Alot of the sabots on the market today don't shoot very well and I'd like to tinker w/ my own and try diff velocities and powders and such.

I've found the 12ga Sabots for loading the 300 grn .45 cal Pistol Bullets but, I don't know if my equipment will load them.

I've got the MEC 600 and I've loaded a pile of bird and trap rounds on it w/ ease. Can this press be used to load these 45 cal sabot loads?

I know I'll probably have to buy a roll crimping tool for my drill. Do I have to buy new hulls or can I use my once fired 2-3/4 inch AA hulls to do a roll crimp? Seems like the folds may cause a problem.

Where would I find data for these loads? My data is all for 7/8-1-1/2 shot loads and the velocities are pretty low.

If Hornady and Remington are loading their Sabots at 2000 fps w/ 45 cal pistol bullets, there's bound to be a way. I just haven't seen any data for high velocity slug reloads.

Thanks for any Help

Reloader

I've been loading slugs for a few years, here are a couple thoughts:

I've found roll crimps to work best for me. Actually I found roll crimps over a card work best. You do not need to trim hulls if you make a tool with a rotating steel shaft that you can use to "iron out" the fold creases. Either chuck up a steel bar in a lathe or I've even used the arbor on my large buffer. Be careful doing this though, I'm sure it is not OSHA approved. Otherwise simply cut the crimped section off with a razor blade. I made a jig from a block of wood. Look at the jig sold by Ballistic Products and either buy or copy it. I also have their roll crimp tool, it works fine though somewhat pricey. I started with an old heand one, then got tired of that and made an arbor for the head and used it in a drill press, then bought one to see if it was any better, which it wasn't.

Post how well the sabots work out, I've never used the ones made for 45 cal bullets so I'm curious how well they work.

Mark

Relaoder,

I had a dismal failure with the BPI 20ga/.458 sabots....couldn't keep them on a 2' x 2' sheet at 25 yds and I gave up. I shot them with a H&R Ultra and 20ga Rem 870 with a cantilevered barrel...both of which shoot really well with commercial sabot slug loads. I used a MEC 600 and folded crimp per the instructions that came with the sabots.

Interested info provided by ZR2...I'll need to spend some time looking at it in more detail!!

I want a rifled .410 that will shoot a saboted .30 cal 150 grain Nosler Part at 2750 fps inside an inch at 100 yds. that I can load for less than $.50 apiece....now that would be a rifle....I mean shotgun!!

Reloader,
I've had good luck with the Lyman 525 gr slug. Looks like a huge air rifle pellet and is very accurate in the three guns I've tried it in. The mould is about $50 but will give you a lifetime supply of slugs. They load in a standard shotcup and use a fold crimp so you can use a standard press. Load info is in the Lyman shotshell reloading manual. I use 3" Federal cases and Blue Dot powder and get cloverleaf groups at 60 yds and 2-3" at 100 yds. They are not particularly fast, up to about 1500 FPS if you can stand the recoil, but they are murder on deer, punch a 3/4" hole all the way thru when cast from wheel weights.