For 28 gauge??

[Potashminer]

So, for 28 gauge shotgun - I am under impression to use pressure tested / published loads exactly - not to make changes.

I think I know the answer. Just bought a box of 28 gauge hand loading stuff - mostly BP Inc. stuff. And "Small Bore Manual, 10th Edition" from Ballistic Products. Page 60 - to load the "Light Game Slug". I have the hulls, primers, powder as listed. The bag that I got says "OS28 Over-Shot Cards". Recipe in the book calls for over shot as "NC28" which is the Ballistics Products "Nitro Card". I believe that I might be looking for the correct over shot card, no? No acceptable way to "make do"? - if there is, where can I confirm that?

 

[vagrantviking]

An over shot card is just a disk of thin box board like cereal box or similar. I really can't see how a substitute could cause any issues. If you have original brand name product it would be easy to measure the thickness and check for something identical but it's an application where close should work just fine.

Loading black powder shotgun shells I punch all my own wads and cards with a set of punches from princess auto.

 

[Rick]

So, for 28 gauge shotgun - I am under impression to use pressure tested / published loads exactly - not to make changes.

That is my rule when reloading all gauges of shot shells. I might move the powder charge a tenth of a grain or two either way to see if the pattern changes, but that's about it.

Cards for over powder and over shot are pretty much the same thing with different wads.

The bag that I got says "OS28 Over-Shot Cards". Recipe in the book calls for over shot as "NC28" which is the Ballistics Products "Nitro Card". I believe that I might be looking for the correct over shot card, no? No acceptable way to "make do"? - if there is, where can I confirm that?

If you look in Lyman's shotshell reloading manual, card wads usually run .125" - .135" in thickness. Online sellers will probably offer them in different thicknesses. You're putting the card between the powder and the base of the slug, over the nose of the slug prior to crimping, or both?

Lyman's shotshell manual has said card wads are interchangeable of reloading data - unlike plastic wads. You can make your own once you have the proper diameter of the card was figured out. A difference of a hundredth of an inch in thickness isn't going to make much difference. BP might have the tech data for that product i.e. thickness online, or they will be willing to give you the information if you call and ask.

 

[Potashminer]

Thank you for the comments.

It gets a bit curiouser, now. Got a reply from BP in USA that they are "not allowed" to mail Nitro Cards (NC28) to a customer in Canada. A distributor of theirs in Alberta has them in stock, so I have ordered some from there. On the BP container for the "28ga Light Game Slug" - in Capital Letters - "SEE WARNINGS IN LOADING INSTRUCTIONS IN BPI'S "SLUG MANUAL" BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO HANDLOAD OR SHOOT THIS SLUG". So, on other BP information, I had been directed to their "Small Bore Manual" for the loading recipes with various hulls, primers and powders - which I bought, and where I discovered that the NC28 wad is called out for all their tested loads with this "Light Game Slug"; so now I am on a "back order" list awaiting their "Slug Manual", to find out what these warnings might be. As I said, "curiouser" - have to buy two separate books sold by that maker to use their product?

FYI - this "Light Game Slug" for 28 gauge is a .503" round lead ball, with a tall-ish plastic assembly that holds that ball within the hull. The NC28 card apparently installs over that round ball, then a roll crimp tool is used to "roll over" a crimp to hold all snug together. I think, if I understand the instructions correctly.

Specs given on BP website - the OS28 overshot cards that I have, which are apparently wrong ones for this application, given as .030"-.040" thick +/- .005". The NC28 overshot nitro cards that are called out are .125" thick (+/- .005") and are .560" diameter.

 

[Rick]

I haven't had much to do with BP since I decided I wasn't wealthy enough to make reloading bismuth worth it just to hunt waterfowl in my Superposed and B2000 from the 60's and 70's that steel shot wasn't friendly for. So I don't know much about their products or their card wads or anything else.

If you are a shotshell reloader and you don't have Lyman's shotshell reloading manual, you are handicapping yourself. For many reasons, including you can probably find loads for any gauge less expensive and more available than BPs stuff.

If these slugs are a BP product, then you may well be limited to BP. But when I flipped through the newest Lyman about a year ago, looking for .410 loads for a young guy wanted to reload .410 for his daughter to ground sluice grouse with, I noticed Lyman had 28 gauge slug loads and 7/8 oz shot loads as well. That extra 1/8 oz. shot hunting bigger birds could make a difference.

For poops 'n giggles, you can always use a razor blade to cut a card wad that will fit over the ball out of a stiff cardboard box with similar dimensions for thickness. If you need a card wad of approximately .125" thickness, either stack your existing card wads (a common recipe for a lot of reduced and specialized loads 30 - 40 years ago), or cut and stack your home made.

Having done that, you can also try your usual pie crimp instead of pissing around with roll crimps. Take them out and shoot them, and see if things go to hell or they work just fine, no matter how ugly the crimp may look to the eye. I'm guessing they may or may not look ugly, but they'll probably shoot about as well as you hoped for out of a round ball out of a smooth bore shotgun.

