Light load !

[CraigThompson]

Shot skeet Tuesday night at our club . For the first two rounds I used a Circa 1964 Browning Superposed 12 ga 28” that I’ve owned for three years and had yet to shoot other than down thru the woods twice . Anyway I was using a 7/8 ounce load sitting in the CB 3/4 ounce wad and pushed with American Select . I forget how many grains of powder but it was close to whatever the Load manual says for 1150ish . Anyway that load for skeet atleast is a target grinder I crushed 48 of 50 with it . I was quite satisfied to say the least well except for my two uhm indiscretions shall we say :rotf:

[Daniel Carter]

If you get a chance try the 3/4 oz. load at skeet and you will see no change in your ability to break targets. A frequent poster on Shotgun world reloading forum got me into light shot charges for skeet and i was shooting with him last week. I asked how many converts he has made in the last decade he has been using them and the answer was zero.
I have made 1, a 30's R.N.who was getting a bruise on her cheek from factory loads and being questioned at work about abuse. She went straight on the first box i gave her and i had to give her dad 2 bags of wads to load for her.
Until you use 3/4 and 7/8 for trap it is hard to believe the effectiveness on clay targets but many say 3/4 is magic in a 28 ga. but the same load in 12 is better.
One last advantage in these times of component shortages is the cost which when buying in bulk comes out to approx. 3.65 a box.

[Daryl Corona]

I load 3/4oz. in all gauges. Once you develop confidence in that load you will be amazed at how far you can crush, not break, a target.

It does require tighter chokes but then again most of my vintage guns have them.

Daniel, your giving that RN those lighter loads surely made a difference that day but trying to convince a shooter, usually a male, that he doesn't need a shot charge over 7/8oz. is an exercise in futility.:banghead:

[Daniel Carter]

In a decade of us promoting and handing out boxes of shells to people it has been a dismal failure. We hear ''i need all the bb's in the air i can get'' and we answer '' you need them in the right place''

[Daryl Corona]

In a decade of us promoting and handing out boxes of shells to people it has been a dismal failure. We hear ''i need all the bb's in the air i can get'' and we answer '' you need them in the right place''

I also hand out samples of my light loads and the reaction I get the most is that they feel they need recoil in a load to break targets. Go figure.

[Daniel Carter]

I also hand out samples of my light loads and the reaction I get the most is that they feel they need recoil in a load to break targets. Go figure.

Said by the guy who has a flinch that you wonder how he hits anything!! My friend has developed a 1/2 oz. 12 ga. load which i have tried and it works very well although it needs a filler. If you need all that shot how do you explain the 410 shooters who have incredible runs? They just put it in the right place.

[Daryl Corona]

I've tried the 1/2oz. load in 12ga., first given to me by a friend, but could not get the crimp right. They worked well enough. Didn't feel like adjusting my machine but if this component shortage continues I may have to.

[Daniel Carter]

Have tried a lot of fillers such as cherrios and found styrofoam meat trays and a punch of the type used in making gaskets to be the best. The punch's are made in sets of different sizes and sheet foam is available in craft stores. They can then be made to a consistent size. Carpet backing made of felt is good in some applications, 16 ga. 7/8 for one.

[Tom Pellegrini]

Going on six years now loading 7/8 oz. 17.5 of clay dot for my 12 ga. Like Daryl said above, "you put the BB's where they are supposed to be and the target breaks. The best part with this load is when I give one to my shooting buddies they say they didn't feel it go off and want to check the barrel to make sure everything came out.

[Bill Jolliff]

I've tried the 1/2oz. load in 12ga., first given to me by a friend, but could not get the crimp right. They worked well enough. Didn't feel like adjusting my machine but if this component shortage continues I may have to.

To get nice crimps for those 1/2 ounce loads using the CB 3/4 ounce pink wads (CB0175-12), I put a card board wad in the bottom before adding the shot. Those wads are 0.140" thick, 20 gauge diameter size. I get them from Craig Smith, Circle Fly wads in PA. They cost about a penny apiece purchased in quantity; ie 5,000.

Craig often goes to Ernie's shoot in June. Let him know and he will hand deliver them.

I use 14 grains of Alliant Extra Light powder and have had Tom Armbrust test them. Pressure around 5500 psi and the speed is around 1325 fps. Been loading them for 6 years.

Yep, that standard rule applies: put the shot in the right place.

