How to save money and make your own 1oz slugs!

canadianmarksmen

canadianmarksmen

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This will show you how to make 1oz slugs and replace them for the birdshot. This is informational purposes only :rolleyes: (Video is not mine, just showing other members incase they are interested

NOTE:Since this is just like reloading your own ammo, i assume that it is legal, because it's just like other one's sold(not like your making tracers or dragonsbreathe) If its not allowed please somone let me know and i will delete this, just thought since i came across it other members might like to see this.

This can either help you save money or if you cant get slugs where you live, you can make it yourself!

What you will need:
Gloves
Mask
Heat Source (torch is good)
target loads / birdshot (can pick up 100 shells at walmart for about $30)
sealer (to hold it in)
lee bullet mold
Lead Dipper
Measuring tape / ruler
marker
tape
pliers
knife

What to do:
*NOTE* do this in a well ventilated area
1.measure from the top down 3/16 of an inch, and put 3 marks around the side so that your tape is even across.Then put your tape across the marker marks, and cut on the top part of the tape.
2. Dump the shot into a container, than put the shot into the lead dipper (don't mix the shot with more than 1 shell as than you may heat up to much or to little lead)
3. start heating it up it takes around a minute and it will be liquid, than pour it into the bullet mold and let it cool for about 5-10minutes
4. take the pliers and knock the top latch off, open the mold and turn it upside down and tap it until it falls down
5.take out only the top part of the plastic, and put the slug inside, than put it back inside the shell.
6.Trim the edges so that the plastic insert is not showing.
7. put a sealer around the edges of the slug so that way it will not fall out.
8. you are now done! take it out a test out your howmade slugs.

Video's don't seem to show, here are links.

[youtube]XQGVf5_dtwA[/youtube]

[youtube]QN8i5z-KJ1g&list=FLYuZE7lE2_55kztrpdef6fg[/youtube]

[youtube]LAURRQpX9V4[/youtube]
 
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I understand these are not your youtube videos but I'm going to make some comments anyways. It's nice to see this homemade slug, but exactly how would they stand up to rough handling all deer season? In this video they are pretty much taken right away and shot. Niether are they fed through the magazine tube and mechanism of the pump action shotgun, where the ones in the magazine would be subject to recoil forces of the previously fired slug. Or the abusive routine of loading and unloading a shotgun several times, just as you would during the big game season.
Until proven otherwise I would regard these as 'hobby slugs' for off season shooting and not something I would trust my life with, while on a pack horse train deep in the Selkirk Range of the East Kootneys. I regard these videos as frugal to the point of possibly compromising reliablity.

my meager opinion only
 
canadianmarksmen said:
It doesn't come up :( so i'll jsut take mine out , thank you though!
Click to expand...

The bolded and underlined part is what you need:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQGVf5_dtwA&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN8i5z-KJ1g&list=FLYuZE7lE2_55kztrpdef6fg&index=1&feature=plpp_video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAURRQpX9V4&feature=relmfu


Wrap that in the youtube tags and you will get it.


Mark
 
Brutus said:
I understand these are not your youtube videos but I'm going to make two comments anyways. It's nice to see this homemade slug, but exactly how would they stand up to rough handling all deer season? In this video they are pretty much taken right away and shot. Niether are they fed through the magazine tube and mechanism of the pump action shotgun, where the ones in the magazine would be subject to recoil forces of the previously fired slug. Or the abusive routine of loading and unloading a shotgun several times, just as you would during the big game season.
Until proven otherwise I would regard these as 'hobby slugs' for off season shooting and not something I would trust my life with, while on a pack horse train deep in the Selkirk Range of the East Kootneys. I regard these videos as frugal to the point of possibly compromising reliablity.

my meager opinion only
Click to expand...

yeah that makes sense, i dont have a shotgun YET, but i may get one next month if i get it, it will be the same shotgun used in the video and i'll try feeding it through the tube and see how it holds up. but good points thank you.

mmattockx said:
The bolded and underlined part is what you need:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQGVf5_dtwA&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN8i5z-KJ1g&list=FLYuZE7lE2_55kztrpdef6fg&index=1&feature=plpp_video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAURRQpX9V4&feature=relmfu


Wrap that in the youtube tags and you will get it.


Mark
Click to expand...

Thanks! i updated,
 
Lee slug molds make great slugs but the mold must be hot. Don't let it cool for 5-10min. The lead will solidify in 10 seconds or less. I cut the spur as soon as the center puddle dents in the top which means the mold has filled out. I cast 7/8oz slugs and load them as normal trap shells
 
730_0500.jpg


I had alot of fun making my own slugs from birdshot

I have a 20 and a 12 gauge mold casually (by PM'ing)for sale if anyone's interested

the economy of it is the best part
 
I wonder how the harder lead used in shot does in tighter chokes, compared to pure lead slugs. I'm sure they are fine in riot gun type cylinder bore and imp cylinder barrels.
 
hk33ka1 said:
I wonder how the harder lead used in shot does in tighter chokes, compared to pure lead slugs. I'm sure they are fine in riot gun type cylinder bore and imp cylinder barrels.
Click to expand...

