16ga.com ~ View topic

Member Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 155 Location: Vermont

I sent some loaded shells to Tom Armburst to be tested for velocity and pressure, got the results back a few days ago.

The load is as follows: 2 3/4" Fiocchi hull with a Fiocchi 616 primer. 23 grains of SR-4756. Wad is a VP80 from Ballistic Products with two 1/8" felt 20 ga. wads in the bottom of the shot cup. The shot is 1 1/8 oz. of #5 TM.

Tom used a 28" cyl. barrel to test my loads.

The average velocity was 1218 fps and the average pressure was 1133 P.S.I. (correction, P.S.I. should be 11,133)

I put 4 slits in the wad of my test loads here at home and shot them at 40 paces through a 28" Sweet 16 Belgium barrel that has .022 of choke per my Skeets bore gauge. My pattern was 87% from the Belgium barrel.

Today we did some other testing and measured with a tape to get an actual 40 yards. I paced off 40 paces and found I actually was 36 yards from the target when I got 87% earlier.

Note: when I shot patterns without slitting the VP80 wads they were very poor. The wads went through the paper and the pattern wouldn't be any good for hunting.

I got my TM from some 12 gauge loads that I cut apart and saved the shot.

I also tested some Kent 1 1/16 oz. loads of #5 TM at 36 yards and got excellent patterns but not as dense as my handloads.

I have since bought a Japanese barrel for the Sweet 16 and I'm waiting for some Briley chokes to arrive so I can test that barrel with the loads that have worked so well in my Belgium barrel.

The loads work very well so I plan to hunt along the creek and maybe use my Sweet 16 in the duck boat too.

Ernie

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2346 Location: West MI

Hello, thanks for sharing. That sounds like a fantastic Duck load. 2 things I'd appreciate clarity on; Roll or Fold crimp and the pressure at 1133psi seems a little low.

Thanks, Mike

Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 334

Thank you for posting the info. I like Kent 1 1/4 TM loads for ducks but I like my 1 1/8 Nice Shot reloads better. If you haven't tried NS, I'd give it a try in #5.

Member Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 155 Location: Vermont

My loads used a fold crimp.

The averaage pressure is 11,133 not 1133.

Thanks for catching that error putz463.

RLR390, I have some NS that I have loaded but never tried. Guess I should try it too.

Member Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 451 Location: La-Tx

That will be a great duck load. You'll have fun with it in the Sweet. I shoot both the factory 1 1/4 oz and 1 1/16 oz loads and of the two I prefer the 1 1/16 oz. Both are good loads but I find the heavier load is just more kick for no real gain. I bought somewhere around 10 flats for between $8.00 to $12.00 a 10 box bofore the prices went crazy. At todays prices I'd have to shoot steel.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2346 Location: West MI

No worries, thanks for re-posting the PSI, figured it was a typo. Ca-mon quacker & honker seasons... Very Happy

Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 1358 Location: Twin Cities, MN

Where did you get Tungsten Matrix shot to reload?
Thanks,
Jeff

Member Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 155 Location: Vermont

Hi Jeff,

I'm getting it out of 12 ga. shells that I am cutting open.

A friend sold me a lot of Kent shells a few years ago when he wanted to start using a different shot for waterfowl hunting. I already had a pretty good supply of Hevi shot so never needed to shoot the TM.

Also, I'm pretty old and don't hunt many times per year. This year I'm going to have more tme to hunt upland and wanted a load that will be legal while hunting along the creek for woodcock, grouse and maybe a duck or goose now and then.

Our duck and goose season starts on 10/13/12. I'll be ready!

Ernie

Member Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 155 Location: Vermont

Today I finished my testing of the load above.

I shot it through the Japanese barrel with a Briley Light Full extended
Invector choke tube. The distance was 40 yards.

I got 83% with the load as he tested it. When I tried adding some BP buffer, the pattern was only 78% and not nearly as round and even as the load as shown above.

I also shot a test with a Light Mod. Briley choke and it is a duck killer at 40 yds. but only 75%.

This isn't very scientific info because I didn't shoot enough patterns.
However, the load he tested for me cosistently gives me very good patterns
in my limited tests so I am going to use the original load for all of my hunting where I may encounter waterfowl.

Note: when I shot patterns without slitting the VP80 wads they were very poor. The wads went through the paper and the pattern wouldn't be any good for hunting.
quote]

Peacore,

How long of slits did you slice into the VP80 wads?

Why were the patterns no good for hunting on the ones shot without slitting the VP80 wads?

Thanks in advance for the clarification.

Lon

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

Just out of curiosity, why vp 80 wad?? I load all of my nice shot loads using the sporting 16 or z16 wads.

Member Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 155 Location: Vermont

Hi Lon,

I put the two 1/8" felt wads in the shot cup and then slit the wad down to the felt. I put 4 slits in the wad. Before I slit the wads the patterns could hardly be called patterns. Just a few scattered shot holes in the paper and a big hole where the wad went through. This was at 36 yds.

Hi Hootch,

That's good to know. I was just trying to protect an old Belgium barrel so I tried the VP80 wad and I am getting very good results. Have you patterned loads with your wads and if so are you getting good 40 yd. patterns?

I'm always open to learning a better way but I don't want to waste too much of my TM shot experimenting. What is the load you are using? I have some #6 Nice Shot on hand and will probably load some for use along the creek. Also where we hunt on a pheasant preserve there are sometimes ducks on the creek that borders the old farm. I'd rather see my grandsons shooting the pheasssants but a nice fat Mallard, well I'll take that shot any day.

Ernie

Joined: 14 Oct 2011 Posts: 61 Location: England

Did you try lighter loads with the tungsten or try any different powders?
Graham