doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 10 Gauge 2-7/8 Inch Low Pressure Loads

Can anyone suggest a source for 10 gauge, 2-7/8 inch low pressure loads? I'm looking to start handloading for my Darne and my Hollis hammer gun. If possible, I would like to find something in the 1-1/8 ounce range for the Darne (weighs under 7-1/4 pounds, fluid steel barrels) and up to a 1-3/8 ounce load for the Hollis (weighs 8-1/4 pounds, Damascus barrels). I'd like something I could use for waterfowling (ducks with the Darne, geese with the Hollis) as well as for pheasant (Darne) and turkey (Hollis), so safe non-toxic loads would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks very much.

I use 31 gr. 7625 with 1 1/4 oz of Lead. Great load and
low pressure . One of the loads as recommended by Sherman Bell.
I am using Federal and Remington cases cut down to 2 7/8 with
plastic base. I roll crimp

PM me your email address, I can send you an Excel spreadsheet of 10 ga loads.

If you don't want to reload, look at rstshells.com . They have a full range of ten gauge low pressure loads and will sell you a mixed case of shells that would fulfill all of your needs. Yes, I use them and they are wonderful.

High$trap: PM sent. Thanks.

Eightbore: I've been shooting the RSTs, but at $1.10/shell for lead and $4.00/shell for non-tox, they are a bit pricy for regular use, particularly as I occasionally shoot skeet with both guns.

Stallones: Where did you get a roll crimper?

Thanks.

Rem

Old style bench roll crimpers are available on ebay and the drill press mounted ones are avaliable from precision reloading. http://www.precisionreloading.com/2004catalog.htm scroll down on the left to roll crimpers.

R40X,

I handload for my 10 gauge DARNE, weight 7lbs 2 oz with 73mm chambers. Start by cutting down primed (with the hot primer) Federal 3-1/2 inch hulls. Have used both Bismuth and lead in 1-1/8 and 1-1/4 oz of #2, #5 and #7-1/2.

With the usual disclaimers, I use Hodgdon Longshot, 35 grains for 1-1/8 oz, and 32 grains for 1-1/4 oz of shot. Add buffer for the bismuth (pm me for details). Use a .125 nitro card overpowder, and then just enough lightweight wad so that I can add an SP10 shotcup to get the right column height to roll crimp. For the 1-1/8 oz loads I put a .125 fiber wad in the bottom of the shot cup so the shot load fills to the top of the cup. Then a .070 overshot card and roll crimp on an antique Brit handcrank tool.

Imagine your DARNE 10 gauge is triple proof so this load would work. BUT, STRONGLY urge that you put five shells together in each 1-1/8 and 1-1/4 oz and send them to Tom Armbrust for pressure testing.

I assemble these loads by hand as I cannot use 10 gauge shells at my local sporting clay hangout. Instead, a pair of gaugemate gold chamber reducers from 10 to 12 gauge serves so that I can buy inexpensive 12 gauge loads to shoot skeet and sporting clays. Have also used the gaugemate golds in the field with 12 gauge loads for upland birds. They work fine but the key is NOT to lube the reducers so much that they extract completely with your Darne and fall into the sand ...

REgards

The British cartridge company Gamebore load them if you can obtain them there. Lagopus.....

Rem40x,

I have the compilation and expansion of Bells data that was put together by Jerry Lape on this board a few years ago.

If I can find it by Monday,(not unpacked yet) I'll photocopy it and bring it along for you.

Mike

I've never seen a Gamebore 10 gauge shell here in the US. Kent UK also loads short 10 gauge in their line of tungsten matrix waterfowl loads but you can't buy them here either. Was going to buy some to bring back when I was over there shooting the last time but with the exchange rate they were about $5 a shell so I passed.

