Second Try and with some Terminal Testing
|
WARNING: The information described on this page is for amusement only! Actually doing any of the following is dangerous to life and limb. The data on this page has NOT been tested in an instrumented test barrel and thus I have no real idea how much pressure the loads are producing. These loads could damage or destroy your firearm and possible even damage or kill yourself. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! |
 The slugs: Left: ~127gr Truncated Cone Foster Slug, Center: ~90gr Round Nose Foster Slug, Right: ~80gr Rifled Slug. (click to enlarge)  All the slugs were hollow based slugs. (click to enlarge) |
Goals and Methods Goal: Increase accuracy of the loads created in my first attempt I used the same data I generated for the orginal loads. I simply constructed the loads a little bit differently. I also used the data I generated for a 3-inch hull to load some three inch loads in the hopes of getting more velocity and energy out of the slugs. |
 Components for the load laid out. Note the above picture is for the orginal loads the number and arangment of wadding changed in these loads please read below (click to enlarge) |
Slug Construction The load was assembled similar to the last load but a different number of felt and over powder wads were used in the following manner. I started with new Cheddite hulls for the 2.5 inch loads that were primed with Cheddite Primers from the factory. For the three inch loads I used once fired Brenneke Silver Slug hulls and Winchester 209 primers. Starting with the primed hull I added the powder charge. I measured each charge on a digital scale. On top of the powder charge I put half of a Gualandi Cushion Gas Seal Wad (Precision reloading TUWGS410, although a Stump wad from Ballistic Products is identical as far as I can tell) As you can see in the picture to the left there is a whole Gualandi Cushion Gas Seal Wad and half gas cushion in the picture. A pair of Craftsman Handi-Cuts did a great job cutting them squarely in half. For the 2.5 inch loads the wadding was stacked as follows: 1 - 1/8" felt wad, 1 - 3/8" felt wad, 2 - 1/8" over powder wads. For the 3.0 inch loads the wadding was stacked as follows: 1 - 1/8" felt wad, 2 - 3/8" felt wad, 2 - 1/8" over powder wads. Another change was for the 127gr and 90 grain slugs were wrapped with two wraps of standard PTFE pipe thread tape to bring the measured diameter up to about 0.412-0.415 inches. |
 2.5 inch load, 4-shot groups at 25 yards (click to enlarge)  3.0 inch load, 4-shot groups at 25 yards (click to enlarge)  The recovered slug weighed: Left: 127gr (100%) Right: 125.1gr (98.5%). (click to enlarge) |
Load and Velocity data Load A: 2.5 inch Charge: 11.4 gr Herco Velocity Data: Low Velocity: 1564fps Hight Velocity: 1624fps Average Velocity: 1597fps (1543fps same powder charge with old constuction) Extreme Spreed: 60.67 Std. Deviation: 27.60 Load B: 3.0 inch Charge: 12.0 gr Herco Velocity Data: Low Velocity: 1550fps Hight Velocity: 1597fps Average Velocity: 1581fps Extreme Spreed: 47.67 Std. Deviation: 21.23 Group size: Load A: 4.8 inch Load B: 6.6 inch (3.7 inch if we throw that flyer out) I fired two rounds, one of each load, at some catalogs I had soaked in water. The velocity of both loads was nearly identical so I did not try to distiquish between the two when I recoverd them. The slugs performed excellently. The did not fragment the way alot of 410 slugs do and retained there weight very well. Both slugs penetrated nearly 5 inches of wet phone book. This compared well to the gold standard (IMHO) of 410 slugs the Brenneke silver slug that manages to get just over 6 inches in similar tests. The recovered slug weighed 125.1gr (98.5%) and 127gr (100%). |
 2.5 inch load, 4-shot groups at 25 yards (click to enlarge)  3.0 inch load, 4-shot groups at 25 yards (click to enlarge)  The recovered slugs weighed: Left: only parts were recoved Right: 3 pcs 88.6gr. (click to enlarge)  The cataloge with impact damage from the 90gr slugs (click to enlarge) |
Load and Velocity data Load C: 2.5 inch Charge: 13.9 gr Herco Velocity Data: Low Velocity: 1904fps Hight Velocity: 1998fps Average Velocity: 1960fps (1930fps same powder charge with old constuction) Extreme Spreed: 93.40 Std. Deviation: 39.73 Load D: 3.0 inch Charge: 14.5 gr Herco Velocity Data: Low Velocity: 1904fps Hight Velocity: 1990fps Average Velocity: 1955fps Extreme Spreed: 86.14 Std. Deviation: 36.34 Group size: Load C: 3.3 inch Load D: 4.7 inch I again fired two rounds, one of each load, at some catalogs I had soaked in water. The velocity of both loads again was nearly identical so I did not try to distinguish between the two when I recovered them. These slugs produced some huge "wound channels in the wet catalogs. These are some explosive 410 slugs. In the picture you can see where one of the slugs hit near the top of the catalog and blow out the top of the catalog. When I took the shot there was a huge spray of confetti in the air. Both slugs penetrated about 3.5-4 inches into the catalog. |
 3.0 inch load, 4-shot groups at 25 yards (click to enlarge) |
Load and Velocity data Load E: 3.0 inch Charge: 14.9 gr Herco Velocity Data: Low Velocity: 1997fps Hight Velocity: 2057fps Average Velocity: 2020fps Extreme Spreed: 59.73 Std. Deviation: 25.94 Group size: Load E: 2.1 inch I only fired one round of this load into the wet catalog. There was only little bits and pieces of it recoved from the catalog. Despite the slug fragmenting badly the fragments managed to get a little over 4 inches of penetration into the wet catalog. |
| Conclusions: I was pleased with the load work up. |
| Click here to return to index |