| Posted: Sat Oct 31st, 2009 12:46 AM |
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miestro_jerry
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How much different is it to load steel shot versus lead shot?
Steel shot seems to be so much cheaper than lead at the moment.
Thanks,
Jerry
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| Posted: Sun Nov 1st, 2009 02:44 AM |
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16gauge
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It isn't so different from the idea of primer=powder-wad-shot-crimp. What is different is that unlike lead, loading steel shotshells is very unforgiving w/ re: to pressures, i.e. one 'small' substitution in components can lead to very dangerous pressures.
I've been reloading steel for 10-12 years now.....I hand weigh all my charges (powder & shot) in order to get minimal SD in my hunting loads. There are 'kits' out there that can be used to convert MECs to load steel shot, but I have never used them.
As for steel being 'cheaper': I looked up the price of steel on a common website...it came to $49.98/25 lbs, not including shipping. Magnum lead shot, on the same website, was $52/ 25lbs. Wads are a little more expensive as well..... a common Remington trap wad will set you back $13-$14/500 wads; 500 steel shot wads will set you back $39.75!
As for powders, you are limited to only a small handful that will work well with steel, and hulls usually are best if they are straight walled.
Unless you have to load steel for enviromental reasons, I don't think I would bother.........
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| Posted: Sun Nov 1st, 2009 03:33 AM |
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miestro_jerry
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16gauge,
Thanks, how far does a pound of steel shoot load verses lead shoot?
Thanks,
Jerry
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| Posted: Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 03:10 AM |
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OldStuffer
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miestro_jerry wrote: 16gauge,
Thanks, how far does a pound of steel shoot load verses lead shoot?
Thanks,
Jerry
Very similar range.
Consider this:
With lead, you have a slower shot charge velocity, but, heavier pellets, which slow less in flight. Rare to see a lead shot load over 1350fps unless it is very light.
With steel, you have a higher initial velocity, but, a lighter projectile, which slows down faster. Comon to see steel loads in the 1500fps+ range.
And even with the same metal/materials, all things else being equal, a faster moving object, in air, looses speed more quickly than a slower moving object, due to higher drag against the air.
In the early days of steel loads, they got a very bad rep. due to being loaded "the lead way", heavy weights thrown relatively slowly, and, at times, bounced off birds. The pellets slowed down too much.
You truly MUST use the right components also. Steel "bounces" when you kick it from behind with a rapidly expanding gas pressure wave, wreaking havoc with pressure/time curves, and the wads are thicker, to protect your barrel from rub-through (another early problem, which made "straight rifling" on many shotguns). Top that up with, "steel generally performs best with more open chokes, as it hates being squished thru a tight opening, again, due to it's elasticity. It can be real heck on tight full & modified chokes.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 03:34 AM |
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miestro_jerry
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Let me clarify my question, how many loads do you get with a pound of steel shot verus lead shot?
Jerry
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| Posted: Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 11:00 AM |
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16gauge
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A pound is a pound, whether it be lead or steel, so if you load by weight, you will get the same.....there are just more pellets in an ounce of steel than an ounce of lead.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 02:22 PM |
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miestro_jerry
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Thanks, that is what I was wondering, because lead so much denser than steel.
Jerry
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| Posted: Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 11:12 PM |
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Novashooter
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Well its not so differnent. Some tips
- follow the data exactly, steel is not forgiving
- use Sam 1 or precision reloading wads (lots of data & good performance)
- STEEL powder is great
- Blue dot is equaly good but there is less data for it
- Slitting your own wads is pointless, 4 factory slits are almost better
- More shot isn't always better, more velocity is key to killing. (dont go less than 1 1/8 oz of shot for hunting)
Last edited on Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 11:15 PM by Novashooter
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| Posted: Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 11:41 PM |
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miestro_jerry
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I may put off loading steel shotshells for a few years, don't need the hassles.
Thanks for the advice,
Jerry
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Novashooter
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It's really only worth it for goose loads. I just love reloading so I load duck loads too.
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"A fanatic is one who sticks to his guns whether they're loaded or not." by Franklin P. Jones
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miestro_jerry
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I have one box of steel shotshells for goose hunting, so far haven't seen that many geese around my area this year.
