Lee slugs - no consistancy in loading proceedure

[blacksmithden]

Ok. I'm trying to keep my sanity while not blowing myself up. That's a pretty good goal isn't it ??? LOL

Ok. I want to load Lee 1oz Forester type shotgun slugs.
All the books seem to agree on using white wads. Great.
One book says to cut the petals off half way down.
Another book says to cut them right off.
Everybody on youtube is leaving the wad intact !!! WTF ???

The Lyman book says you CAN'T use a regular crimp when using Forester type slugs.
The videos I've been watching on youtube show using white wads, not cut down, standard crimp.

So, WTF am I supposed to do with these things ????

What I want to do is exactly what I see on youtube. White wads, not cut down, standard folding crimp. They're 1oz slugs sitting on top of 22 gr of Unique. Am I going to be ok with this arrangement ??? Is anybody loading these things this way ?? This is like asking 3 supposedly qualified people the same question and getting 3 completely different answers !!!!! I just don't want to smoke my shotgun and myself in the process. These aren't being used for hunting or precision.....just blowing big holes in things....targets, trees, old laptops, and anything else we want to blast away at. Basically, just general rednecking.

 

[legi0n]

it's not that bad
You should trim the petals flush with the top of the slug in order to prevent them from getting caught in the crimp and fold backwards. They are required to shield the Lee slug from the barrel.
Then you can crimp the shell.
22gr of Unique is not much in my books. I use 26 but with a red or pink wad in Win 2 piece hulls. Getting about 1200fps.

 

[legi0n]

one more thing, the powder+wad stack height might require some adjustment by means of cardboard discs for a good crimp.
Too short a "stack" and the crimp will sink inside the cartridge.
Too tall and there's not enough hull for the crimp (hole in the middle of the crimp)

 

[blacksmithden]

Thanks for the reply. So, as long as I cut the petals down to that they aren't getting into the crimp, a standard crimp is fine, the stack height is ok for the crimp (might have to add a disk to get the right height) I'm good to go. THANK YOU !!! Considering how many of these Lee slug molds are out there, one would think the book writers would have all the info possible right at the front !!! And I can use 26 grains of Unique you say. Maybe these things might be used for hunting someday but or messing around blowing up 2x4's at close range, 22 will probably be fine.

Thanks again for the reply legi0n.

 

[zuke]

Have you tried You tube for any idea's?

 

[msg.drew]

Ok forget about youtube and who said what. I load these and will tell you how I do them.

Get a lee load all...
1.)Deprime with the load all, reprime with the load all.
2.)Measure your powder with your scale. Drop the powder. The load all is not setup to drop enough powder for slugs only shot.
3.)Now use the load all to set your wad... I was using Winchester pink wads... they are very similar to the white ones... I dont think they recomend pink wads but they do work. I am not cutting or modifying the wads in any way...
4.)Then using your hands press the slug inplace sometimes they might be a bit tight and take a bit of wiggleing.
5.)Then use the lee load all to pre crimp and then move it to the final crimp station
6.)Take a black marker and mark slug on them.

I am using Federal gold metal hulls, Winchester Pink Wads, Winchester primer, Herco powder 34.0Grains , Alloyed lead in the 7/8oz mold that weigh in at 444 Grains which is pretty close to exactly 1oz so I am using 1oz load data because I am not using pure lead.
I have shot them out of smooth bore 18.5" deer barrel and 24" rifled cantilever scoped barrel out to 125 Yards with good accuracy enough to hit a deer. Used them last season but didnt take a deer with them... all shots I took was more then 150 yards and I missed probally due to my of hand shooting and lack of knowledge of the drop of the slug out past 150

I can do a youtube video for you so you can watch how I do it.

 

[1shot]

I have also tried removing/trimming petals and even glued the Slug to the wad for a "rock in a sock" effect!

What I settled on: 7/8oz Lee slug, 22 Grains of Unique in a Winchester AA hull and an unmolested pink Claybuster wad. Choke is important to accuracy, I like Skeet#2 or no tighter than Improved cylinder. Put your slug into the wad and see how it fits through the choke under finger pressure- you'll see what I mean....