[Bruce Hering]

To get nice crimps for those 1/2 ounce loads using the CB 3/4 ounce pink wads (CB0175-12), I put a card board wad in the bottom before adding the shot. Those wads are 0.140" thick, 20 gauge diameter size. I get them from Craig Smith, Circle Fly wads in PA. They cost about a penny apiece purchased in quantity; ie 5,000.

Craig often goes to Ernie's shoot in June. Let him know and he will hand deliver them.

I use 14 grains of Alliant Extra Light powder and have had Tom Armbrust test them. Pressure around 5500 psi and the speed is around 1325 fps. Been loading them for 6 years.

Yep, that standard rule applies: put the shot in the right place.

Bill: Are these 2.5" or 2 3/4" shells ?

Thanks in advance

[CraigThompson]

Me loading light loads started with me wanting to get rid of odds and ends I acquired when buying out a couple folks . But I gotta say the small payload wads and a couple powders I’d not normally buy worked better than I anticipated . So instead of getting rid of stuff it turned into me buying more of what I was initially trying to use up ! This 7/8 ounce load pushed with I think it was 18-19 grains of American Select was very nice in the Superposed 12 . This gun still is original with a Browning hard buttplate and it was still no recoil which kinda surprised me . I still like 1 and 1 1/8 ounce loads but these lighter payload jobs I’m starting to like as well .

[Bill Jolliff]

Bill: Are these 2.5" or 2 3/4" shells ?

Thanks in advance

Bruce,

The info above are for 2 3/4" hulls.

I also load 12 gauge using RST 2 1/2" hulls with 1/2 ounce of shot. For those, I use the CB6100-12 neon green wad, same card wad and same powder load: 14 grains of XL. Speed a little lower tho.

And Daryl, if you'd like to try a few of those loads, I'll send you some of those Circle Fly card wads. Bruce too.

Also Daryl, I load using RST 20 gauge 2 1/2" hulls using Alliant 20/28 powder in 1/2 ounce in that lovely and svelte 20 gauge Sterlingworth you sold me at Ernie's a couple years ago. Rest assured, she has a good home. And she's still just as pretty.

[Andrew Sacco]

I'm waiting on some BP wads then have enough to start loading shot shells in 12g. But darned when I find a recipe for powder or primers or hulls I have, I don't or can't get the wad for the recipe. I'm so wad confused, I guess you could say I'm wadded out. I have the wad substitution chart from Hogdon, but still there are gaps. Now I'm reading about cheerio and meat tray spacers. Good grief I have a lot to learn. I would love to load some light #9 loads for my VH 12g for skeet to give her a whirl (2 1/2")

[Daryl Corona]

Thanks for offer Bill, but you were the friend I mentioned who gave me the 1/2oz. loads. I really liked them and saw no difference between them and my 3/4oz. loads. But when I load 12ga.,which is not so often, I load on a 9000H hydraulic. Adding the filler wad, which I have, slows the progress down.

What I will eventually get around to is prepping the wads by Elmer's gluing a filler wad in each wad in a bag of wads so all I have to do is grab a wad and insert.

Yes she is a pretty one and there is a bit of sellers remorse on that sale.:)

[Mike Koneski]

Daniel, if you send me 5 or 6 flats of 3/4 and 7/8 oz shells, I'll be happy to try them. I'll even send you back the empties. :whistle:

[Tom Pellegrini]

I'm waiting on some BP wads then have enough to start loading shot shells in 12g. But darned when I find a recipe for powder or primers or hulls I have, I don't or can't get the wad for the recipe. I'm so wad confused, I guess you could say I'm wadded out. I have the wad substitution chart from Hogdon, but still there are gaps. Now I'm reading about cheerio and meat tray spacers. Good grief I have a lot to learn. I would love to load some light #9 loads for my VH 12g for skeet to give her a whirl (2 1/2")

Andy, all of my Parkers are 12 gauge. I have been using a Clay Buster CB4100b wad which is for a 1oz. or 7/8 oz. of shot. I have used this wad with Red Dot, Clay Dot, Clays, and Universal powders. All have very little recoil and make it a joy to shoot. The last two years or so I have been loading 17.5 grains of Clay Dot, 7/8 of shot and win. 209 primer. On the Alliant site this load goes about 1150 fps. Only use one size shot, 7 1/2, since I make my own shot.

