Does anyone reload 12 ga. shotgun slugs? I see Midway has 2 slugs they sell, but how would you crimp these into a AA or what type of hull do you use (spent slug hulls). Then what die. With the price of sabots slugs about $3 to $4 each does anyone do this or is it just not cost effective at these prices. If you wanted to reload slugs and have shot shell reloading equipment to reload trap shells, what do you need to load slugs?

a friend of mine uses a LEE mold and casts his own, claims they work well. if i were to start shooting more slugs i think this may be a way to go. LEE slugs use a ordinary folded crimp. traditionally a roll crimp is used with slugs.

Shown is my components I used to load some of the lee drive key slugs. Those are the 7/8 ounce variety, they also make a one ounce mold. That's ww 540 powder,(hs-6 is the same stuff), IIRC 35 grains. That's supposed to toss them out at 1550 fps. I used wheel weight lead for these, they're a bit under 7/8. If I were to hunt with them, I'd cast them of pure lead, to get some expansion.

These shot about 4-5 inches at 50 yds from my 870 scoped slug gun.

Lee has load data on his website, not much but the powders are available as well as the wads. You can use most any trap type wad and a folded crimp, as well as any loader that can load target shells.

I've settled on a H&R Ultra 20 ga with a 2-7x Leupold compact as the best slug shooter around.

I've tried cast 20 ga slugs with the same set up Grizz uses and I've tried the 20ga/.458 sabots at BPI with a Rem 300 gr HP. Same result with both.. >6" groups at 50 yds and close to 15" at 100yds.....thru the Ultra, an 870 cantilever and an 1100 cantilever.

I gave up and went back to Lightfields that shoot inside 4" at 150yds in the Ultra.

They killed 6 deer so far this year and all were one shot, no tracking required. Cost is about $1.50 each. If I could take all the money I spent on stuff to make the handloaded rounds work I could buy a 10 year supply of Lightfields!! Just my experience.....

http://www.shotgunslugs.com/

Look over this site.

quote:

If I could take all the money I spent on stuff to make the handloaded rounds work I could buy a 10 year supply of Lightfields!! Just my experience.....

Exactly my thoughts. I love reloading for and shooting my centerfire rifles year round. Same thing for trap and skeet loads for shotguns. For slugs t's ust enough to check my zero and hunt. 2 boxes a year max. That's $14 for Lightfields and they shoot great.

Jeff