slug reloading help for a newbie

Gargoyle

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Ok I'm looking at getting into reloading slugs for my 12g. Hoping to cut the cost of the high price factory rounds and improve performance of the bargain brands. I'm looking for info on sabot slugs. Other than the lee dies for molding your own, I am having a problem finding a decent selection of sabots to work with. Also what specialized equipment if any am I going to need for this? I have a 12g single stage loader (misc brand, very old) and a lee hand loading tool kit for 12 g. I am unsure about he crimp on my loader ( i haven't used it in a decade).

Any advice would help, planning on using my slug gun as an all purpose gun and hoping to get accuracy matching some of the better slugs on the market like the SST and partition golds.
 
I make good plinking slugs with the flat pointed waisted slugs in ordinary plastic wads. The crimpy is a bit lumpy, so i single load them, only.

I would never trust these for mag laoding or for hunting.
 
One website with possible helpful components that will ship some components internationally:

Google this: ballisticproducts.com

My only personal advice is, no matter what slug you choose to handload, ensure you have the specific wad seating pressure for this slug. Or you'll never get a consistant burn of powder. Accuracy will be impossible to achieve, with inconsistant velocity as well.

I too used the Lyman "Sabot" slug as Ganderite used. (Winchester hulls, with "regular" Winchester wads)
The specific details I cannot remember right now.
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Edit: another possibly helpful website would be:

American Slug Shooting Association

They are hyperlinked IIRC through Shotgunworld.com
 
I use Lee slugs 1oz slugs in my 12ga, using Winchester high brass hulls. Currently using 20grs of Unique and pink wads. This requires me to stack 2 cardboard discs into the cup of the wad to get a good crimp. The petals of the crimp should be flat on the top and not curled down towards the slug. The rim of the crimp should be well rounded though to prevent the shell from opening up. I am using the Lee Loader to crimp the shell, be careful of how much force you use or you will crumple the shell. I use a powder measure to add powder but the loader could do it as well. I sometimes use the loader to gently push the wad past the end of the shells which gets ragged after a couple of reloads, be careful not to compress the wad or you won’t get a good crimp. Normally I slip the wad (with the 2 discs) in with my finger and then the drop the slug in afterwards, then crimp.
 
HOWDY; INTERESTING ,I do much the same as Colin. UNIQUE powder, Lee load all machine , white WAA wad , HARD cardboard or two as nessary , Then often use a lead ball .662 to .675 into shot cup and fold crimp just like a regular shell or depending on wad column sometimes over crimp and push down to the top of the lead ball . This destroys the hull in one fireing . Lead ball can be gotten from muzzle loading supplyers .
I keep the powder charge light as this is not a published load and for the sake of my gun and me. BUT it works and is cheap and fun to punch hole through a 55 gallon steel barrel.
 
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