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Sonny,

I'm not advising you to quit on your search for a good load using the components you have on hand. I am advising you that a one ounce load with these components may not be the best one or even advisable. I don't know this for sure, but I'd rather see you safe than sorry. I'm basing my input on past and present experience with 700X and with WW compression formed hulls and plastic wads as well. I've used both for years.

Winchester compression formed hulls and AA type plastic wads were originally designed to very efficiently work with the generally harder to ignite Olin ball powders. The elliptically shaped combustion chamber formed by the internal case bottom and plastic wad base are designed to promote very efficient burning.

700X (which is no longer being manufactured) is a relatively fast burning double base (contains some nitroglycerine) flake powder. Flat flake powders have more surface area exposed to the primer flame than equal volumetric charges of fast burning double base ball powder and are generally faster and easier to ignite all else being equal. With fast burning flake powders, peak pressures tend to be reached more rapidly and can be higher when ignited and burned in such an efficient combustion chamber.

A 3/4 or 7/8 ounce load will be a good one with your present components. A lighter shot charge with a charge of 700X somewhere between 14 to 15 grains will produce lower pressures as well as useful velocities as long as the primer used is not a magnum strength one. A WW209 standard primer will work very well here. You might need to use some 28 gauge or .50 cal sized filler wads under the shot charge in the WW16AA wad shot cup to avoid dished in crimps. Filler wads so placed will not affect pressures and velocities, nor will they interfere with the crimp folds. However, these lighter loads tend to perform extremely well due to the shorter shot column. They are also very easy on the shoulder even when shooting a bunch of them in one session.

Unique is a superb powder choice for one ounce 16 ga. loads using your present components. It is the standard one for many of us here. There are others with similar burning speeds which will also work very well for you. Good luck.

Joined: 30 Dec 2014 Posts: 12 Location: NJ

Darn cold and snow!
Made up some rounds with the 1 oz.waa16 wad 700x and the 7/8 oz. DR16
Hopefully I'll get out there soon to chrono
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Member Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 401 Location: Tennessee

..
16 Gauge Guy shared a wealth of knowledge

:roll: :roll: :roll:[/quote]

Beware of who you believe. Try to confirm what you read on the net.

Uhhhhhh GG?

I just bought an 8 lber of 700-X that was manufactured in 2014 and it is labeled Hodgdon 700-X.

I think you might be referring to SR7625, SR4756 and a maybe 1 or 2 other IMR powders that will no longer be made.

700-X and 800-X are alive and well and now have the Hodgdon brand label on them.

Well, to be honest GG 700-X has been one of the only powders available over the past year or so..... and Titewad also.

If you go to the Hodgdon website, you will see 700-X listed under Hodgdon Shotgun and Pistol Powders.

Hodgdon had let that info out in 2014, you must have missed the announcement.

........now an old dog such as yourself oughta know better than to listen to the clubhouse chat!! Cool

700X is available in this area. Also PB.

Thanks guys. Being already well supplied, I did not spend the time to research the info past what I'd conveniently heard and seen. I'm now squared away and glad to know it.

700X is one of the best for 12 ga 7/8 ounce trap and skeet loads in my experience. It has been my staple powder for my 24 gram trap loads for nesrly ten years now.

I'm also happy to see the OP has decided to use his stock of 700X for his 7/8 ounce 16 ga loads. I know he'll be pleased with the results and wish him luck in the future.

Joined: 30 Dec 2014 Posts: 12 Location: NJ

Finally got a chance today due to weather constraints from work. I was able to chrono some loads at the range.
Clear sunny day 28 degrees.
Firearm used : sweet 16, 28" barrel
WWCF hulls
700x 13.9 -14 gr.
1oz. Load #8's
Wwaa16 wads
W209 primers
5 shot string
1166
1168
1128
1077
1111
Average: 1130
WWCF hull
7/8oz. DR16 wads 13.9-14 grains
1163
1163
1190
1155
1170
Average: 1168.

RGL factory loads 6's, 1180 average
Factory Win. Xpert game load 6's
Average:1220.

So if I add another .5 gr. to 7/8 load I should see better velocities.
The 1 oz. cycled the sweet 16
The 7/8 did not. Hoping that half grain may work.
I'm happy with the velocities.
No signs of excess pressures and softer than the Factory RGL.

you will need 15 grains to cycle the gun with a 7/8oz load

Joined: 30 Dec 2014 Posts: 12 Location: NJ

Joined: 28 Aug 2014 Posts: 924 Location: Eastern Tennessee

I continue to be amazed at the variations in powders by location. The most common shelf powders in my area seem to be 800x & Steel. Scheels seems to always has 800x in stock and it has not been uncommon to see it on the shelf in local suppliers 50% of the time.

I have found some others powders over time, but usually its a lucky find situation at stores most people don't know exist on gravel roads outside some small towns.

I have never seen 700x or Longshot on a shelf, while 5 hours away I have seen 3 stores have it come available more than once in the last 3 months.

I almost get excited when I go on trips out of the area. Over the holidays a trip to southern Illinois resulted in purchases of Red Dot and Unqiue. Powders not seen in my area 10-12 hours away over the last year.

Joined: 30 Dec 2014 Posts: 12 Location: NJ

So after closely inspecting the hulls for the 1oz. And the 7/8oz. I noticed the outside of hulls at the mouth area showed burnt dark residual.
I wiped off what I can and looked at it with a magnify glass and seen the actual outer surface of hull looked like it got torched quickly.
The recoil was modestly lower then the factory loads not sure if this is something to do with powder migration or pressures.
I have noticed this with GC hulls after 4 or 5 reloads not after the first.
I don't have any experience with this hoping someone can help.

What you see at the case mouth means nothing.

You cannot glean any information about pressure or velocity of a shotshell load by measuring or visually examining the hull.

If you are truly concerned, stop putting your face on the shotgun and pulling the trigger while using these loads. Send them to a Mr. Armbrust or Precision Reloading to be tested.