12ga 2dram loads

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brybenn

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I just picked up another old hammergun and im planning on light black powder loads. Has anyone used 2dram loads? Thinking 7/8oz loads for the odd bunny hunt

Most loads are im finding are 70 to 90 grs of ffg and 1 1/8th loads
Id like a very low pressure light load
 
You can easily load same volume of Fg or 2F powder as your 7/8 shot measure, in short cases or more cushion wad.
Pressure is just guessing without testing.
 
I would like to find published data but cant find any loads lighter than 70gr powder and 1oz of shot

I have goex ffg powder and will be cutting shells down for the shorter chambers
 
I have an old British 12 gauge with a 2.5 inch chamber. I reload using old paper hulls that I cut down to 2 5/16th to get past the shredded paper. I load them shot heavy with an once of shot over 55 grains of 2Fg Goex. This load includes a hard carboard wad over the powder followed by a cushion wad and then the shot. The shot is covered with a milk carton wad. I use an old crimping tool to do a roll crimp. I can hit a clay on the trap range once in a while but that is fully the fault of the operator not the gun.
 
Unless the gun is a weak design or pretty decrepit with barrel walls that are severely pitted or the walls are excessively thin why not load the ammo it was intended for and proofed for? A standard one ounce, 2 3/4 dram FFG load has very low peak pressure and should be within the capability of any gun that would be safe to shoot. If you just want lower recoil your 7/8 oz shot load will work just fine with the same or 1/8 less of the same powder, just adjust the wad column to suit. Have fun, rabbit stew coming up.
 
Mine has Damascus steel barrels and they are pitted. I did do a ring test on the barrels and they do ring but since I cut my paper hulls down to less then 2.5 inches after powder, wads and shot I don't have a lot more space left.
 
The problem with pitted barrels, damascus or fluid steel, is you can't really tell how much barrel wall thickness you have left at the bottom of the pits. This is why the proof houses won't attempt proof on pitted barrels. There could be places that are paper thin, do you like your fingers the way they are now? If the apparent wall thickness is adequate the proper safe procedure is a rebore to remove the pitting if possible, without excessively thinning the barrel walls. Then the wall thickness can be properly measured to determine continued safety and future barrel life.
 
My Cowboy action load was not found in a book.I cut plastic hulls usually Fedeal or Win. to about 2.3 inch.OAL not sure how much 1F Curtis and Harveys ( because that is what I have) then a .125 nitro card ,1/2" fiber wad then another .125 nitro wad 7/8 oz shot an over shot card then roll on a crimp. the powder is measured with the same scoupe as the shot, This makes what the oldtimers called a square load. I do not think I have ever weighed the powder. Square loads were traditional back in the old days for light loads. My loads have very mild recoil compared to a trap load even compared to Win. feathers. I have never failed to knock down a target. (at least ones where I pointed the gun in the right direction LOL)
 
Slowfire, my rough estimate of that cowboy action load is 62 grains of Fg by volume, or about 2 1/4 Dram load.
This estimate is based upon my Trap load of 1 1/8 shot measure giving an 80 grain load of FFg by volume.
I find no discernible performance difference between C&H Fg and Goex FFg in shotshells at 3 Dram loads - the clays break with either.
 
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