DLH

I tried to send you a PM but it won't send. so hear is my email nathani@brktel.on.ca If you have any for 12 ga low preasure that would be great to I would like to try for turkey this spring with my sxs Greener damascus. Thank you for any help.
Nathan

I use stainless steel "Gauge-Mates" in my 10 ga. Baker (Damascus)to then shoot low pressure 12 gauge smokeless handloads. The 12 gauge load uses IMR 7625 powder, and supposedly produces 5,000 psi in a 12 bore. I don't know how much less the pressure is in the 10 ga. with the shell adaptors.

Anyhow it works well on clays and preserve quail. I suppose the wad expands to fill the larger bore.

Jerry Goldstein

Kent Cartridge has refused to import tens and eights by Gamebore for me in the past. I don't know what they would do now. There are easier ways to go about it.

They imported the 10 gauge TM one time when it first came out. I had a partial box somebody gave me a couple years later. But when I called and asked about ordering more the people at Kent USA acted like they didn't even know what I was talking about. The guy on the phone nearly called me a liar when I said I'd actually owned some of the shells. Wish I hadn't shot them all up, I'd have sent them a photo.

I've actually seen a few of the Gamebore 8 gauge shells here in the US over the years. I've got a 10 pack of them in black powder that Kaas gave me awhile back. I think New England Arms used to import them somehow but they've been out of business several years unfortunately.

A gentleman did a posting on here last year that he'd spotted some Bismuth Cartridge Co. short 10 gauge at a store in Virginia. I happened to see the posting early in the AM and called as soon as the store opened. Got lucky and they still had them, I was the first one to call. Bought all five boxes and I haven't been able to make myself shoot them because they've gotten so rare. Figured I'd save them for a special occasion, they're all large size shot so I'll use them on geese sometime.

DLH

Yup, Destry, Potomac Arms Company in Alexandria had a stash of first generation Bismuth tens on the shelf for years. I bought some and I guess you got the rest. I think I may still have mine too. I remember finding the black powder eight gauge Gamebores in a cabinet in Jim Austin's place one time, couldn't bring myself to pay the freight. If Jim had been there, I could have made a deal, but he was "occupied elsewhere" that trip. They advertised them at an outrageous price but, at that time, they had had them for a long time.

HighStap, PM's don't work for me. Thanks for your offer, Randy Please send to: raven@freeway.net

I have quite a few(maybe 100) Gamebore empty 2 7/8 cases that were loaded and fired about 10 years ago with Black powder. They are plastic ,but seem in good shape.If someone wants and needs them you can have them for the postage.

lsstallones@centurytel.net

HighStap, PM's also doesn't work for me. Would you send me a copy of your info at kopkaie@embarqmail.com.
Thanks
Iggy

Hello Remington40X, You must live very close to Mr. Alfred Gallifent in Warrington, Pennsylvania. Mr. Gallifent has restored two 10 gauge antique English made SXS Hammerguns for me and I shoot them on a regular basis. He is working on a 10 X 10 X 40-82 Drilling Hammergun for me currently when he is feeling well enough. I reload 2 and 7/8 inch 10 gauge ammo for my 10 bore hammerguns using a FEDERAL 10 gauge hull that I cut down to 2 and 7/8 inch. I had a PW375 MAGNOMATIC reloading tool modified to reload these short 10 gauge shells and it works very well. You can see some pictures of this tool and process at this picture web site ----

http://groups.msn.com/jentb737/shoebox.msnw?Page=7

http://groups.msn.com/jentb737/shoebox.msnw?Page=6

Good Shooting To You, Jent

Mr. Mitchell:

Great photos. I'm using cases from RST's factory loads, which are Federals cut down by RST.

I actually live and work less than 10 miles from Mr. Gallifent and have used his services on a number of occasions. It's been very nice indeed to have such a talented craftsman so close and I'm deeply saddened at his health issues and the prospect of losing him. I shoot at several clubs in the area with fans of older guns, particularly British shotguns, and I can tell you that Mr. Gallifent's illness has put a real dent in the buying habits of these shooters. We've been spoiled for a long time and finding a replacement with his expertise is going to be difficult indeed.

Rem