Question for the reloaders

C

clinton andrus

Active member
Where online can I find loading materials to load steel shot for ducks.

Looking for 3 inch hulls, wads, powders and shot would like to find some #7 steel shot if someone makes it.

Also what primers are yall useing is it a standard 209 shotgun primer or something made for steel loads.

Thanks in advance for any info given gents.
 
Clinton,
Been a while since I reloaded steel, but have shot many boxes of handloads in years past. One place to start is online at Alliant's recipes under their steel shot loads that use their "Steel" powder. #7 steel shot is available on the market. Believe 4756 powder and some others can be used for steel loads, but in general, most powder used for lead shot is not suitable. Primer brand/power load/wad need to be exactly what is called for in the recipe as they can greatly effect the chamber pressure and overall performance of a steel load.

You can find shot, wads, and other reloading data for sale online at:
- Precision Reloading
- Grafs
- Ballistic Products

The only reason I see to reload steel shot is because you love to reload. At the price you can get a case of steel shot or heavy metal delivered to your house, it is hard to justify the cost and pain for reloading steel.

Take care,
Bill
 
Thanks for that info Bill.

Reason im looking for stuff to reload is I like the #7 shot I got some last year at the end of season in 12 gauage 1onze loads think they were federals if I remember correctly.

I want to load some up in 3 in instead of 2 3\4 length and see what they will do.

I shot them out of my A5 last year and 30 yards are closer it was a super patterning load not a one cripple and not hit and fly off to die birds either.

I do like to reload been loading for my rifles for a few years and dont buy lead shot for doves and rabbits or squirrls been loading shells for them since I was like six or seven my dad was a loader back in the day and he gave me his set up for shotguns and I have all the parts needed to load 3 inch shells. Got some loading books for shootguns but they are very old so im sure there is no steel shot data in them going to look up some books now and order.

Just didnt know where to start looking as far as where to buy wad hulls powder and primers go.

Shotguns or like rifles you can load ammo that patterns better then what you can buy off the shelf, loading lead shells has thaught me that.

Mainly want to develop a round for my A5, my other two guns have custom made chokes in them and I already have factory rounds that will hold 90% or better pattern in a 30 inch circle out to 50 yards.

When I say custom made I dont mean aftermarket crap you get off the shelf, the chokes I had built will only work in my barrels.

Long winded reply today sorry LOL and again thanks for the info sir.
 
Clint, I recommend Ballistic Products having done business with them for decades. Start on line and then get a catalog from them. In my case I just drive out to there store to get what I need. Where else can you get 32 guage fiber wads over the counter???. They are extremely helpful and have anything you might need. Good folks and great products!!
 
Clinton, I fully understand the desire to load steel shells. I myself started loading steel for the express purpose of loading 2.75" steel 7's at a desired speed of 1500 fps. I use them for swatting cripples on the water. The work wonderful for that purpose and you would be hard pressed to find that combo in your avg retailer unless they are in an area where steel is mandated for skeet.


Ballistic Products is the place to see. Buy their Steel Loading manual. In it you will find may recipes that start with either Fiocchi or Federal hulls as they have the most internal volume. If you are going to buy new hulls you may or may not have a press that is capable of producing crimps on virgin hulls, I do not, so I use roll crimps.


The loading manual will specify which primer to use with each recipe. Good luck, enjoy the process, I do....


John Bourbon
 
I started reloading steel when MEC was selling steel reloading components. They were slow loads but patterned well. I reloaded with Ballistic Products components for a while and then used Reloadings Specialies wads with great success. I can not afford to reload for what I can buy steel shot for.

I have found that instead of shooting one specific load, I can shoot almost any shell I buy on sale and it doesn't matter as long as my birds are in range. I can buy steel on sale for $5-7 per box and as long as I grab a shot size suitable to the birds I am hunting, they all work well on birds in close.

I know you can buy 3" Federal #6 steel at 1550 fps from Rogers Sporting goods for like $99.00 a case delivered to your door step. I can't believe shooting #6 would be that different than #7.
 
Thanks for the info gents.

