2 1/2" cheddite 20 ga loads

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Anybody load 2 1/2" cheddite hulls. I need a couple good loads to shoot in my J. Manton 20 ga hammer gun. The left barrel is quite finicky, and prefrs cheddite hulls. They have thicker rims than Win AA and Rem hulls. The problem with standard 2 3/4" cheddite hulls is that they actually do measure closer to 2 3/4" than do factory AA's and Rem's.
I have CB1078 and1075 wads that hopefully will work in a cut down hull.
Many thanks

[Daryl Corona]

Rich A. does them and surely has a recipe.

[Gary Laudermilch]

Harold, I would try loading 3/4 oz in the 1078 wad. It might move the load down enough to get a good crimp on a short shell. I load 13.8 gr. of Green Dot in my 3/4 oz loads but I know guys shooting as low as 12 gr. with success. I.m thinking the combination of the 1078 wad and perhaps less powder might work just fine but you'll have to experiment a bit to find out.

[Eric Eis]

Rich A. does them and surely has a recipe.

That's all Rich loads and I am sure will respond when he get's back from the Wisc. shoot this weekend, I think he is coming back on Monday. Harold you may want to post again on Monday so Rich see's this thread.

[Bill Jolliff]

That's all Rich loads and I am sure will respond when he get's back from the Wisc. shoot this weekend, I think he is coming back on Monday. Harold you may want to post again on Monday so Rich see's this thread.

Harold,

In the meantime if you have an interest, I load 20 gauge RST 2 1/2 inch hulls in both 3/4 and 1/2 ounce lead loads which work fine. I load them for a 2 1/2" chambered 20 gauge Fox. I think the RST hulls are the same as Cheddites. And I use a MEC 20 gauge Sizemaster.

For my 3/4 ounce loads, I use a MEC #18 powder bushing that drops 14.3 grains of Alliant 20/28 powder, a Claybuster 1075-20 neon green wad and Remington primers. Other primers would work just as well I'm sure. This will give you about 1200 fps at around 7200 psi according to Alliant's recipe.

Same thing but using International Clays powder and a MEC #20 bushing will drop around 13.0 grains of powder and this seems to work OK too.

If you have an interest in what I use for 1/2 ounce loads, I would be happy to post that also.

I might add that I leave the settings on my MEC Sizemaster for my 2 3/4 inch loads but place an 1/8th inch thick spacer under the pre-crimp and final crimp stations for the 2 1/2 inch RST hulls. I do not use the MEC Short Kit.

I scrounge my 2 1/2 inch 12 and 20 gauge RST hulls from the hull buckets at the HHH shoot in PA in June. If you'd like to try a few, let me know. I load 2 1/2 inch 12 gauge loads too.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Thanks all for the responses. I do have plenty of GD, 20/28, and Internationaal, and also CB 1075 and 1078 wads. I do have about 50 RST hulls and quite a few Herters/cheddite 2 3/4" hulls and can cut them down easily to 2 1/2. If all goes well, I may just reload mainly 2 1/2". In 16 ga, that is all I currently load.
May try to get this set up this weekend if all goes well.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Well, after much cursing, frustration, bourbon, and crushed shells I think I am set up for 2 1/2" 20's. I pulled the short kit off my 16 ga Mec 600 and put it on the 20--fit great, After much cam and crimp adjustment, wad pressure adjustment, more cursing(did I mention bourbon), I think I'm there.
All this because the left barrel of my 20 hammer gun prefers cheddite hulls. The rim on the cheddite hulls is definitely thicker than AA and Rem Gun club hulls, and seems to eliminate the light strikes and misfires I got with my other reloads( and factory AA shells), I have a little tool that cuts down shells to 2 1/2" , and works on 12, 16, and 20 ga using your portable drill--a guy on the 16 ga forum sells it, and is much slicker and easier than those sold by Precision and BPI, and cheaper. Cheddite 2 3/4" shells are much longer than AA and gun clubs. I wouldn't even bother if those shells would work in my Manton. Put a AA, a Gun Club, and an RST side by side and there is almost no difference in length, Bruce Day showed us that--the Herters/cheddite are definitely much longer than those other shells and have to be cut down. A trip to the SC range is necessary now to try out the new reloads.

[edgarspencer]

Harold, I use the SG20s wad, 7/8oz, and 17.0gr of PB.
I also recall the cam took some finessing but now they are perfect crimps, and a nice taper to the end of the shell. These are about 8000psi, 1175-1190 fps loads and I only use them in my steel barreled 20s.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Sounds like a great load Edgar, only trouble is I sold you all of my PB.:)
What are you shooting in your Damascus 20's?
I do have GD, Intrnational, Universal, 20/28, 7625, an Unique--and have found suitable loads with all those powders, and the components I have on hand.
How is your back doing?

[edgarspencer]

I shoot my Damascus GHE 20 so infrequently, I just use whatever RST suits.
Back is not bothering me too much. But, I had to stop wearing the Flector patch a few days ago. Had to cut out any Pain meds except Tylenol. Get the new Hip on Tuesday.

[Rich Anderson]

Harold I use the CB1075 wad a Win 209 primer and 20/28 powder. IIRC its in the 14 gr area but I'd have to look to make sure. All guns are different so you should work up or down accordingly. I only load the 2 1/2 inch RST hull. I use this load in both Damascus and fluid steel barrels. Velocity is approx. 1100 FPS.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Thanks Rich, I have plenty of 20/28 and have been using that approx. load in my 3/4 oz
AA reloads. Hope you had a great time in Wiscosin

[Rich Anderson]

You should be fine with that with the CB 1075 wad and 2 1/2 inch hulls. Wisconsin is a great shoot, Duluth was fun and am looking forward to The Tunnel of Trees shoot in northern Mi in Sept. The daughter is getting married the end of Sept then I go grouse hunting in WI for a week and the rest of Oct. will be in the U.P.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

wow,traveling a lot! You should come down here for our SXS event at Hunting Hills on Aug 5th--just a one day event. I wont be in the UP until Oct 21-Nov 4th, see you then