[Daniel Carter]

Mike you are very kind in offering to field test my light loads. Unfortunately i do not allow them out of New England to an area which uses the term mudbat.

[Mike Koneski]

Mike you are very kind in offering to field test my light loads. Unfortunately i do not allow them out of New England to an area which uses the term mudbat.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Touche!! How about bogsucker? Logcock? All I say is at least we have grouse, partridges are dumber than a box of wet hammers!! :rotf::rotf::rotf:

Mudbat is perfect, works perfectly with the videos of the birds doing their dance to "Tequila". We even adapted a song from the B52s. Instead of "Love Shack" you use "Mud Bat" and a host of other changed lyrics.

Improvise and adapt. :)

"I got me a Parker it's a 30 inch 20, so come on and bring your shot shell money! For the mud bat it's a little old bird that we can hunt togetheeeerrrr. Mud bat baaaabyyyyy. Mud bat baby!!

Muds little bat, that's where it's at. Muds little bat, that's where it's at. Mud bat baby!!"

[Mike Koneski]

I'm waiting on some BP wads then have enough to start loading shot shells in 12g. But darned when I find a recipe for powder or primers or hulls I have, I don't or can't get the wad for the recipe. I'm so wad confused, I guess you could say I'm wadded out. I have the wad substitution chart from Hogdon, but still there are gaps. Now I'm reading about cheerio and meat tray spacers. Good grief I have a lot to learn. I would love to load some light #9 loads for my VH 12g for skeet to give her a whirl (2 1/2")

Felt, cotton, wool and fiber filler wads do the trick. Thin overshot cards too if you need to cover the shot.

[Frank Srebro]

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Touche!! How about bogsucker? Logcock? All I say is at least we have grouse, partridges are dumber than a box of wet hammers!! :rotf::rotf::rotf:

Mudbat is perfect, works perfectly with the videos of the birds doing their dance to "Tequila". We even adapted a song from the B52s. Instead of "Love Shack" you use "Mud Bat" and a host of other changed lyrics.

Improvise and adapt. :)

"I got me a Parker it's a 30 inch 20, so come on and bring your shot shell money! For the mud bat it's a little old bird that we can hunt togetheeeerrrr. Mud bat baaaabyyyyy. Mud bat baby!!

Muds little bat, that's where it's at. Muds little bat, that's where it's at. Mud bat baby!!"

My friend Mike probably spazzed out because four of us were shooting at the Rock today and we got him in a headlock. One gent has very extensive grouse and woodcock hunting experience both in PA and NY, and the other two have been small game hunters since Hector was a pup. Mike was out touring the courses and we chided him, how none of us had ever heard that derogatory Mudbat term used to refer to the fine American game bird. Then after shooting we returned to the clubhouse for coffee and Mike was nowhere to be seen, probably out composing his retort and lyrics. :banghead: :rotf:

[Daniel Carter]

He continues to reveal new talents as time goes on. We anxiously await his next creation.

[Mike Koneski]

Frank, I was just out looking for whistle-pigs. 🤪

Daniel, never know what kind of Frankenstein’s monster can be concocted. :)

[Mike Koneski]

The lovingly used term of mudbat is current, funky-fresh, a modern marvel of lexicon!! Come from the dark side, embrace the mudbat!! 🤣🤣🤣

[Bruce Hering]

Bruce,

The info above are for 2 3/4" hulls.

I also load 12 gauge using RST 2 1/2" hulls with 1/2 ounce of shot. For those, I use the CB6100-12 neon green wad, same card wad and same powder load: 14 grains of XL. Speed a little lower tho.

And Daryl, if you'd like to try a few of those loads, I'll send you some of those Circle Fly card wads. Bruce too.

Also Daryl, I load using RST 20 gauge 2 1/2" hulls using Alliant 20/28 powder in 1/2 ounce in that lovely and svelte 20 gauge Sterlingworth you sold me at Ernie's a couple years ago. Rest assured, she has a good home. And she's still just as pretty.

Bill: Thanks for the info. Something else for me to play with....

[Dean Romig]

The lovingly used term of mudbat is current, funky-fresh, a modern marvel of lexicon!! Come from the dark side, embrace the mudbat!! 🤣🤣🤣


And all the while we thought we had heard the height of disrespect for those "little russet fellers" when we first read the term "bogsucker"...:shock:





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