Depends on how many of these round ball loads you're planning on assembling. A few because it's a unique reloading project? Or something you want to shoot a lot in that flashy little 28 gauge of yours? Unless somebody gave me a roll crimper, I'd first try a pie crimp. One of the happiest moments of my shotshell reloading history was giving away my roll crimper to a fellow reloader with the gleeful warning "have fun". The Lyman slug made the roll crimper redundant, at least for me.

 

[Potashminer]

Thanks again, Rick.

So found Lyman Shotshell Reloading Manual, 5th Edition. Sticker on it says I purchased at WholeSale Sports - so has been hiding a few years. Cover page says copywrite 2007. Oh good, more "old stuff" reading!!!

And I think I discovered that the bag of BP SG28-II (that was in the box of "stuff") are actually used in a number of loadings with 7/8 ounce shot. Which leads to a use for the bottle of Lil'Gun that I mistaken bought a few years ago - had been using Universal with the 3/4 ounce loads and Fed 28S1 as per recipe.

Round ball loads - how many - do not know - never even heard of them until I saw the ad for this box of stuff. So is 25 here - going to try that at least. No doubt will depend where the holes might show up on a big cardboard box out about 20 or 25 yards. Has become one of those things that I have to try, to know!!! The box says they are 194 grains - so like .443 ounce - less than 1/2 ounce. Book load says 1,900 fps. So can not be far away from 50 caliber round ball (.490" compared to these at .503") - will be all about whether I can make them go to similar place, or not... Distributor in Calgary shows several more boxes in stock...

 

[Potashminer]

Update to Post #4 - I have now received the NC28 nitro cards from retailer in Calgary. Awaiting that BPI "Slug Manual" to come back into stock, to find out what are the "warnings" to be read before hand loading the things. One issue after another!!!

 

[mbogo3]

OS cards can be cut from waxed cardboard milk cartons if push comes to shove.

 

[stubblejumper]

I use a load out of the Hodgdons data for 28 gauge skeet. The crimps don't seal perfectly, so I use an overshot card and the crimps are perfect. I punch the cards out of pizza boxes or milk bone boxes, using a punch that I reamed out slightly, so the cards are almost the same diameter as the factory overshot cards.

 

[iron cat]

So, for 28 gauge shotgun - I am under impression to use pressure tested / published loads exactly - not to make changes.

I think I know the answer. Just bought a box of 28 gauge hand loading stuff - mostly BPI Inc. stuff. And "Small Bore Manual, 10th Edition" from Ballistic Products. Page 60 - to load the "Light Game Slug". I have the hulls, primers, powder as listed. The bag that I got says "OS28 Over-Shot Cards". Recipe in the book calls for over shot as "NC28" which is the Ballistics Products "Nitro Card". I believe that I might be looking for the correct over shot card, no? No acceptable way to "make do"? - if there is, where can I confirm that?

I have been loading the 28 gauge round balls and carriers from BPI for many years. I just use an overshot wad about .035, you can make them easily if you doo not have any as was already stated.
My Advantages 5th edition from BPI shows only roll crimps for those components , but you can fold crimp them easily.
Cat

 

[Potashminer]

I think that I have all the necessary pieces, now. I just need that pail of "gumption" that I have stashed away somewhere....

BPI "Small Bore Manual" recipe book, Universal powder, 28 ga. "Light Game Slug" with special wad, new unused Cheddite hulls, Cheddite 209 primers, 28 ga. roll crimper, Maxi Nitro Cards. I also have package of the OS28 overshot wads - much thinner than NC28 Nitro cards - BPI website says they are .030"-.040" thick, compared to .125" thick for the NC28. I've never done roll crimps - I presume just rolled over far enough until assembly is tight?

 

[iron cat]

You will have to make sure your hull is the proper length first, before roll crimping.
You can load one, and measure the length you need to get a good roll. Usually about 1/8 to 1/4" will do it .
I wax up my crimpers first and run them on a sacrificial hull to get them polished up , it makes roll crimping easier for me.
BTW if you slice those NC cards in half they will work just fine.
Cat

 

[Potashminer]

Learning - just found out I need some way to hold the damn hull to spin that roll crimp - had it in my drill press - old hands not strong enough to hold the cartridge hull from spinning - I see on BPI that they sell a "clamp" or vice for holding the hull - looks like I need to make something like that!!!

 

[iron cat]

Learning - just found out I need some way to hold the damn hull to spin that roll crimp - had it in my drill press - old hands not strong enough to hold the cartridge hull from spinning - I see on BPI that they sell a "clamp" or vice for holding the hull - looks like I need to make something like that!!!

Yup, you can do it with a welding glove sometimes, but a simple V block and clamp work very well.

 

[Gun5tuff]

I made a little wooden jig to hold my shells while roll crimping using my drill press. Take a small block of wood and drill a hole through it the size of the shell. Now saw it in half across the middle of the hole. Enough wood should have been removed by the saw that the new hole in the assembled pieces should fit tightly around and hold the shell when clamped together. On one side of this hole cut a little relief for the rim of the shell*. I use a fostner bit for this task. I have one of the pieces clued onto a little board with the rim relief down and the other piece slides up against its mate and is held there with a little c-clamp. BPI sells a much fancier version of this but it functions similarly.
Peter
*Edit: The little rim relief should be drilled into the board onto which you are placing the the two half-hole pieces. Doing it to the half-hole pieces is a pain.