The best wads to use

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blackpowder

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What is the best wad to use for "AA" shells for trapshooting. I am using Claybusters WAA12SL for my 1 oz loads and Claybusters WAA12 for my 11/8 oz loads. I am finding they are not creating a pattern as good as my Federal top gun reloads. I use claybuster wads on the Federals also...just a different number
 
I like the Rem. Fig. 8's. Claybuster makes them for 1 1/8-1 1/4 (CB3118-12A) and 1 - 1 1/8 not sure of the number for the smaller size.
 
blackpowder said:
What is the best wad to use for "AA" shells for trapshooting. I am using Claybusters WAA12SL for my 1 oz loads and Claybusters WAA12 for my 11/8 oz loads. I am finding they are not creating a pattern as good as my Federal top gun reloads. I use claybuster wads on the Federals also...just a different number
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I like the BPI 078 for light 12 gauge loads....
Cat
 
Have you tried your load in a different shotgun?

My friend gets better patterns with my reloads from his G3 than what I get out of my Beretta A390. It's worth a try.
 
Two wads that I really like with AA hulls and 1 ounce loads are Winchester WAA12SL and Downrange XL-1. I started with the 12SL wad, but have recently loaded and fired about 1000 of the XL-1 wads, so far, and really like them. They have a good reputation with shooters on the shotgun world forum too. If their 1 1/8 ounce wad is anything like them, I would use both. The only criticism of WAA12SL I have run into is price. I certainly haven't had any problems with them and haven't found the price to be prohibitive for either, yet :). The XL-1's were a bit cheaper, but there are pretty good deals available ordering in volume for either one. Both wads give me good groups and I don't see any fouling indicative of potential wad problems, e.g. plastic fouling or heavy powder fouling, and the loads with both yield good iginition. As an aside, I have used Claybuster replacements for the Federal 12S3 wad and am not completely sure about them. There are certainly guys, and experienced shooters at that, that use Claybuster quite happily. Fred
 
Win/64
Yes I load 19grs of american select and the 12so wad with 1oz of shot in both AA and Federal gold medal hulls and have had exellent results with this wad and many different powders/hulls. Promo was the only the only problem powder and I believe that was due to the cold not the wad/hull.
Regards
 
Sorry to hijack the thread! I have a very large quantity of top gun hulls. Can gold metal data be used? I would only load them one time.
 
Covey Ridge said:
Sorry to hijack the thread! I have a very large quantity of top gun hulls. Can gold metal data be used? I would only load them one time.
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I wouldn't reload any steel based Hull (hard on your gun). Look for some AA's or Rem. STS.
 
Win/64 said:
I wouldn't reload any steel based Hull (hard on your gun). Look for some AA's or Rem. STS.
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Why is this so? I do reload Top Gun once or twice before turfing them and haven't seen a problem. I know it's important to keep your eye on the base wad if you are going to reload them, but don't know how they can be hard on your gun. What am I missing here?
 
I just bought a case of the (downrange) Jammer XL-1 8 petal 1oz wads.
I have used them quite a bit and my only complaint is that they leave a fair bit of plastic in my chokes. Anyone else use these with a AA hull PM me please.


I also bought the (4 petal ) Downrange XL-1 to try and they don't seem to fowl as much.

Both throw excellent patterns with no holes.
 
Win/64 said:
I wouldn't reload any steel based Hull (hard on your gun). Look for some AA's or Rem. STS.
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Got tons of AAs, but the new ones seem to be a different length and the crimp does not close well. In this area rem hulls are difficult to come by. You might be right about the top gun steel base. I notice with prolonged use they cause a bit of a gove on the ejection port. Who da thunk it, that you actually might know something:D Thanks for the warning.
 
BCFred said:
Why is this so? I do reload Top Gun once or twice before turfing them and haven't seen a problem. I know it's important to keep your eye on the base wad if you are going to reload them, but don't know how they can be hard on your gun. What am I missing here?
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Steel doesn't expand like Brass does. I notice a ring forming around my firing pin with prolonged use of "top Guns".
 
Covey Ridge said:
Got tons of AAs, but the new ones seem to be a different length and the crimp does not close well. In this area rem hulls are difficult to come by. You might be right about the top gun steel base. I notice with prolonged use they cause a bit of a gove on the ejection port. Who da thunk it, that you actually might know something:D Thanks for the warning.
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You may have to make an adjustment on your loader. To make the crimps look better. When I swich from AA's to Rem. STS's, I have to change a few things to make them right.
 
Win/64 said:
Steel doesn't expand like Brass does. I notice a ring forming around my firing pin with prolonged use of "top Guns".
Click to expand...

Thank you Win64. I'm still uneasy about what is happening, as I can't see why a reloaded case should do anything different than a new case. I suppose there is always the possibility of some kind of peening effect. But people that don't reload could fire thousands of new factory loaded Top Guns through their guns. You would think that this would do the same thing. Can you see an indentation when you put a straight edge across the mark?
 
I went and looked at my Citori and I'm just not sure. On the other hand, the vast majority of cases I use have brass heads on them and I'm only using about 500 to 800 rounds a month right now. (No doubt this will go down as the snow gets higher and the temperature gets lower too.:) Right now things kind of warm up by 10:00 a.m. or so and it aint so bad out there.) So, the number of steel heads passing through my gun won't be that high. I did buy a flat of Top Guns though...jeezzz!:mad: Think I will shoot off what steel I have and quit buying steel or using them for reloading. Better to be safe than sorry! Best to stick with Gold medal cases if one is going to use Federal anyway. I wonder how many other guys have reservations about steel heads on cases? It wouldn't surprise me if there were quite a few. fred
 
:confused: There has not been brass cartridge heads in decades! They are all metal with a brass coating! That is why we use magnets to pick up the spent shells on our ranges! The Federal Gold Medal cases are the ones most highly recommended for high velocity steel shot reloads. The High Brass (sic) controls base expansion better. AAs have changed case design a few years back. So old loads are no longer valid.

Due to the less expensive shells being around, it does not pay to reload today. If you chrono your reloads, you will notice that each time you reload, the velocity drops and the standard deviation increases!

Bewst regards,
Henry;)
 
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