Shotshell Bushing Quandary

[trickg]

I have a shotshell reloading quandary: I picked up some Ramshot competition and this is what I'm trying to reload:

Win AA Hull Federal 209 primer (NOT 209A - these are old stock)
AA12 Wad for 1-1/8 oz #7.5 shot

Here's the quandary.

Lyman manual calls for 18.0 gr for 1147 fps
Western manual calls for 17.5 gr for 1150 fps

My MEC powder bushing drops:
#28 - 17.5 - errs on the low side to 17.3 or 17.4
#29 - 18.5 - errs on the low side to 18.3 or 18.4

The Western manual has a recipe that calls for 18.6, delivering 1200 fps.

Which bushing would you use? I feel like the #28 is just a touch low, and the #29 is just a touch high.

I tested the load the other day with the #29 bushing - just two boxes - and they seemed to be fine, although a bit sharper recoil than the Red Dot loading I'd been using, but otherwise I did ok - 21/25 clays on that box of reloads. (I went on to shoot Remington Gun Club factory loads and shot 3 other rounds, all of which were 21/25.) I still haven't fired the second box.

Thoughts?

 

[85MikeTPI]

I have a shotshell reloading quandary: I picked up some Ramshot competition and this is what I'm trying to reload:

Win AA Hull Federal 209 primer (NOT 209A - these are old stock)
AA12 Wad for 1-1/8 oz #7.5 shot

Here's the quandary.

Lyman manual calls for 18.0 gr for 1147 fps
Western manual calls for 17.5 gr for 1150 fps

My MEC powder bushing drops:
#28 - 17.5 - errs on the low side to 17.3 or 17.4
#29 - 18.5 - errs on the low side to 18.3 or 18.4

The Western manual has a recipe that calls for 18.6, delivering 1200 fps.

Which bushing would you use? I feel like the #28 is just a touch low, and the #29 is just a touch high.

I tested the load the other day with the #29 bushing - just two boxes - and they seemed to be fine, although a bit sharper recoil than the Red Dot loading I'd been using, but otherwise I did ok - 21/25 clays on that box of reloads. (I went on to shoot Remington Gun Club factory loads and shot 3 other rounds, all of which were 21/25.) I still haven't fired the second box.

Thoughts?

Either would work for me, but are you missing the clays ahead or behind the few you do miss? The #29 will get the load there just a bit faster so you may be leading the clay too much..

 

[trickg]

Either would work for me, but are you missing the clays ahead or behind the few you do miss? The #29 will get the load there just a bit faster so you may be leading the clay too much..

The clays I miss are either hard crosses to the right - particularly if I'm on stand 5 - or straight away shots where I either shoot above or below it - probably above it because my barrel patterns 80/20. I'm still learning this to a point - I've been shooting trap since about January.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

your scores are just now in the mental part of doing this not really ammo related

I can shoot a 89/100 at Hopewell on their weekend sporting clays course and then go shoot a 50/100 at Shrader’s. Excuse is harder targets, stations facing into the sun, wind, but most of it is because I suck and my mind wasn’t in the game as much as it should have been

Anyway, I’ve played with lower pressure loads in the past and it usually no difference in my game other than more unburnt powder and some off sounding shots in the cold. With 1 ounce I stick with close to 10,000psi published stuff as I can

 

[trickg]

your scores are just now in the mental part of doing this not really ammo related

I can shoot a 89/100 at Hopewell on their weekend sporting clays course and then go shoot a 50/100 at Shrader’s. Excuse is harder targets, stations facing into the sun, wind, but most of it is because I suck and my mind wasn’t in the game as much as it should have been

Anyway, I’ve played with lower pressure loads in the past and it usually no difference in my game other than more unburnt powder and some off sounding shots in the cold. With 1 ounce I stick with close to 10,000psi published stuff as I can

Ok - that's good to know. I've actually seen comments regarding Ramshot Competition to the effect that lower pressure loadings are substantially dirtier - it looks like the #29 bushing may be the way to go because it's slightly higher pressure.

 

[PapiBarcelona]

I never loaded for old guns or recoil sensitive issues so hotter end was it

7/8 ounce 12 gauge/lower pressure did feel good after 100 shots but the few extra targets chipping/misses… I came to the conclusion that 1 ounce 1200ish is good enough for everything in sporting clays for me. Reloads or Factory

Most of the missed targets were most likely me and not the ammo

 

[K-43]

Have you patterned the two loads? If one is better, use it. If they pattern pretty much the same/good, flip a coin and stick with that load. You'll learn the lead for that load which is why the need to pick a good patterning load and stick with it. You'll eventually learn the rise on going away clays.
It's more learning the technique than how fast the shot is moving. Either load is fast enough.
Pick a load, stick with it, and practice, practice, practice.

 

[John from MD]

I have a shotshell reloading quandary: I picked up some Ramshot competition and this is what I'm trying to reload:

Win AA Hull Federal 209 primer (NOT 209A - these are old stock)
AA12 Wad for 1-1/8 oz #7.5 shot

Here's the quandary.

Lyman manual calls for 18.0 gr for 1147 fps
Western manual calls for 17.5 gr for 1150 fps

My MEC powder bushing drops:
#28 - 17.5 - errs on the low side to 17.3 or 17.4
#29 - 18.5 - errs on the low side to 18.3 or 18.4

The Western manual has a recipe that calls for 18.6, delivering 1200 fps.

Which bushing would you use? I feel like the #28 is just a touch low, and the #29 is just a touch high.

I tested the load the other day with the #29 bushing - just two boxes - and they seemed to be fine, although a bit sharper recoil than the Red Dot loading I'd been using, but otherwise I did ok - 21/25 clays on that box of reloads. (I went on to shoot Remington Gun Club factory loads and shot 3 other rounds, all of which were 21/25.) I still haven't fired the second box.

Thoughts?

Spend $30 bucks and buy a Universal Charge Bar and you will never have to play with bushings again.

Universal Charge Bar for progressive reloaders Includes Powder Baffle

Multi-Scale Charge

mpcsports.com

 

[trickg]

Spend $30 bucks and buy a Universal Charge Bar and you will never have to play with bushings again.

Universal Charge Bar for progressive reloaders Includes Powder Baffle

Multi-Scale Charge

mpcsports.com

I've looked into that - I'm not sure it's the way to go.

On the flip side, I've been loading with the smaller bushing - the #28 that throws 17.5 gr Ramshot Competition - and that seems to be a pretty good loading. I'm scoring as well as I ever do using those reloads at the trap field.

 

[John from MD]

I've looked into that - I'm not sure it's the way to go.

On the flip side, I've been loading with the smaller bushing - the #28 that throws 17.5 gr Ramshot Competition - and that seems to be a pretty good loading. I'm scoring as well as I ever do using those reloads at the trap field.

I just gave up shooting clay sports after 54 years. I found the Universal Charge Bar back in the late '70's and bought one for each of my MEC Progressive Reloaders. They never let me down.

 

[K-43]

A little throw back to the old days. You can polish out a bushing to enlarge it a hair to get an in-between size. Some guys used to use nail polish to reduce a bushing a bit. That's all trial and error, but it worked when someone wanted to fine tune the throw. Life doesn't have to be that hard though.