Lead & Steel shot sizes

[henry d]

SIZE-- ø "-- ø mm--Pellets/oz

LG---.36----9.1----6

 

SG---.33----8.4----8

 

SSG--.27---6.8----15

 

AAA--.20---5.2----36

 

BB US-.18--4.5----50

 

BB UK-.16--4.1----70

 

2 US--.15---3.8----90

 

1----.14----3.6----100

 

3----.13----3.3----140

 

4----.12----3.1----170

 

5----.11----2.8----220

 

6----.10----2.6----270

 

7----.095---2.4----340

 

7.5--.09----2.3----400

 

8----.085---2.2----450

 

9----.080---2.0----580

 

THESE ARE NOMINAL SIZES FOR ................. LEAD!!!!!!

[henry d]

STEEL SHOT SIZES(AMERICAN)

 

Size----- ø "----pellets/oz

TTT-----.22-----39

F--------.218---40

TT------.210---46

T-------.20-----54

BBB---.19------61

BB----.18------70

B-----.17------87

1-----.16------102

2-----.15------125

3-----.14------163

4-----.13------187

5-----.12------244

6-----.11------291

 

 

Again these are for STEEL shot in american sizes if you aren`t sure go on the shot Ø in inches.

[stevethevanman]

I am iterested in getting into reloading maybe at a begginer level I m looking at using it to produce non-toxic cartridges. I am looking at producing some cartridges using Tungster Poleymer Matrix Shot at 30g loads do I have to use special wads and what length do they have to be do I have to use fast or slow burning powder and what cast lengths are acceptable for this load. also do you recomend any reloaders as basic as possible and not to pricy from £0-£100 is by ideal budget for the reloader.

 

Please specify.

[robkayak]

I am iterested in getting into reloading maybe at a begginer level I m looking at using it to produce non-toxic cartridges. I am looking at producing some cartridges using Tungster Poleymer Matrix Shot at 30g loads do I have to use special wads and what length do they have to be do I have to use fast or slow burning powder and what cast lengths are acceptable for this load. also do you recomend any reloaders as basic as possible and not to pricy from £0-£100 is by ideal budget for the reloader.

 

Please specify.

[robkayak]

Do not bother reloading tungsten Matrix(Kent) if it is a polymer based shot as it sticks together in a big slug if welded by fierce accelerating forces that you can drive non toxic shot with. you are better to use sintered products such as hevishot or Powershot. Believe me I have tried as I was disallusioned with my expensive Kent tungsten Matrix cartridges & took the shot out & treated it as Hevishot using a lot of American Alliant STEEL powder. All I got was a big hole in the pattern plate at 35 yards as the shot welded together. Kent have tried to use a shot buffer but it really does not work and you cannot push the shot column hard as it welds together like a lot of heavy wine gums. If you have a good modern shot gun, then home load steel shot & push it as hard as the breech & the pattern allows. It is much cheaper & to be honest much better than lead as it does not crush & despite slowing down faster, takes twice as much energy( more recoil) than lead can in the accelerating process. Also remember lead No. 5 shot lead leaves the barrel as No.6 owing to deformation & Steel no. 3 leaves the barrel as No.3 (no Deformation). Commerially bought steel loads are only good for flight ponds as they are dumbed down to stop irresponsible idiots from maiming themselves with old shotguns & suing the manufacturers. If you want something as good, if not better than lead, reload your own steel to the limit.

Edited November 1, 2009 by robkayak

[Salopian]

I have seen some rubbish posted about reloading but this last post from Robkayak takes the biscuit.As the saying goes 'Paddle your own canoe'

Personally I will use safe loading advice.

Edited December 2, 2010 by Salopian

[Guest cookoff013]

if you buy lyman 5th, shotshell loading handbook, they have a comprehensive reloading guide. it will give the basics ans lots of recipes.

it has a small nontoxic section, bismuth, steel, hevishot. all explaining why things are done.

 

but at the end of the day, follow the reloading recipe. and you shouldnt go wrong. after a while, you know what to change and what not to do.

there needs to be a new guide soon. as most new nontoxics wernet around then.

 

i`d buy the 6th when it comes out.

[Fib new]

What!? I do not home load shotgun loads, but for the last 5 years shot the Kent tungsten matrix cartridges on geese, hare and pheasants with these. They are superb (although very expensive). Also tried them on patterning cards and never experienced the welding effect.

 

I also use a lot of steel for duck, geese and pigeon; takes à while getting used to, but it works. One thing to keep in mind is that steel patterns much tighter than lead (or tungsten). When we use steel we go up two shot Suzes an go down one or two chokings...

[Guest cookoff013]

What!? I do not home load shotgun loads, but for the last 5 years shot the Kent tungsten matrix cartridges on geese, hare and pheasants with these. They are superb (although very expensive). Also tried them on patterning cards and never experienced the welding effect.

 

I also use a lot of steel for duck, geese and pigeon; takes à while getting used to, but it works. One thing to keep in mind is that steel patterns much tighter than lead (or tungsten). When we use steel we go up two shot Suzes an go down one or two chokings...

 

the "going up 2 shotsizes" is open to speculation the speculation is up to the cartridge manufacturers as to what they call a certain shotsize. let me give you a for instance.....

bought some game shells, says steel shot 4 on the side. i cut open the shell. i perform a weigh and count assay. i work out that the shotsize is steel 5. then makes me think, its an equivalent to #7 in lead or less. so the speed is limited to 1400 or less, but the speed was alot slower, at 800fps. so not only are the shells too slow, but the shotsize isnt right, infact it makes it in an equivalents at that speed to be very comparable to a #10 lead.

 

so a new set of rules should be adopted,

under 1300fps ducks #2 US

over 1300fps ducks #3 US

 

under 1300fps Geese # BB US

over 1300fps geese B or less.

