smokeless realoades for 2 5/8 10 ga

wayne goerres · 08-20-2012, 03:14 PM

dose anybody have any realoading information for a 2 5/8 10ga. I would like to duplicate a black power load with smokeless powder and the old time wad system, overpower card, coushion wad, overshot card, with a roll crimp. Load needs to be in the 5000 to 6000 psi range. Keith from precision realoading said he would be happy to test it for pressure if it is a reliable load. I'am sure this has been discussed before, but I am new to this forum and any help would be apreciated. Thanks

Paul Harm · 08-21-2012, 10:51 AM

You may blow holes in your patterns because you'll need more filler wads than would be used with BP. Other than that, I'm at 24grs of 7625, a Rem SP-10 plastic wad with a 1/4" 16ga OP wad inside it with 1 1/8oz of shot. You're going to get less pressure with paper wads. I had talked with Graig from Circlefly who shoots and had tested a load of 30grs of 7625 and 1 3/16oz of shot in 2 7/8 chambers. In my short chambers - 2 5/8 - it kicked like hell. So I loaded up 1 1/8oz and shells with 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28grs. At 24 and under recoil was acceptable [ to me ]. Barrels were a little dirty so I'm not sure how complete a powder burn I got [ having not previously used 7625 ]. To me, short shells seem more prone to an increase in recoil - had the same problem with 2" 12ga. So, you'll just have to load some and send em off for testing. I didn't because I feel mine are ok with a lesser load than what Graig had tested. Good luck.

wayne goerres · 08-21-2012, 12:20 PM

Mr Harm what kind of hulls and primers are you useing. What is the seating preasure on your wads and what type of crimp 6,8,star or roll. Dose the crimp make a diffrence. Sorry to be so specific but I have never tryed loading shot gun shells before in this gauge. I have loaded many rounds in smokeless and black powder useing metalic cases. Just don't want to make a mistake. Guns are expensive and hands are irreplaceable.

Paul Harm · 08-22-2012, 11:30 AM

Wayne, if you go to page 2 on this forum you'll find two threads on reloading - one for 2 5/8 and one for 2 7/8 shells. I was useing a 6 point crimp - don't believe a 8 point is made. A roll crimp will have less pressure than a star crimp. I bought from Ballistic Products the Remington 10ga hulls and cut them to 2 5/8. Get a Mec 600jr set up for 10ga with their " short kit ". The short kit will make the shell go up into the final crimp station more so you'll get a crimp that isn't bulged. They fit in the gun MUCH better. Fiber wads from www.circlefly.com usually will give a lower pressure than plastic wads and I feel can be used safely to adjust wad column height. Use only fiber wads when reloading black powder unless you want a major headache cleaning plastic out of the barrel. Hope this helps.

Paul Harm · 08-22-2012, 01:41 PM

If you're not reloading a lot of 10ga you can do it all by hand. A dowel to fit into the shell with a nail in the end to deprime [ also need something with a hole for the primer to fall into ] . Another dowel to help seat the primer and to seat wads. With any shotgun shell reloading, wad pressure is never an issuse. Just enough to seat the wad. Anymore and all you're doing is collapsing the cushion area in a plastic wad which will want to spring back up latter. I know some reloading manuals call for wad pressure but it's unnecessary. If useing fiber wads just hand pressure is all that's necessary. You can make your own tools or find them at gun shows. You can then roll crimp with an old hand tool or buy one from B.P.'s that goes in a hand drill. Get the metal one, not the plastic.

wayne goerres · 08-23-2012, 09:01 PM

Mr Harm. I have already ordered cases and other realoading supplys from precision realoading. Should be here tomarow. I should be able to get this dog and pony show on the road. I already have a Mec 310 10ga press that I bought of Ebay. I will have to find some parts for this press. The person selling this press was apparently smarter than I am and did a good job of photographing. Never saw the missing parts on the press. Will have to hunt these parts. Good news is that the press is set up to roll crimp. Bad news is I don't know what lenth shells it is set up to load.I will give your loads a try. Will let you know how it turns out. Thank you.

Paul Harm · 08-25-2012, 06:32 PM

A Mec 310 - I don't believe it. My first press back in 1972 was a 310 a buddy gave me. Didn't know they could be set up for roll crimps. A little while back I tried roll crimping with my 650 - kind a worked/didn't work. I ground the ribs out of the star/ start crimp and that helped. And useing plastic shells with the star crimp part cut off also helped. Plastic has a memory so if useing them cut the last 1/4" or so. And for roll crimps very little start crimp is needed.

charlie cleveland · 08-25-2012, 09:02 PM

good info paul... charlie

wayne goerres · 08-26-2012, 12:35 AM

Mr Harm. I ordered 10ga hulls, once fired 3 1/2 from precision and cut them to 2 5/8 with one of their tools. Worked pretty slick. My first loads will be with Bp so I can see how the old girl feels. Also ordered one of precision roll crimp tools just in case. The remington wads that I have found say they are for 1 5/8 to 2 oz of shot. Did you have to cut your peddles down on your smokeless loads for 1 ozs of shot. I dont plan on useinf shot cups in the smokeless loads. About how much hull do I need above over shotwas to make a sucessfukk crimp. Perhaps you can tell me where I can get the primer seating cop and which one will fit. havent been able oo find 16ga Op wads,still looking. This parker is very light under 8 1/2 lbs. Hope it dosn't stomp me.

Paul Harm · 08-26-2012, 11:21 AM

For any Mec equipment go to www.mecreloaders.com or call them at 1-800-797-4632. Black powder creates some heat and may distort the end of plastic shells. You may want from Precision one of their " hull savers " [ pg. 19 ] to open up the shell. Wads are cheaper through www.circlefly.com - tell Craig I sent you. You'll need around 7/16 above the shot for a crimp - it's not real critical - not like a star crimp. You'll find the 10ga roll crimper will work with 12ga as well. If loading smokeless the plastic wads are easier to use because of how much area that has to be taken up. A nitro load is small - 20 to 30grs where as BP is 80 to 110grs. That difference means more wads and too much can sometimes give poor patterns because the wads will tumble through the shot string. If you're gonna us more than 3/4" of cushion wads you should pattern your gun to make sure there's not a hole in the middle of your pattern. That's just my experience with brass shells. Also had problems with the thick over shot cards - went back to the .028 card. The Rem SP-10 wad works for less shot by useing a filler of some sort in the bottom of the shot cup. A navy bean, cherrio, 16ga 1/4" wad - anything to take up space. If star crimping you'll need more shot to end of shell - about 5/8" for a crimp.