12ga. 5/8 load

[Jay Oliver]

This was just me messing around. Recoil was pretty much non existent on a #1 frame gun. I would have laughed or scratched my head at this load a few years ago myself. I loaded 100 more of them before I went to bed last night. I am guessing velocity is in the 1125-1150 range.

I haven't been to the shoots in PA yet, though I do go to the Addieville shoot in April and I plan on attending the NH New Years Day shoot.

I thought I would just share this with the group. It seemed to work better than it should...

[Bill Jolliff]

For what it's worth, I would like to contribute my experience with light 12 gauge lead loads.

I've been loading 1/2 ounce lead loads for about 4 years and I'm very happy with the results.

My recipe:
13.9 - 14.0 grains of Alliant Extra Lite powder,
Remington 209 primers,
Remington hulls: 2 3/4" Nitro Gold's, STS's and Gun Clubs,
Claybuster CB0175-12 pink wads and
one of Craig Smith's/Circle Fly 0.140 inch thick 20 gauge card wad that's in the bottom of the CB wad.

I sent some test loads to Tom Armbrust and in March of 2015 he tested them.

Speed averages 1343 fps and the pressure varies from 4200 to 5200 psi.

Using Winchester AA hulls and Winchester primers, those came out at 1367 avg. and 5100 psi.

I've loaded and shot probably around 4000 - 5000 of those in the past 4 years. Works good for me.

I suspect the pattern of those loads is pretty good. I've never patterned them but I'm sure it would be better than 1/2 ounce loads out of a .410.

That's all I shoot at Skeet and that's what I use at our local Sporting Clays course: Williamson (NY) Conservation and Sporting Club. At their SC course, there are no long Bo Whoop targets. These loads will break any presented if I do my part. I use my old trusty early A grade 12 gauge Fox (that I've owned for 50 years) choked Full in the left barrel for the long shots and IC in the right for the close ones. Just like you would use hunting.

Nice mild loads, clean burning, work OK in real cold temperatures and sound fine. And if your lead cost $40.00 per 25# bag, that's $0.10/10 cents an ounce. So I save a nickel a shot minus the penny apiece I pay for Craig Smith's wads picked up at Hausmann's in June.

Not much of any benefit as compared to 3/4 ounce loads as Craig pointed out earlier. More so compared against factory 1 and 1 1/8 ounce loads tho.

What's not to like if you like light loads and certainly not for everybody.

Probably not a hunting load except maybe for woodcock or grouse.

I'd just like to add that in Iron Mike's get together in September of 2016 IIRC, I offered a very nice lady, Elaine, a box of my 3/4 ounce loads and a box of my 1/2 ounce loads because to shoot for score she had to use a side by side instead of her 1100 jam-o-matic. She had to use her partner's Parker and she was concerned about recoil. After she shot the round, I got a nice hug from Elaine.

I expect to be using them for this afternoons shoot at Wm'son and very likely I'll be joined by Jim DeMunck. He shoots 9/16 ounce loads and doesn't miss many birds. Among other guns, he shoots a Remington Model 10 Trap pump gun Full choked and doesn't miss many birds.

Sorry, this is kinda long and if you're gone this far, thanks.

[Eric Wood]

Originally Posted by Bill Jolliff

For what it's worth, I would like to contribute my experience with light 12 gauge lead loads.

I've been loading 1/2 ounce lead loads for about 4 years and I'm very happy with the results.

My recipe:
13.9 - 14.0 grains of Alliant Extra Lite powder,
Remington 209 primers,
Remington hulls: 2 3/4" Nitro Gold's, STS's and Gun Clubs,
Claybuster CB0175-12 pink wads and
one of Craig Smith's/Circle Fly 0.140 inch thick 20 gauge card wad that's in the bottom of the CB wad.

I sent some test loads to Tom Armbrust and in March of 2015 he tested them.

Speed averages 1343 fps and the pressure varies from 4200 to 5200 psi.

Using Winchester AA hulls and Winchester primers, those came out at 1367 avg. and 5100 psi.

I've loaded and shot probably around 4000 - 5000 of those in the past 4 years. Works good for me.

I suspect the pattern of those loads is pretty good. I've never patterned them but I'm sure it would be better than 1/2 ounce loads out of a .410.

That's all I shoot at Skeet and that's what I use at our local Sporting Clays course: Williamson (NY) Conservation and Sporting Club. At their SC course, there are no long Bo Whoop targets. These loads will break any presented if I do my part. I use my old trusty early A grade 12 gauge Fox (that I've owned for 50 years) choked Full in the left barrel for the long shots and IC in the right for the close ones. Just like you would use hunting.

Nice mild loads, clean burning, work OK in real cold temperatures and sound fine. And if your lead cost $40.00 per 25# bag, that's $0.10/10 cents an ounce. So I save a nickel a shot minus the penny apiece I pay for Craig Smith's wads picked up at Hausmann's in June.

Not much of any benefit as compared to 3/4 ounce loads as Craig pointed out earlier. More so compared against factory 1 and 1 1/8 ounce loads tho.

What's not to like if you like light loads and certainly not for everybody.

Probably not a hunting load except maybe for woodcock or grouse.

I'd just like to add that in Iron Mike's get together in September of 2016 IIRC, I offered a very nice lady, Elaine, a box of my 3/4 ounce loads and a box of my 1/2 ounce loads because to shoot for score she had to use a side by side instead of her 1100 jam-o-matic. She had to use her partner's Parker and she was concerned about recoil. After she shot the round, I got a nice hug from Elaine.

I expect to be using them for this afternoons shoot at Wm'son and very likely I'll be joined by Jim DeMunck. He shoots 9/16 ounce loads and doesn't miss many birds. Among other guns, he shoots a Remington Model 10 Trap pump gun Full choked and doesn't miss many birds.

Sorry, this is kinda long and if you're gone this far, thanks.

I’ve shot Bills load out of his gun and they break
Birds just fine. I use his 3/4 oz recipe for my
own 12 ga loads out of a Sterlingworth.

[Ken]

Nice write up Bill. I miss Williamson shooting.
Ken

[Kensal Rise]

Originally Posted by Jay Oliver

This was just me messing around. Recoil was pretty much non existent on a #1 frame gun. ... It seemed to work better than it should...

Quite right. I've used a 3/4 oz load with 14 grs of Red Dot/Promo in my 12 bores for years with superb results. Easy on the shoulder and your gun. Not so easy on targets!