Tell me about these Imperial shells

[ninepointer]

I recently came into some old purple Imperial high brass shells, but without the original box. They look like the ol' long range duck loads, but the thing is they are No. 7.5 shot size. What size of powder charge might be propelling them and how heavy is the payload?

 

[sunray]

The shot weight should be on the box. The powder load, like any commercial ammo, isn't published since it changed, slightly, from lot to lot. Commercial ammo is and was loaded to give a specific velocity range. You can't get the powders used by commercial ammo makers anyway.

 

[Turkeyslayer 1300]

I know a few people who call them purple people eaters. I would guess the payload is an ounce and a quarter, I don't remember the powder charge on the long range loads. You may have problems with the brass splitting, I have had about one in a hundred in the 4500 of them I have fired.

 

[ninepointer]

Since I don't have the box, I'll just assume that Imperial loaded the high brass No. 7.5's same as their duck loads. I'm sure that all will be revealed when I take those No. 7.5 Imperials to my next trap shoot.

Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. BOOM!!!!

 

[dutchhunter]

thy are great shells we killed many ducks and geese with them over the years i still have a few in the old SSG load one of my best deer killers ever .if you can find them even if thy are 7.5s save them for pheasnts or bunnys best game load ever made DUTCH

 

[Pete G]

imperial factory loads

The "standard" imperial was a 1 1/4 ounce load. The "magnum" Imperial was 1 1/2 ounce.
7 1/2 shot was commonly available in Imperials. Older Imperials were a paper hull.....great smell when fired!!!
It was a"heavy" and "high velocity" load.

If "your next trap shoot" means registered targets....Your Imperials would exceed the legal max load of 1 1/8 shot.

Pete G

 

[deadhead]

These were one of my favorite shells when they were available. I used an Ithica pump shotgun and Imperials worked the best in that gun. Two years ago I had some paper and plastic Imperials given to me by a friend who's father had passed away. I used them for upland birds and they still worked great. As some said the paper ones have a great smell when shot. It brought me back to my youth.