[Fib new]

True, but since over here (Holland) we are only allowed to shoot sizes up to #3's, for me this has to do the job. And according to the past season #3 on geese do the job. And we do shoot a lot of geese over here (at least 4 mornings every week).

 

Off course you would see a smile on my face if I could use larger size shot (ie BB).

 

Tungsten by the way are is great on everything you shoot at, but to expensive for me and not readily available over here.

[wymberley]

Casualty of Photobucket

 

 

 

[The Heron]

I do not have the time for home loading due to work etc but reading some of the above is it really worth it?

[TONY R]

That depends on what you want or need from your ammo, Even common steel and lead loads will get the job done in most instances.

It is hard these days to keep your loads cheap, but it can still be done but powder is the big killer at the moment and not just for wildfowling.

[Guest cookoff013]

That depends on what you want or need from your ammo, Even common steel and lead loads will get the job done in most instances.

It is hard these days to keep your loads cheap, but it can still be done but powder is the big killer at the moment and not just for wildfowling.

+1

I reload for a sxs, subs, Intl loads, and some steel. What a journey!

[Dave at kelton]

A number of points here. First I am not aware of a UK supplier of tungsten matrix loose shot so if anyone does please enlighten me as I am down to my last two tubs

Second it is hellish expensive and I use it in no1 only in my 8 bore occasionally

Thirdly it is a great shot and I load in a card cup with obturator below and roll turnover. Never had it ball as suggested

lastly I use blue dot being a slow powder for big loads.

Hope this helps

[panoma1]

34 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said:

A number of points here. First I am not aware of a UK supplier of tungsten matrix loose shot so if anyone does please enlighten me as I am down to my last two tubs

Second it is hellish expensive and I use it in no1 only in my 8 bore occasionally

Thirdly it is a great shot and I load in a card cup with obturator below and roll turnover. Never had it ball as suggested

lastly I use blue dot being a slow powder for big loads.

Hope this helps

This is a three year old thread Dave!.....but I agree with you! ITM is a great shot! I shoot my 8‘s with ITM, also I have shot it through my 12 x 3” .....I too have never experience ITM ‘balling’ as stated previously! Have used (Amongst other powder) Blue dot, AO, M92s and TK8 which is dirty but does the job! I also use card cups, with a card (inverted bottle top) op obturator wad under a fibre wad....with a RTO........I don’t know of any current source of loose ITM in the UK.

 

Edited November 17, 2019 by panoma1

[Guest cookoff013]

i`ve heard it balling but never really chased up the claim. 

with most of these nontoxics density is key, hardness other factors come in to play.,

 

certainly with these softer or soft enough nontoxics, i see very little advantage to push it beyond 1400fps in some instances 1300 is not too shabby,

i believe that some loads really dont need ultra ultra slow powders, this newer trend for extreme speed comes at a price of slower and slower burn rate powder being used in large ammounts. often to try and rival steel shotshell speeds. now it doesnt mean slow loads are up to the job either, the powder burning is a key part to shells. 

i tested some stuff but never felt the need to push it harder with slower powders. 

 

when ever i do suggest  any development etc, just work the powder hard. when they are efficient they perform really good. you cant hurt powder. it doesnt have feelings.

[hairysausagefingers]

I know this is an old thread but I thought I'd share my recent frustrations. I was shooting some steel commercial goose loads and was a bit disappointed with some shots that I thought should have killed outright. On examination the No.1 shot inside turned out to be No.3 by everyone elses measurements, so I got some components and a Lee Loadall and started loading No.1's in 3in cases on top of alliant steel. 36gram loads.

The thing that really, really narks me is that I have to use plastic wads and there is no sensible alternative for the steel homeloader. 

I'm still learning, but I've moved away from half choke down to Improved Cyl following some patterning. I need to pattern Cyl yet...just not had time. At 40 yds Imp was far better than half. At 50yds, both were very low on the paper, suggesting a real drop off in trajectory, so much so that I've messed with the shims on the semi auto I'm shooting it with. It could have been me, or it could have dropping like a brick and running out of steam. I've not been back to the pattern tests after the shimming, so that should be interesting.

I also find it very difficult to obtain decent load data and I don't want to buy 10 different manuals costing hundreds as they'll all just have a short section on steel. 

It's very frustrating and I really wish a biodegradable plastic-type wad was available for the reloading community. 

I'll carry on experimenting as I enjoy it and there's great satisfaction from taking birds with home loaded ammo. You can't really blame the ammo when you miss either!

[Guest cookoff013]

Doubt the shims. If it was alright before with diff carts.

Alliant steel should be used for 36g steel shot loads and above.

I reload #2 for duck and bbs for if and when.

[hairysausagefingers]

Pretty sure it fits me better now I've messed with it, but there was a definite vertical drop between the 40yd and 50yd paper targets I shot. At 50 yds I had hardly any pellets above the centre line of the 30" circle. I'll post back when I've shot 40 and 50 with cyl. 

It is a 36gram load and I'm using 36 grains of powder to launch it with a cx2000 primer. Should be 1400fps ish. 

[Mollymoo]

On 17/11/2019 at 22:55, panoma1 said:

This is a three year old thread Dave!.....but I agree with you! ITM is a great shot! I shoot my 8‘s with ITM, also I have shot it through my 12 x 3” .....I too have never experience ITM ‘balling’ as stated previously! Have used (Amongst other powder) Blue dot, AO, M92s and TK8 which is dirty but does the job! I also use card cups, with a card (inverted bottle top) op obturator wad under a fibre wad....with a RTO........I don’t know of any current source of loose ITM in the UK.

 

I’ve got some in 5 shot