Jerry
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Novashooter
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no, its a very bad year for goose. I dont know what happened to them.
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Novashooter
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no, its a very bad year for goose. I dont know what happened to them.
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"A fanatic is one who sticks to his guns whether they're loaded or not." by Franklin P. Jones
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miestro_jerry
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Did they all go back to Canada or did they go to the tropics?
Jerry
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OldStuffer
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miestro_jerry wrote: I may put off loading steel shotshells for a few years, don't need the hassles.
Thanks for the advice,
Jerry
I'm actually in the process of setting up an un-used 20-gauge 700 Versamec to 10-gauge specifically to load the BPS Goose Cannon.
Have located a used die set, am aquiring, am rounding up loading data, and a MEC SuperSizer, will get components last
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miestro_jerry
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Stuffer,
That was probably a good find. One of these days I will stumble into a good deal on a shotshell press, until then I am still learning what all it takes. Plus I need to clear more space to build my shot shell reloading area. Hull and wads take up a load of space!
The "Canadian Geese" around my area have not really migrated to any where else until this year. I don't know if they really have migrated or are just thinning out.
Jerry
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OldStuffer
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Shotshell loading does take up a lot of space.
Finally, for the first time in my life, I have been able to set up a really nice bench setup I really like.
I dedicated a former basement bedroom to being "the gun room.
Built both the big NRLA (or whatever initials) bench available on the web, and a corner bench available on the web, and stretched the big bench to 8 feet, not 6.
The corner holds my Lee Load master for .45acp and most of my non-shotgun ammo storage (and accessories (magazines, holsters, pouches, earmuffs, belts, etc)).
The big bench holds my Lee Pro 1000 on the right (9mm), my single stage metalic in the center, and, 3 feet of the left end (almost 4 feet untill you hit the center press) is dedicated to whatever shotshell press I mount.
I drilled the table to fit my Grabber, set studs for the front, holes for the rear.
The Grabber sits direct on the table.
The 310 and 700's are on 3/4" plywood plates, drilled to match the Grabber's mounts on the table. 5 minuite press switch.
A 1"x8" sliver of 3/4 ply acts as a filler under the table top at the rear when he Grabber is installed, so the same bolts are re-used (the bolts are shanked, not all-thread).
There is a foot behind the presses to the cabinet, about 1.5 feet left, and about that much to the right, plenty for my hull and wad "dispenser boxes" and even a "catch-bin" for the full ones the Grabber spits out left.
The only bad thing is I cannot tip the MEC presses over, once in place, IF I have the Magnum bottle on, just an inch too long or so. I have to turn them sideways after dismounting.
Just fine with the shorties.
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Novashooter
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I use a closet to store my stuff. The acual bench is just a bench I built, put a reloader on, and stuck in the corner of my room.
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miestro_jerry
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I have an 8 foot bench that holds my two Dillon 550s, my Dillon Square Deal in 9mm and my RockChucker.
Plus I have a couple C presses that use for misc work, like using Lee sizers. Those will go on to one of the shot shell reloading bench.
I do have a work area that currently has my MEC press on it, but that area meant for all sorts of reloading related work.
I have 2 of those large tubs that Wally world sells, one is for hulls and the other is for wads. They need to be under a reloading bench, some day.
In my home, I have a 1 car garage area that is where my reloading benches are or will be.
I keep my guns in safes, but they are not in the reloading area.
Jerry
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tjones
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Novashooter wrote: Well its not so differnent. Some tips
follow the data exactly, steel is not forgiving use Sam 1 or precision reloading wads (lots of data & good performance) STEEL powder is great Blue dot is equaly good but there is less data for it Slitting your own wads is pointless, 4 factory slits are almost better More shot isn't always better, more velocity is key to killing. (dont go less than 1 1/8 oz of shot for hunting)
Very good information right here, except for the part about amount of shot. Some of my best loads are 7/8 oz for mallards and geese. They are going quite fast. A good load to get you started is RSI 107. You can use a AA hull, Win 209 primer, SAM1 wad, 35 gr STEEL powder, 1 oz of #3 steel shot, with a velocity in the 1550 range. Weigh all your powder and shot, can be done for about $7.80 a box, and are hell on mallards. Just use the reloader you use for trap-it's already set up for this load.
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