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| < 16ga. Ammunition & Reloading ~ Proposed grouse load |
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 Posted:
Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:24 pm
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Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 42
Location: On the banks of the North Fork of the Kentucky River
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Alright team, Santa has brought a few new goodies of the 16 ga. persuasion and the old Mec 250 is set up and running. After digging through some data (Alliant), here's the recipe I'm considering...
Rem Black 6 point hulls
Win 209 primers
21.3 gr Herco (Mec #30 bushing)
Rem SP 16 wads
1 oz. chilled #6
What says the group? The Herco just happens to be what I have on hand. I'd like to consider bumping it up to 1 1/8 oz if pressures allow. |
_________________
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx |
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| Posted:
Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:10 pm
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Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 317
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| trust me wrote: |
Alright team, Santa has brought a few new goodies of the 16 ga. persuasion and the old Mec 250 is set up and running. After digging through some data (Alliant), here's the recipe I'm considering...
Rem Black 6 point hulls
Win 209 primers
21.3 gr Herco (Mec #30 bushing)
Rem SP 16 wads
1 oz. chilled #6
What says the group? The Herco just happens to be what I have on hand. I'd like to consider bumping it up to 1 1/8 oz if pressures allow.
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Switch the R-16 for the SP-16 if you have it. Grouse don't warrant 1 1/8 oz of #6s. Nor are #6s a necessity. I would change the shot to mag #7s or 7.5s (depending on what you have readily available). 1 oz is plenty. Just put the pattern where the grouse will be.  |
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| Posted:
Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:12 am
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Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Posts: 179
Location: United States of America (Wisconsin)
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| Are there grouse in Kentucky? |
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| Posted:
Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:22 pm
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Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 42
Location: On the banks of the North Fork of the Kentucky River
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| Hunter&Hound wrote: |
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Are there grouse in Kentucky?
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Naw. We drive up north to Park Falls and shoot them off the roadsides. The locals don't seem to mind. 
Yes, we have grouse, but not in the numbers you are accustomed to.
I like the #6 because I seem to have more dead birds in the air with them as opposed to cripples on the ground with smaller shot. That's just my experience, though.
Herco probably isn't anybody's first propellant choice, but it is handy and Alliant says I can use it. I was wondering if anyone had any input on Herco and their experiences with it in the 16. |
_________________
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx |
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| Posted:
Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:37 pm
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Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 245
Location: Eastern Iowa-DeWitt
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TM,
Herco is an excellent powder in that mid range class. Will work fine, and I agree with Russ, you won't need more than 1 ounce of shot. Longshot would ccover the faster loads if they are needed.
Good luck and pound em hard!
Birddog |
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| Posted:
Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:00 pm
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Joined: 31 Oct 2006
Posts: 42
Location: On the banks of the North Fork of the Kentucky River
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Interesting...my Mec bar seems to be a hair off. The one ounce load of #6 should number about 220, and my bar is throwing about 205. I assume it would regulate a little better with the usual #7.5 or 8 shot size, however. The #30 powder bushing should be throwing 21.3 grains of Herco, but it is consistently around 19.5. These differences are enough to cause concern.
I'll be doing some tinkering before these loads go in the game field. |
_________________
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx |
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| Posted:
Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:19 am
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Member
Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 367
Location: Anchorage, AK
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Trust-I load with a 600 jr too. The 1 ounce bar seems to short the shot. I haven't counted the shot, but by weight, it is usually a few grams light with either #7 or #7-1/2 shot. I don't try to make up the difference, and the patterns seem fine. If anything, the loads come out a little softer, and perhaps a bit dirtier.
#7's work well on grouse for me. I never use more than an ounce, (even in a 12 bore) since most grouse are shot within 25 yards...many less. Don Zutz preferred #6 shot for the same reason you mentioned, though.
The other consideration is choke. I find that just a little choke does well on most flushes. In fact, if you look at Ken Szabo's (Grouse Tales Newsletter), his annual record of folks shooting grouse gives the shotgun and choke used. Many people use cylinder barrels. I used a cyinder gun on cottontails when I was a kid, and occasionally shot pheasant with it using #6's. However, the pattern thins quiclky, and over 25 yards the cylinder barrel left birds wounded.
I now use either a 16 gauge Fox with .003/.009 chokes and 1 ounce of #7's or a 20 gauge Miroku sxs with almost no choke in the first barrel and .009 in the left, and 7/8 ounces of #7's.
Just have fun!
mike |
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