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Most of my reloads are in the 8500 to 8800 psi with either 1 oz or seven eighth
oz shot loads. Is this a low pressure load?
Glenn

Winchester hull
Gauge: 16 Lead Shot 7/8 oz.
Manufacturer, Powder, Primer, Wad, Grs, Pressure, Vel. (ft/s)
Hodgdon, Internat'l, Rem. 209P, DR 16, 16.4, 6,200 PSI, 1,150

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

I'd call it a normal,mid range load.

*Last edited by Dogchaser37 on Sat Mar 19, 2016 1:27 am; edited 1 time in total*

I wouldn't give that pressure range a name. It's just chamber pressure.

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

It's at the lower end of "normal". For "low" you need to be 6xxx.

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

There is no industry standard for a "low pressure" load. I have seen loads from 4,500 to 9,500 psi all considered low pressure by someone.
Regards,
Jeff

Thanks to all I was just curious as there is a lot of discussion on the site about low pressure loads. I always use data for manufacturer mostly Hodgdon.

Glenn

My best patterning 1 oz. 16 gauge hunting loads have pressures of 5780, 6440 and 7440 PSI.

Member Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Posts: 1338

Well put Mr. Campbell. I had originally posted something similar, but your way sounds a lot nicer.

Cool

With loads and velocities equal, a higher pressure load can have lower pressures at key distances outside the chamber than a lower pressure load. In other words, lower overall pressure is not necessarlily better. Take a look at the dicussion below and study the graphical comparison and tables of an 8400 psi load compared with a 4500 psi load. It's an eye opener if you thought otherwise as I did before seeing this discussion.
The graphs are on page two of the thread.
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=436288&page=2

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

I generally prefer to match the manufacturers recommendations or mindset for their products. If the owners manual says a type of oil is recommended in their engine, that's what I try to do. With regard to firearms, particularly ones are from a different time period, I would seek loads that would match those available at the time the gun was made, in the belief that the designer had those loads in mind. So the question is: what were the standard peak and "area under the curve" pressures for shotshells in the first half of last century?

SAAMI officially started with standards in 1926, using the lead crusher system for shotshell testing........you would be hard pressed to find out what the pressure curves looked like. The chamber pressures that are used today are very similar to what they were then.

The lead crusher system was used before that also.

Pressure curves are another area that mean next to nothing to most of us. They sound cool to talk about but, I don't know too many that actually know what they mean. Since we have no way of controlling them.........they are what they are.

There were some test barrels made that had lots of ports for lead crushers and I remember seeing one with a bunch of transducers sticking out of the test barrel too. I suppose they were made to 'see' the whole event.

Pressure curves are for guys developing powder and maybe primers.

If you have ever seen a pressure curve they all pretty much look alike. I would assume they need to be very similar, as it seems that barrel time is a critical part of internal ballistics.

Shot shells are very old technology. There isn't much new when you really get down to it. The limitation is and will always be trying to throw little out of round spheres that have crappy aerodynamics.

Member Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 989 Location: Las Vegas

I have a couple of OLD SxS's in 16ga. I tend to worry more about recoil effect on the wood than I do about pressure. So I tend to shoot a lot more 7/8 oz. loads than anything heavier. That being said, Mr. Campbell pretty much nailed it.

Matt