experiment, do like Sherman did, a long string and get behind a building and let er rip. This way you are not going to lose any body parts with testing. Be safe Gary

[charlie cleveland]

remember buckshot will not pattern like small shot...if all the buckshot is staying within a 15 to 24 inch circle at 40 yards your gun is doing its job and the shell you loaded...there will be ragged patterns in all buckshot loads...if the pattern is looking like a rifle hole or not spreading out at 40 yards the trouble is that if your using a over shot card and its goingdown in theshot collar this will not let the buckshot spread out....ive done this a number of times tilled i figured out the problem....ive shot the load your using a no of times in a p grade 10 ga with twist steel barrels with no effects on gun....good luck on the deer hunt with the old ten....... charlie

[J. A. EARLY]

I'll measure in front of the chambers soon, but it is on a #3 frame and as the barrels are .040 r and .050 l at their thinnest spots anywhere I am betting they are very thick there.

I'm looking at another load and there is one for 1 5/8 oz. using SR4756 but only 7100 psi for 1121 fps.

But could someone tell me what "x10 x 2 1/4" filler MR" means for a wad on Bell's chart? There is nothing there to tell me what that is.

Thanks,

[Richard Flanders]

NOTES TO ACCOMPANY 10 GAUGE 2 7/8" LOADS

Abbreviations:

PSB Precision Reloading's buffer material
BP Ballistic Product's buffer material
FBS Felt Blue Streak wad
NC Nitro card wad
MR Mylar wrapper
x10x Over powder wad from Ballistic Prod.

Notes on specific loads:

Load #18 Wad Combo has a 10ga 1/4"wad and a 12ga 1/4" wad
Load #68 Ditto
Load #69 Ditto
Load #37 16ga or 20ga card may be use ILO 24ga card.

Hulls Bold Italicized indicates these
are loads cited in Double Gun Journal, Volume Eleven, Issue Three
Sherman Bell and Tom Armbrust Article "Finding Out For Myself"
"The Forgotten Tens"

Disclaimer: The loads on these pages were taken from the original three pages provided by
Tom Armbrust. I put them in a revised order to facilitate their use. I have also included
copies of the original pages from Tom Armbrust for your use and cross reference. Typo
errors were corrected after checking with Tom by phone.
loads and if you choose to use them you do so at your own risk.

Recommendation:
I strongly suggest reading the DGJ article pertaining to these loads before
using this data.

[StubTwist]

Great stuff Mr. Flanders! Copy and paste and in my files.

Been wondering for the longest time what x10x meant.

[Richard Flanders]

Those are Shermans notes, not mine. Can't remember how/where I got them.

[10ga Hammer]

Richard, If I'm not mistaken those "NOTES" accompany Sherman Bells Excell spread sheet for 2 7/8, 10ga reloading data.

[J. A. EARLY]

Richard,

Thanks. I had downloaded a .pdf file from this forum a while back but only three pages of reloads with no notes. I don't have access to that particular article, however last year I did read the article in a friend's DGJ where they finally were able to blow the Damascus barrels of a Parker at the breech face with a tremendous overload, but only after many progressions in increasing the charges.

I am looking for very low pressure loads to be safe. These NH barrels are the thickest of any gun I have, although they are Twist. Twice as thick as one of my 20s. I am going to find a 7000 psi or less load to live with.