Shotgun barrel length - how much does it matter?

brybenn said:
I remember playing with slugs for an entire summer using about 30 different 12ga guns of various lengths from 8.5" to 32" it was fun but I don't recall any numbers. I do remember hs6 gets a bigger ball of flames as the barrel gets shorter. I settled ultimately on a hard cast Lee drive 7/8oz slug over what ever amount of 700x my skeet loads were dropping. Been so long since I've looked at the bushing chart I can't recall the amount of powder. I just empty my shot hopper on my Lee load all and load the same load as my skeet loads just swap for the slug.
I used to shoot them into pails of sand on a running course I made. End of the weekend I'd reclaim the lead and recast the slugs. Kept the costs way low as 209 primers back then were 28.99/1000 and 700x was in 8lb kegs. Velocity was between 1150 and 1250fps over the complete spread of guns from 12.5-32. I never chrono the 8.5" didn't want to burn my chrono
I always got better accuracy with challengers and Rio stars and brennekes but not enough to justify the cost of factory ammo

If you'd like to try some Lee drive key slugs I can cast some up when I get a free couple hours to did out all my casting equipment
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Sounds like you had a super-fun run-and-gun course! I think sand-filled buckets is ingenious, preventing the majority of the lead from going into the environment (assuming we shoot straight!) while providing the means to recycle most of it....did you use normal 5 gallon pails and if so, how long did they last?

I love the idea of adding some 7/8 lee key drive slugs to the mix, I have the means to load them, have a good amount of primed hulls and powder but would need to see what's locally available for wads and would likely need your guidance. Would feel bad about you going through the work to do all the casting, but I don't currently have that capacity.
 
I'd get 5 gal pails from dairy queen the ice cream pails with lids. I'd shoot thru the lids and the pails generally stayed intact. Some split a Lil under the lod on the first shot or 2 if the slug hit close to the edge
The softer the lead the easier it was to recover them as they'd pancake out and be close the the surface. My harder cast slugs dug deeper but sand is about the best slug stop there is. Plus when it was time to replace the pail I'd just shovel the spill into the new pail
To load the Lee key drive slugs I use Remington gun club hulls cheddite primers and Grey 7/8 Oz clay buster wads. Again I can't recall my exact powder amount. I load on the Lee load all 2 and haven't changed bushings in years. The shell is loaded as normal except no shot. I drop in a thin piece of cardboard to prevent the hull sticking into the key of the slug. Then just push the slug into place and crimp
Sometimes I roll crimp them if I plan on using a 2.5" chambered gun or if I give them to a buddy so they don't get mixed up
The odd time the slug catches a pedal of the wad just tap it back out and start again
They work thru rifled and smooth bore rifles. Good enough for chest shooting deer at 50 yards
They'll also give a coyote a second butthole when you shoot them facing head on at 50 yards. My last coyote I shot in the head at about 35 yards from a muzzleloading shotgun. Results were instant. That was loaded over 85gr FF black powder and a handful of paperwasp nest
How many slugs do you think you'd need?
 
257hunter said:
What chronograph are you using. The Doppler types like the garmin or Labradar could get you that velocity data for various ranges with a lot less ammo and effort.
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they are handi to use but not everyone can afford a chronograph thats as much as a good used rifle
 
Re 7/8oz hand loaded Lee key drive slugs - managed to get my load configuration all sorted out (fiocchi new 2+3/4 primmed hull, trimmed petals on a claybuster cb6100 wad, 20ga cork and overshot card, hs6 powder, roll crimping to wad petal/hull contact), but was experiencing powder slippage past the gas seal and consequently high velocity spread to the point I was worrying about safety.

I then tried some clays powder (much larger particle size) that solved the slippage problem, but I only had a half a pound and can’t find any replacement.

Looking at info from the US National Center for Forensics Science’s Smokeless powder Database ((https://ncfs.ucf.edu/powders/sample_detail.php?powder_id=429) it appears that 700x has a similar partial size to clays and could work, so I’ve been in the hunt. I found a couple of lbs to horse trade my way into, but the exchange is not set to happen until late May.

While I wait, I’ve been doing some personal discovery on the 44 magnum in levergun rifles….12” barrel, 16.5” barrel, 20” barrel, their muzzle and down range velocities out to 150 meters, some swamp water tests, the whole nine yards. Early generalized findings are rifle length barrels turn the 44Mag into a whole new animal, JHP style projectiles are less ideal at these velocities, and JSP, federal bonded, or solid copper is what Brobee would choose. Also, solid copper on hanging steel plates at 75 to 100 meters results in super-cool recovered remnants that border on art:

IMG_4544.jpeg

IMG_4549.jpeg

I know this will sound sacrilegious in the black shotgun forum, but I might be re-evaluating my preference for Brobee’s officially approved bear gun…;)

Best,

Brobee
 
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I use 700x for skeet loads and my slug reloads
I've also been playing with a 44mag although it's a cva scout takedown single shot
240gr xtp and h110 seem to really smack things around and the recovered bullets hold together quite well. I haven't pulled out my chronograph yet but will when I upgrade my red dot to an optic so I can fine tune my load
4moa dot while good for hunting and plinking doesn't lead to the best groups
 
Brobee said:
I know this will sound sacrilegious in the black shotgun forum, but I might be re-evaluating my preference for Brobee’s officially approved bear gun…;)
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.44mag out of a rifle is a real thumper, I don't think anyone will dispute that. If you want more oomph up close take a look at hard cast 280-300gr. bullets as well.


Mark
 
I think the data is in? Seems to me, an 18" barrel is the goldilocks point of shortest barrel to velocity ratio. I love my 14" shotguns, but maybe for an actual say Turkey hunt, where range can be indeterminate, or at least the urge to push the range capabilities can present itself, then empirically an 18" or longer barrel is what should be fielded.
 
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