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,

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Jerry Harlow

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

It has been my experience that SR4756 is a powder that will break your heart when used in the 2 7/8" 10ga. For me it produced far too many squib/blooper loads and they always seem to come when shooting at a bird. I have had much better results with SR7625 but as yet neither Scott K. or myself have found a totally 100% squib/blooper free powder for a hunting load. SR4756 is the worst powder to use when the shooting counts IMO.

[David Lien]

Any air, or looseness in the powder will squib/blooper every time with 4756 in a ten gauge hand load. Have had the broken heart.
David

[J. A. EARLY]

Thanks for the info on the bloopers. That is the last thing I want as I am loading for late season deer and then turkeys in April. Maybe I'll just back down to a powder I know to be 100% reliable with the 1 1/4 oz. loads. But it would be nice to take advantage of the 10 for loads heavier than what I can shoot in a 12.

[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.