"Standard Hunting Loads"

[Paul Morrison]

I just got my new Benelli Super Sport, and the manual recommends "firing three or four boxes of standard hunting loads to allow for the break in period".

What should I be using for this purpose? I'd like brand names of some stuff that would fit the bill, preferably with shot suitable for trap shooting.

 

[Ahsan Ahmed]

Assuming it's a 12ga then 1 1/8oz of #7 1/2 target loads should be adequate..... Federal, Win (AA Super Sport is the only one I use....quite clean too) and Rio (leaves a bit of dirt in the bbl but fine otherwise).

My experience had been with the M2, however, I do not expect the Supersport to behave differently.

 

[Doc M]

Find some Kent/Gamebore stuff, something with a heavy shot load - 1-1/8 oz or more, lead - and 'MAX' dram equivalent. Anything off the shelf will do, really - Winchester, Federal, etc. I just like Kent because they used to sponsor me when I shot on the National Team.

Use lead shot, and get it as small as you need it for your club to allow trapshooting. Mine used to say nothing smaller than 7.5, but some will let you get away with 6 if you ask nicely...

1-1/8 oz of #6 with MAX dram eq would be good for a 2-3/4" loading... if you can get up to 3" or 3-1/2" then just get anything at all - it'll be good. They just want you to use full-house stuff while the parts are still tight and generally unlapped... use a light trap load for now and you'll have a jam-o-matic. After about 100 rounds or so, you should be more than fine in terms of metal-to-metal fit.

-M

 

[Paul Morrison]

What is 'Max' DRAM?

I have the following on hand:

Winchester 2 3/4" 3 DR 1 1/8oz 7 1/2 shot
Federal 'target load' Top Gun 2 3/4" 2 3/4 DR 1 1/8 oz 7 1/2 shot
Challenger 2 3/4" 3 DR 1 1/8 oz 7 1/2 shot
Federal 'Field and Range' 2 3/4" 3 DR 1 1/8oz 7 1/2 shot

Will any of those do?

I can get the winchesters easily, I have lots of the challengers and the top gun target loads, but only 25 rounds of the federals.

I don't want a jamomatic!

 

[Doc M]

Hit up as many of the Winchester, Challenger and Field & Range shells as you have on hand, and that should take care of your break-in. I'd save the target load Federals for very last, since they're 1/4 dram equiv lower-loaded.

The 'dram equivalent' on smokeless shotshells is a measure meant to indicate the powder charge, based on equivalent 'drams' of black powder. It's stuck around as a measure of how 'hot' the shells are.

In your application, the hotter the better. Many times when I was younger, heavy hunting loads would be, for example "12 Ga, MAX dr. eq., 1-1/8oz #4". Max is usually about 3-3/4 dram, if I'm not mistaken... they pack a good wallop too.

If you've got 3 dram, that's a "regular" load for 12ga when it's pushing 1-1/8oz of shot (should be about 1200fps, IIRC) and it'll give you the good 'push' you need for a new and close-fitted gas system to cycle reliably.

-M

 

[Doc M]

With all of that said, however, if you can find some heavy buckshot loads they're great for breaking in a stiff new autoloader (just make sure you open your choke WAY up first, just in case... not really totally necessary, but why abuse your Full choke when you can put in an Improved).

-M