John yes sir ordered the manual bout twenty mints ago, I was checking the loader my dad gave me and the manual for it says it can crimp the hulls. I was going to order some fiocchi hulls for sure, I do have a bunch from last season, Fiocchi is my go to round in my berretta when im not using my custom choke.

The fiocchi hulls I have are some 3 inch hulls, soon as my manual gets here I will get to reading and ordering stuff to start my loading.

I found some 1 once #7 steel lasst year and was shooting it out my A5 and the pattern was just beautiful if they were at the 30 yard line or closer it was lights out not one cripple with them out my A5 last year, but I cant find #7 steel loaded in a 3 inch shell so thats why I want to load them.

Dont think I want to load for high speed rounds my A5 likes slower rounds, Im going to start in the 1300 fps range and work up till i find the pattern im looking for.

Again thanks for all the info gents.
 
Mike thaks for that info I hadnt seen those shells listed Im going check them out.

But im still going to load them #7 rounds I like that size shot alot after what I seen it do out my A5 last year.

Back when I was a kid before steel came out all we shot down southwest louisiana was #7 magnum load 2 3\4 for ducks and 2 3\4 #4 lead for geese, my dad and grandfather would load them and we shot them from 870, 1100, A5 all with fixed full chokes and 30 to 32 inch barrels worked like a charm.
 
As others have said, Ballistic Products and Precision Reloading are great sites for steel reloading. I load a ton of 2 3/4" loads using Remington Gun Club hulls and Estate hulls. The load data is from Precision Reloading, "Lightning Steel" @nd Edition. It is more of a booklet, but I have had great success with the loads. They are very fast and effective. Patterns very well.
 
Clinton, I do not follow your logic. I shoot 3" steel because I am shooting larger shot, heavier payloads, and/or faster loads. One ounce of #7 steel at 1300 FPS is a light load of small shot at a slower velocity. Ammunition manufacturers are not going to load a light load like you are wanting in a 3" shell. There is no need to use a 3" shell for that light of a load. Is there a reason the 2 3/4", 1 ounce, #7 steel loads at 1325 FPS won't work?

Winchester has 12 guage, 2 3/4", #7 steel, 1 ounce loads at 1325 FPS and 1 1/8 ounce at 1280 FPS. They sell for $90 and $95 per case from Mack's Prairie Wings with free shipping.
 
Mike I hear what your saying maybe I didnt word it right, I shot the 2 3/4 #7 1 once factory rounds last year and they were awesome from my A5.

Thats why I want to load my own in a 3 inch shell and I want to load a magnum load of the #7 in a 3 inch shell because my A5 typicaly likes slower shells not the high speed shells.

I know no company loads a factory load like this thats why Im going to load it myself.
 
Federal has some loads with 7s that are a little faster then the Winchester loads.

Alliant shows steel loads only by weight so they should be able to be used with steel 7s. You might have some loose crimps because 7s will take up less room then the 2s and 4s these loads are normally loaded with.

I really don't think you will gain much by pushing it to 1500fps. The reasons it works inside 30 yards will be lost quickly beyond that point no matter the speed. All steel shot slows fast and the smaller the shot the faster that energy drains off of it. You are going to gain maybe 4 or 5 yards at best with an extra 200 fps...if you can keep the pattern density.

Good luck with your quest.

Tim
 
Yea im not worried bout any load that goes 1500 fps second my A5 dosent pattern fast loads good it likes slower loads thats why im going to load the 3 inch shells with a magnum load of #7 shot and a reduced powder charge to get the max shot and speeds around 1250 to 1350.

Ranges wont be over 30 yards with this load.

If I want to shoot longer then 30 I will shoot the berretta with 3 inch #2 shot blue box shells and my custom made drakkiller choke.
 
There is over 400 pellets per ounce of 7s. Out to 30 yards that is a lot of shot in the pattern already.

If you want to experiment with other small shot federal speed shok has a load of 1 1/8oz of 6s at 1375fps. Not quite as much shot but you get a bit more punch. If they put 7s in them they would be about what you are looking for.

Tim
 
You really need to try steel 7's at 1500 fps to appreciate how well they work, especially swatting crippled divers that ain't all that crippled.
John
 
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