T and F shot for the 8 ga

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

how many buck shot fit in the shell..makes a nice looking load in that clear Winchester hull...should be a good load for deer hog or coyote...or even for geese....charlie

I did some reading recently about back in the lead days F shot was used on swans. Reason I decided to try it is because this nickel plated F from BPI specifically is what some of the coyote hunters use as a alternative to hevishot tss etc. I have seen it throw some great patterns out of the 12 and 10 gauge, actually further out than it probably should. For the deer and hogs I got some .358 round balls on the way and some .410" roundballs. The 358s for the 10 ga I believe these should be around 000 buck and the .410s for the 8 gauge I got the inspiration for those from Craigs posts about large buck in the 8 gauge.

I think the clear hull with the SP-8 wad and nickel plated shot makes for a pretty shell,Charlie heres a better look at the shell.

[6pt-Sika]

A lead .410” ball is about 90 grains a .415” ball is almost 100 grains . Either is loosely 000000 buck . Now I first started using the SP-8 wad and 8 pellets of .415” about 800 grains about 1 7/8 ounces . The loads I’ve been using recently hold ten of the .415” pellets or approx 2 1/4 ounces . To get ten in the shell I used the Gualandi wad it give a skoosh more room . And almost for got I put a scoop or two of Grex which “seems to help” . This concoction will probably work fine in the Winchester hulls but I’ve not tried it . I used brand new black REM hulls and roll crimped . Now bear in mind there isn’t any way in heck this is a quick operation and they’re always tight going in the gun . But they work ! To keep this from being a PITA when I do it I never load more than maybe a dozen shells .

[6pt-Sika]

Incidentally I have the Sharpshooter style mold that makes 16 of the .410” pellets at a time but after you get them out you need to go back when done and trim the sprue and I’m anal enough that I roll them to knock the edges off where I cut them with dykes . Yesterday I ordered two molds from a Russian based mold maker for .410” balls , each mold has four cavities with sprue plates . I’ve got a feeling while slightly slower initially they may save time in the long run not needing to use the dykes or rolling the pellets . Anyway the two molds from Russia are supposed to arrive here in mid February .