• Mossberg Owners is in the process of upgrading the software. Please bear with us while we transition to the new look and new upgraded software.

Rookie Press Operator Prepares to Blow Things Up

A comparator wouldn't be a bad choice for what you're wanting to do especially if you're going to be using a lot of different bullets until you settle on what you like the best. Myself, I don't load for "uber" accuracy so I haven't ever went that route. But even then, casting your chamber still isn't ill-advised.

Also, the lighter bullets will probably show more accuracy to a point. They're lighter and going to be moving faster. Speed is very often the determining factor of accuracy because it imparts more spin on the bullet. Not unlike a football pass.

But in the same breath, the lighter bullets will see deflection more (and before) from wind/atmosphere changes than the heavier bullets too. So, there's always that too. Plus more mass downrange is better because the lighter bullet is not going to be as effective the farther that it goes, and why all serious shooters want "heavy, long, bullets".
 
I chose the 77 grain bullet because I understand that it was normally out of spec for this 1-9" twist rifle, but with the right tweaking it was eventually the most accurate at 300yds+

But I started with 75's because 77's weren't immediately available, and so far I'm not shooting them fast enough to be more accurate than the 75s. In fact, so far I shot 15 rounds in 3 formulas and they are all slightly less accurate.

But I never did get to shoot at 200 yards yesterday so there's still no telling what's going to happen at distance.
 
Realistically, if 200 is all you will be shooting for the most part, back down to a 55 grain bullet. The advantage of a 77 is the ability to hold steady in cross winds. Your gun as a "varmiter" is designed for light bullets that you would hunt small game like groundhogs, prarie dogs, and coyotes with.

I've got a .22-250 that uses twice the powder, of .223. 1/14 twist. It shoots best with .45 grain bullets. At near 4000 fps. Even with higher MV that round was never meant to be shot in tight twist barrels, therefore there is little load data for it over 55 grain.
 
Well this gun is actually a heavy-duty varminter, and not the sort of thing you'd want to take in the field. I have another Savage varminter but the barrel is a varminter profile. To me, the fluted bull barrel says "Target gun".

If you lived somewhere where you could shoot right off the back porch rail, it would be pretty sweet. But I bought it strictly for target shooting.

My goal with this gun was actually to get out to 300 yards and beyond, but to do that beyond 300 I will have to join the high power Rifle Club and go up to the 800 yard range.

I hit the 200-yard bull's-eye on my first day with this gun, and that was with a crappy scope, so I don't see any problem shooting this gun beyond 200.
 
My apologies. I took it as you only had access to 200. Still though. I think you may have good luck dropping to a 55 grain FMJ boat tail. And you won't have the length constraints that a long 77 grain bullet is giving
 
No need sir. I don't take offense at constructive comments from people who are far more expert at this.

What I'm fighting here is the 1-9" Barrel and I'm fighting it with bigger explosions. 77grn will be tough. That was the world-class championship slug weight (Berger bullet) in 2015.

I do have some nice 55 grain FMJ here my buddy Bobby loaded and he's been doing it a long time. These are boat tail solid Point Full Metal Jacket Sierra Matchking.

From top to bottom 77 grain Nosler, 75 grain Hornady, 55 grain Sierra. That's one of Bobby's cartridges he loaded for my AR with the 55 grain Sierra.
14863333701271553266447.jpg

On the right is the 75grn slug which got stuck in the throat. On the left is a new 77grain slug for comparison.

14863335228641430312335.jpg
 
Last edited:
Unfortunately that photograph is not good enough that you can see the normal scuffing that I'm getting on the bullets, but you can clearly see the ring where it was wedged against the throat. You can also just barely see part of the ring at the tip where the bullet seating die pressed the bullet.
 
I cleaned up 10 doz. shot shells, inspected them, and sorted them today. They all landed in the mud and so I had to wash them in a bucket and dry them. 8 dozen of them were freebies but I had to sort through another three dozen junk ones too collect those.

I didn't realize before that most of these are just brass plated steel, and they do rust.

Anyhow I tossed out all the Rios and the Estates and anything that had rust on it which didn't wipe right off with a rag. I wound up with a nice collection of Remingtons, Winchesters, Federals and Fiocchis.

[edit... I should have tossed out those Fiocchi's...didn't load as well.]

