16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 22 May 2015 Posts: 18

hello
is there anybody who have an idea about making slugs at home?
tools used and how to make them, I want to try making some home made slugs.
can anyone help please?
thank you

I have yet to find a rifled barrel or rifled choke tube for the 16 gauge. Not saying they don't exist, but most manufacturers make only 12 and 20 gauge rifled barrels.

Finding an original Model 37 Deerslayer slug barrel in 16 gauge is also very difficult. These specialized smooth bore barrels have very snug bores nearer to 20 gauge than 16. They are known to group most 16 gauge Foster slugs very well out to 70 yards or so.

I've found that snug fitting 69 caliber pure lead round balls (for 12 gauge loads) work well. A 60 to 62 caliber pure lead ball should woork well for reloading single projectile 16 gauge hunting ammo. Round balls fired from a cylinder choked smooth bore barrel with a very well cut squared crown stabilize better and tend to be significantly more accurate out to 50 to 60 yards. Well centered chest shots on deer and other similar sized game with pure lead round balls of this size almost always produce quick, clean kills. Big round balls track straighter and penetrate better than foster slugs. Most balls pass straight through both sides and exit, which quickly causes the lungs to collapse. Most deer are anchored in their tracks. The resulting massive hemorrhaging causes the deer to bleed out very quickly which keeps them down for good.

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

I'm not clear on your question. do you mean making as in casting the slugs? If so, there are a few companies that make molds for various styles. Or do you mean assembling slugs into loaded ammunition? Slugs are available from a few mfg'rs but the problem I have with them is that the slug is generally much larger than the diameter of the hull where it's supposed to go; so I generally just use store-bought.

*Last edited by skeettx on Sat Jul 11, 2015 4:18 pm; edited 1 time in total*

Hello balladmaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr9n7Y_ntc0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjbLdy6i5u4

I have loaded many slug loads

For what gauge are you wanting to load?
Will you want a foster type slug, a breneke? or a sabot ?

Will you want to roll crimp or pie crimp.

Will you cast your own slugs or buy slugs to load?

And how many will you want to load, it is sometimes cheaper to
buy loaded ammo.

Mike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlJRtTuQSjI

I've been loading my own 12 ga round ball loads for a long time now. I mold my own 69 caliber (14 gauge) pure lead balls. They fit very well in a 12 gauge plastic wad cup. I use a folded crimp to simplify things.

The wad base and plastic wad petals seal the bore and keep the ball centered very well as it transits the bore. My loads group just fine out of my Remingtom cylinder choked smooth bore 12 ga barrel out to 60 to 70 yards or so. I use 22 grains of Unique for a powder charge. This is based on the weight of the ball and the desired velocity of about 1300 FPS which is both fast enough to hit hard and moderate enough to be accurate.

My following suggestions are based on my experience:

A 60 to 62 caliber (20 gauge) lead ball should fit pretty well in most 16 ga shot cups. The ball in wad combo will probably be a snug fit in a Cheddite type hull, but easing it in to seat it on the powder should be possible. Lightly lubing the inside of the hull mouth and the the wad exterior with some paraffin will help the process (a wax candle works very well here). A couple of 28 ga nitro card filler wads in the bottom of the shot cup under the ball should help to seat the top of the ball (sprue up) even with the tops of the wad petals. I have found that to be the best position for optimum accuracy.

I'm betting Unique or another powder with a closely similar burning speed would be a good selection. Green Dot might work well too. Weighing the ball and wad combo should give you an idea of what the powder charge should be. A 60 to 62 caliber lead ball should weigh between 360 to 370 grains (around 7/8 of an ounce).

Joined: 25 Aug 2014 Posts: 286 Location: Finger Lakes

Ithaca made the 37 deerslayer II with a rifled barrel. I had one but sold it. The only saboted slug ever made were Lightfields. Kind of wish I had kept it. When I got it someone had shot foster style slugs through it. Was leaded bad!!!

Joined: 22 May 2015 Posts: 18

Slug mold in Europe

http://www.henselgmbh.de./

Then go to
On Line Shop
Gießkokillen
Flintenlaufgeschoße

Mike

OK, fun reading below

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/09/17/guest-post-homemade-tactical-sights-and-brenneke-type-shotgun-slugs-part-7/

Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 603 Location: Victoria BC Canada

Look at the 16 gauge Diabolo"! http://www.henselgmbh.de./

It didn't stick on the spot I navigated to. It's a good thing that I have a smattering of Deutch.

[quote="Woody402"]Ithaca made the 37 deerslayer II with a rifled barrel. I had one but sold it. The only saboted slug ever made were Lightfields. Kind of wish I had kept it. When I got it someone had shot foster style slugs through it. Was leaded bad!!![/quote

Thanks for the info Woody402. I've seen a few 12 gauge Deerslayer II models in 12 gauge but never in 16. Are they still being made? Does Lightfield still issue 16 ga sabot rounds?

I have had my own leading difficulties when shooting Remington 12 gauge Slugger foster slugs through a rifled choke tube. The first two rounds group very well at 50 yards and beyond out to 80 yards, but accuracy quickly drops off after two shots due to the rifling leading up. I tried applying some Thompson Center Bore Butter to the front of the slugs w/ little to no improvement. Regardless, the leading is easily removed from the rifled tube w/ a piece of bronze screen treated with metal cleaner over a tight fitting swab.

Two aimed shots are almost always all we get at any deer. Most times we get one before they bolt for the tall timber. So I've taken my share with the Sluggers in the past. However, I've also experienced considerable point of impact shift from lot to lot as time goes by, so I question just how uniformly Remington loads them over time.

I also tried molding the Lee keyed slugs which are designed to be seated into plastic one piece wads for use with rifled barrels or tubes. The wads supposedly act as a sabot of sorts. The Lee slugs have a molded in bar across the slug base which is supposed to bite into the plastic wad upon firing which in turn supposedly transfers the spin to the slug. It doesn't work well. Grouping is horrible regardless of how the slugs are loaded. I think the plastic wads are too soft and too easily deformed by the rifling to get any consistent accuracy.

My solution has been to load my own using round balls seated in plastic wads. That ends the leading troubles. The balls shoot very well out of a smooth bore out to 50 yards or so. That is usually plenty of range for deer hunting in my area.

I've also found that crimping the circumference of the balls w/ the jaws of a pair of standard pliars before seating them in a plastic wad helps them bite into the inside of the shot cups. Short stiff wads with shallow shot cups have proven to be the best for this. Round balls out of a rifled tube extends the accuracy to past 80 yards or so. I've never had to shoot that far, but it's nice to have the extra range on tap.

Joined: 22 May 2015 Posts: 18

thanks guys for the reply,advices and for the links ,that sounds great