I've shot Lee slugs made from both water dropped wheel weights and water dropped melted bird shot out of cylinder bore to full choke. No noticeable difference with any of them.

Perhaps there are some increases in internal pressure but considering how low the pressure is by the time the projectile is at the end of the barrel I doubt it's significant.

As for reloading birdshot shells I find the powder charges to be FAR too weak for anything but plinking. Even heavy game loads tend to be on the weaker side for what I load myself and am used to. I once tried dropping slugs into target load shells and the slugs couldn't make it through a couple inches of poplar.
 
I thought I would make my own. Have TONS of soft lead. Bought the moulds and a LEE lead pot. The pot is the ####+. The lead does not come out fast enough to fill the moulds. What a waste of my money. I should have just gone with a dipper.

I may try again but with a cast iron pot and a dipper when I have a chance to pick one up.
 
cycbb486 said:
I thought I would make my own. Have TONS of soft lead. Bought the moulds and a LEE lead pot. The pot is the s**t+. The lead does not come out fast enough to fill the moulds. What a waste of my money. I should have just gone with a dipper.

I may try again but with a cast iron pot and a dipper when I have a chance to pick one up.
Click to expand...

Your lead isn't hot enough and/or you aren't preheating your mould enough.

I run my Lee pot at temperature setting 7 most of the time.

I also find dipping the corner of an aluminum mould in the lead for 30 seconds like the instructions say doesn't preheat the mould nearly as much as is required. I normally leave the leading edge of the mould in the pot for upwards of a minute until the lead stops sticking to it. Having a little solidify when it touches is fine but it should fall right off when you lift the mould.
 
Raton57 said:
Reason your mould dosn't fill fast enough is the birdshot dosn't have enough tin for the lead to flow.
Click to expand...

I've cast wheel weights, Hummason birdshot, and pure lead with a Lee pot and a Lee 1oz slug mould without issue. I don't change my technique or temperatures for any of them.
 
LUTNIT said:
I've cast wheel weights, Hummason birdshot, and pure lead with a Lee pot and a Lee 1oz slug mould without issue. I don't change my technique or temperatures for any of them.
Click to expand...

I have cast over 150 lee 1oz slugs from shot using 20lb lee pot with no problems, i run my pot 7-8 setting and no problems with flow.
 
Sorry guy that mould is FRICKI+ hot. The lead pot is just letting the lead out by drip drip drip drip. I mean slow drips. I had the pot turned right up so I KNOW the lead is hot.

I even tried heating it up with a torch to make sure it was hot. The lead just not flowing. I will have to heat it and dump the lead to see what is happening with the spigot.
 
cycbb486 said:
Sorry guy that mould is FRICKI+ hot. The lead pot is just letting the lead out by drip drip drip drip. I mean slow drips. I had the pot turned right up so I KNOW the lead is hot.

I even tried heating it up with a torch to make sure it was hot. The lead just not flowing. I will have to heat it and dump the lead to see what is happening with the spigot.
Click to expand...

There is something blocking the pour spout for sure. I originally thought you meant it was just solidifying on the mould and not filling it properly but if it's just dripping you need to see what's in it.

mlehtovaara said:
For simple plinking you can use wax to bind the birdshot, instead of melting lead.

There are several youtube vids of wax slug making operations, and they seem to work well.
Click to expand...

I find wax slugs hard to control. About half the time the wad falls off and the slug tumbles to the target. If the slug makes a whistling sound it means the wad stayed attached. I've tried different wads and different tricks to try to get the wads to consistently stay on but nothing seems to work.

They have next to no penetration since they are essentially glasser rounds and burst apart when they hit anything hard. For punching paper for fun it works well but for destroying broken/used electronics and appliances they punch through one layer of sheet metal and then just burst. I find I can debark trees really well with wax slugs as I guess they penetrate on one spot and a lot of the force goes into the surrounding area under the bark.

I have tried some heavy duty wax slugs using 2oz of shot and 3-1/2" load data but loaded them into 3" hulls (since you don't need the crimp). They kicked like factory Remington 00 buck 3-1/2" shells. Firing them into tree trunks at 10' they where just peppering them as if there was no wax. My guess is I was pushing them so hard the wax can't hold together.

Plinking with cheap target loads turned into wax slugs is fun though if accuracy isn't a concern.
 
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