I've got plenty of powder and primers and a good collection of shot now, but I'm going to do some balls for buck & ball loads if my buddy Dave comes through with the lead casting equipment he promised me.

Since I shot off the 16-gauge yesterday I've also got a dozen 16 gauge shells to run.
 
Last edited:
I ended up tossing several more of the 12ga used hulls due to rust, damage and cheap construction. I've loaded about 30 with mostly #2 buck in Winchester milbuck hulls & 12AA clone wads from Claybusters on 18 grains of Hodgdon Clays powder.

All are 2-3/4" shells.

There are several experimental loads.

3 have 1 oz loads of #4 birdshot plus one .24" ball (#2 buck) in Winchester Milbuck hulls.

11 are in Remington 'High Brass" (just plated steel!)
3 are 1oz+ loads of one 000 (.35 cal) ball packed in #2 buckshot (.24 cal)
8 are 1oz+ loads of two 000 balls stacked in 16 balls #2 buck
All of these had a topwad of packed paper to keep everything square, otherwise the balls shift.
I didn't use any spacers between the layers of balls.

All those were loaded over 12AA clones, on 18 grains of Clays.

I still have 54 good hulls uncharged.
 
Not 12 Ga.

I've picked up about 250 free hulls at the shotgun range, and over 3/4 of them have been usable.
About half the usable ones were inexpensive skeet shells, but the other half were better quality shells.

I had to toss out lots of buckshot hulls as they had cardboard base wads which disintegrated when I washed the mud off.

I wish I could find some empty 16 ga. but I've never seen another guy at the club shooting one. 12s and 20s only so far, though I did pick up one live .410 shell. Unfired and perfect.
 
So I'm wondering if you guys have ever made up any buck & ball loads?
 
20170209_120212.jpg
30 rounds of #2 buck.
(21 balls of .24 cal.)
Over 18 grns of Clays.
Loaded in used Winchester Milbuck cases.

3 marked rounds have only 16 balls but also two .35 cal balls stacked between them. (000 BUCKSHOT)

So these are my first buck & ball test loads.

I eventually loaded 88 of the 100+ reclaimed hulls & tossed the rest.
 
Thank you sir.

These are the remaining 58 rounds of "range brass" 12ga.
20170210_092023.jpg
The first couple loads didn't crimp perfectly, because I didn't know how much paper to use in the top. You can see a little white paper peeking through the crimps on them.

Once I figured that out I made some nice tight loads and they all came together really well.

I did some green plastic Remington shells that did not load as well. I don't think the plastic is quite as strong as those Milbucks.

The OD rounds are all 21 balls of #2 buckshot, the maroon Federals have a (7/8 oz load of) 6 balls of 000, while the red AAs are mostly #4 birdshot.

The white Fiocchi's are loaded with combinations of #2 &#4 balls. None of them loaded very well and they all will chamber, but almost all are a little misshapen, even though I hand packed them with paper.

A taller shot cup could have helped but I think these just have soft plastic hulls and I probably won't reload anymore of them. These were originally 1-ounce slug loads.

I figured #4 will take care of small game, big birds, and varmints at close range, while the #2 will handle any large 2-legged varmints.
 

Attachments

  • 20170210_092023.jpg
    20170210_092023.jpg
    830.7 KB · Views: 1
Nice work. I need to expand into shotshell loading. My old man did it back in his 20's. We think his press may be up in my uncle's barn somewhere. Its probably a late 70's early 80's era. Given I was born in 85. And that was before my time.
 
It's a bit quicker to prep & load than rifle ammo. You don't have to trim and de-burr or dress pockets. It's easy to trickle powder right into the case compared to .223.

I trickled every one of those shells. The Lee measure really isn't more accurate than about +/- 0.3 grains with Clays.
 
dieselmudder said:
Nice work. I need to expand into shotshell loading. My old man did it back in his 20's. We think his press may be up in my uncle's barn somewhere. Its probably a late 70's early 80's era. Given I was born in 85. And that was before my time.
Click to expand...

What's stopping you from calling your uncle and asking? He may know right where it's at. It would be epic if it was an old MEC just sitting around rusting and you got a chance to save it and get 'er going again.
 
Well, I remember another uncle messing with some shotshell reloading when I was young. It may have been the same press. And if that's the case, it's long lost. I need to stop by and look though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top