red dot 10 ga loads

[Paul Harm]

I'm loading 20grs of GD with 1 1/16oz of shot - nice load. You won't be sorry with the GD.

[Carl G. Bachhuber]

I just ran some 1-1/8 oz. Red Dot 10 ga. loads thru the chronograph last week. For what it is worth, these were in Remington SP cases cut to 2-7/8 with a 6 pt crimp. Wad was Remington 10 ga with 16 ga. filler wads. 23.7 grains clocked 1251 fps and 22.2 ran 1198fps. The 22.2 load is not a bad shooting load. I have no idea what pressures were generated but they seem pretty mild.
C.G.B.

[Mark Garrett]

Carl thanks , that is good info . I like the 22 gr load . I talked to Tom Arburst the other day and he tested 23 grs RedDot in a Fed hull and win primer at 1220 fps and said the pressure was in spec. He said the 19gr load would likely be under 1100 fps .

[charlie cleveland]

sounds like some good hunting loads to me thanks fellows for the reports...a fellow cannot go wrong with reddot or greendot in the short ten...charlie

[Carl G. Bachhuber]

Red dot seems to work well enough with 1-1/8 oz of shot but ( in my hands) it just doesn't meter well. I can get as much as +-.5 gr. variation in powder weight in any give string. This seems to be a common problem with any of the big flake powders like Blue dot, Herco, Steel, etc. Of late I have been playing with Alliant e3. It meters very well and produces very consistent velocities with 1-1/8 in 2-7/8 cases. I have settled on a load that is running 1150 fps with very little shot-shot velocity variation. No pressure data but it seems to be very well behaved. As I learn more I will post some more info.
C.G.B.

[Paul Harm]

I use to load a lot of RD and Promo which is the same thing and never had a problem. Over on the shotgunworld.com reloading forum .3grs + - seems acceptable. 800X is known to be one of the hardest powders to reload because of it's size and pistol shooting friends tried 700X and didn't like it because they load at such a small volume it wouldn't meter well. To each their own, but Promo is one of my favorite powders.

[Eric Johanen]

With my MEC Sizemaster I get 18.4 to 18.8 grains of Red Dot using the bushing specified for 19 .0 grains. This variation is likely due to how the press is cycled between throws. It makes no difference as to how the load functions and the clay targets are crushed. Both of my "short ten's" really like this load. If the velocity is down around 1100 fps, pressure is probably pretty light and I have not noticed that my lead has changed from shooting the same presentations with my 12 ga. at 1200 fps. The load just seems to work. I believe I'd try the 22.0 grain loading or the 20.0 grain with Green Dot loading for a hunting load if I wanted a substitute for the 4 to 4.25 dram black powder load.

[RICHARD HOUSER]

I am a new to this forum and to loading 2 7/8" 10 gauge. I have been reading for days and now am ready to annoy the veterans. I have settled on the 19.0 grain Red Dot 1 1/8 oz loads as the base form my first ventures. I have cut 10ga 3.5" factory primed cheddite hulls to 2 7/8" hulls, the Remington SP-10 Wad and intend to use a fold crimp done on a sizemaster with the short shell adapter.

What should the proper length for a folded shell 2 7/8" hull be (more or less)? Mine are measuring 2.47" using a caliper from the base to the top edge of the crimp. Call it 2 1/2. Does this sound about right?

What are most using as a "wad filler" for the shot cup? Based on my reading, I have ordered in the circle-fly 16 gauge 1/2" fiber wads and I have a supply of 1/8" 16 gauge .125 nitro cards. Do I just "mix and match" till I get the crimp I want? Is there a standard approach (wad stack) to get me close?

Sorry to seem so needy. I can offer the results of a small side trip based on my reading. I am having very positive results with the same 19gr of Red Dot and 12 #1 buck shot stacked 4x3 into a SP-10 wad using a 12 gauge 1/4" cork wad placed into the bottom of the shot cup followed by the 4x3 stack, an overshot card and then a 6pt fold crimp. These are measuring 2.47" to the top edge of the fold.

The 12 ball load is slightly under the 1 1/8 ounce load (577.5 gr), but put all 12 balls inside a 9" circle at 25 yards though an I/C choke. Recoil was mild. I only loaded 3 so I will make more and see if it does anything at 50 yards.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

rch

[Paul Harm]

Thanks for the BS load data. Sounds like you have a nice load. It doesn't matter how or what you mix with the filler wads, just get the height that works for you. Once I find a height measured from the top of the load to the top of a uncrimped shell I write it down. For me it's around .400 and can be critical depending what shell I'm using. Some will buckle in the cushion area of the plastic wad easier than others. Too much and the crimp will dish too much. I've never worried about total length after crimping - it really doesn't matter. I also have cut shells that at one time were used in a Parker lifter that had 2 5/8" stepped chambers. They're a bit shorter but still get used in my 2 7/8" guns.

[Carl G. Bachhuber]

Of late I have been using Schoeller PT1044 wad plus 3 16ga. .125 card wads with my 1-1/8 oz loads in Remington SP10 cases cut to 2-7/8. These cases do seem prone to buckling if not supported during crimping. Once they buckle they will continue to do so.
C.G.B.