16ga.com ~ View topic - And the results are in !!!!! DR16 load testing results.

Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Posts: 118 Location: N.Y.

Mr. Campbell's post should be pinned to the top, and should be required reading for everyone... Even for those that think they know it all already!
If you can't understand that explanation, you just ain't listenin'...

Very impressive!

Mike has a pretty fair handle on things here based on my own experience. A fast stepping, properly expanding modern bullet in the right spot will dump a deer sized game animal faster than any other projectile I have hit them with. If I have to resort to a round ball or any pure lead sphereoid at under 2500FPS, I want the biggest one I can handle for the job. A .50 cal round ball at 1950 FPS or under is marginal past 65 yards in my experience. .54 is better, and .58 or bigger is way better. a 12 ga foster slug is very reliable, but it still will not match a modern 130 gr .270 or 7MM game bullet.

The bigger the game animal, the more thump is needed to put them down. Also, game animals differ in how they tolerate ballistic energy. shoot an elk through the heart and lungs with a .270 and watch what happens. Do the same thing with a .338 or a .375 and then watch. Then go up against a big bear with the same loads. some animals are simply tougher to kill, period.

It takes a much heavier thump to cleanly kill a pheasant than it does most small furbearing game. Birds' nervous systems are different. Birds' systems can handle shock better by far. Anyone who has beheaded chickens for the table can attest to this. They never seem to die quick or easy.

One or two more points here. The average hobbiest's chronograph is fine for use with a single projectile. Measuring the velocity of a shot swarm is another matter. It's a guesstimate at best. Nick Hammock has the right idea about hunting load testing. Go shoot a few dozen pheasant or more with your pet load. Then tell us how it did overall. Pheasants don't read the energy tables. They would care less if they could IMO based on my own experience. Wink

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What happened to the quote feature? Is it just me, or are these threads getting out of whack? My computer's old, so maybe it's on my end only.

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

Just another probably useless comment but, like Mike Campbell, I have for decades now used one load for all the feathered game I pursue, changing shot size only. I must admit to using a slightly wider range of sizes than Mike recommends but nothing larger than 5's.
The availability of Hammack's wad is the only thing that has encouraged me to 'experiment' with payloads varying from one ounce in a very long time.

Hello All
Over on Double Gun it was reported that

""The latest issue of Skeet Shooting Review has roughly 25 new loads listed for the new Down Range 7/8 oz 16 bore wad. bill ""

http://www.mynssa.com/ssr/ssr200906/Ceretto.pdf

Thanks
Mike

Member Joined: 07 Jan 2008 Posts: 348 Location: Missouri

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Nothing there that gets me excited.

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

Glad to see people tinkering with the wad. Unfortuneately, I use niether Remington or Winchester hulls for reloading. Second, not one of those loads were at or above 1300fps.

Hopefully more data is forthcoming!!

I use cheddites and fiocchi hulls. The most available, and beat the Rems all to heck.

I recv'd my wads, but have yet to load any. Been busy. Maybe this weekend. If I get time, I will dream up some loads I want tested.

I will probably be looking at using Cheddite/Fiocchi hulls, 7/8oz, and Longshot powder. Looking for minimum of 1300fps.

This ios probably a stupid question but where can I get these wads?

Will Hasting take an order over the phone?

Again sorry for the stupidity.Regards, Gordon

Gordon,
http://www.downrangemfg.com/products/list/11/

Gordon, 16ga wads.

http://www.precisionreloading.com/

Mike