Help, 16ga stacked cheddite and brass shells load data.

[Youssef Abel]

Hello all,

New to the forum and to shotgun reloading. I inherited a pair of pre war shotguns. A French SxS and and sweet 16. After cleaning them up and discovering 65mm ammo is a unicorn decided to reload and go with era appropriate methods and materials. I have looked and have little luck. I have not yet acquired any black powder, but have several smokeless alts, unique, red dot, and trail boss. Using trimmed primed cheddite shells for the sweet 26 and magtech brass for the SxS. Nitro / overshot cards and fiber wads for both.
Surprise, Surprise no current load data for those materials. Went to 16ga.com can't register to ask questions. Contacted BPI, they could not verify that any of their "cards" specifically reference 16ga + brass + Fiber wads + smokeless. I have tons of smokeless powder hate to go out and buy blackpowder. Although, I had thought about maybe MAKING some Bp, but that costs moreoney too.

Can anyone help?Help w/

[Harold Lee Pickens]

I would say that most of us load 2.5" hulls wit modern smokeless powder. Hundreds of recipes exist for low pressure loads using plastic hulls that you can either buy, or cut to 2.5".

[john pulis]

Ditto what Harold stated; have you looked at Hogdons reloading web site? Shotgun World Reloading Forum, and many others?

[Youssef Abel]

Ditto what Harold stated; have you looked at Hogdons reloading web site? Shotgun World Reloading Forum, and many others?


I am sorry I did not clarify. I found data for plastic hulls using plastic wads/cups.

I could not find data for plastic OR brass hulls using fiber wads.

I cannot find any data that specifically references loads with smokeless and fiber wads.

The data is either plastic wad cups and smokeless OR fiber wad with black powder.

I someone could point me in the direction of a publication with the needed data, I am happy to purchase. I just don't have money buy something "hoping" it has what I am specifically looking for.

***french SxS. 1920's. plastic / brass hulls 2.5in 16ga low pressure, fiber wad stacks and smokeless powder
*** Pre war sweet sixteen. Plastic hulls 2.5in with fiber wad stack that will cycle.

POWDER ON HAND:

unique
Trailboss
Red dot

[Matt Buckley]

Smokeless powder doesn’t work great in brass. Get yourself some black powder or Hodgdon Triple Seven and your brass hulls and fiber wads will work well. Ballistic Products sells a handbook for loading brass hulls that will give you all the information you need.

[Mike Koneski]

Fiber and card wads will give you lower pressures than plastic wads whether you load 2 3/4” , 2 1/2”, 2 7/8” or 3 1/4”. We use fiber wads inside the shot cups of big bore shells that had original shot charges much larger than what we load. That does not increase our pressures, only builds up our wad columns for proper crimps.