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Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 863 Location: NoDak

Hi all, say, this will sound a bit off the wall, but has anyone ever used this bar with #5 shot and if so, what was the weight of your shot charge?

Reason why I ask is, I was loading some 1 1/8oz loads and with #5 shot my 1 1/8oz bar threw a shot weight of 1 1/16oz. I was thinking that perhaps if I used a 1 1/4oz bar it might throw 1 1/8oz. Using #6 shot the 1 1/8oz bar throws a true 1 1/8oz charge.

Thanks so much!

Greg

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

The larger pellets take up more space--leaving more deadspace--toss in a few more pellets by hand and save buying another bar.

Joined: 18 Jun 2014 Posts: 312 Location: Western Wisconsin

Hi Greg,

I have had the same experience with loading using the 1 1/8 and 1 1/4oz bars. What I have done is what hoashooter mentioned: I got an inexpensive set of powder scoops so I now weigh my shot drops and then use the scoops to weigh how much extra shot I need to reach the desired weight and then just scoop a few extra pellets every time I add shot to the hull. Hope that helps! For what it's worth, my Mec bars all throw about 1/16oz less using magnum shot. The antimony levels might have something to do with the shot being lighter.

Hunting ammo is used for the serious business of killing game birds and animals. We don't shoot it for fun and games like target ammo and practice loads. So hunting loads should be reloaded as perfectly as possible IMO.

I gave up on thrown shot charges for hunting loads long ago. I want every pellet I'm supposed to get in the pattern working for me. I now throw the shot charge into an empty once fired hull and then weigh the charge on a grain scale. Pellets are added as needed to bring the charge weight up to snuff.

I might reload 25 to 50 hunting loads every few years. Spending the time and effort required to reload them all perfectly is well worth it IMO. I feel better knowing I'm doing my best to deliver a quick clean death to any animals I harvest. I owe them that. We all do.

And I do not reload for hunting loads except dove and quail.
I shoot over 200 rounds a week at targets and this ammo does wonderfully for dove and quail also.

For others I have hoarded so much factory ammo over the years that I will never use it all up, so no need to reload for other hunting.

Remember when it was easy to buy a FLAT of 12 or 20 gauge for $19.99??

And now the Herter's 16 gauge ammo is really reasonable!

Mike

If the 1.24oz bar throws to many #5, I will put a piece of blue painters tape around part of the inside of the cavity. Then add or remove some to adjust the drop. I have designated bushings that drop exactly 1oz of #6 hard shot that I modified to use in my 16 ga loader because that is what I use 90% of the time.

I found the 'bars' seldom drop the marked weight. I played with one by boring it for a set shot size and got it to drop correct but I am not doing that for all my different loads. I went with the adjustable bars on my most used MEC presses.
That said, for my non tox hunting loads with the progressive MEC's I don't put a shot bottle on it at all and can slide the hull/shell out after the wad/shot station.
I use 20 gauge hulls in a 25 hole loading board and pre weigh all my shot in them using a scale.
After sliding them out I pour in the shot and slide the hull/shell back in with my thumb over the end to keep from spilling any shot then rotate. It works pretty smooth. The plate is spring loaded so they come out and go back in easily. Cool