doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Hodgdon Reloading Data for short shells

A lot of good information if you can find components. Go to shotshells, select gauge then case type. They have quite a bit of 2-1/2" shell data.

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center

Yes, the data is there... however...

There has not been International or Universal available for years, and they may never be available.

What is needed is data on available powders for these loads.

The company that contracts to have this stuff made so they can overcharge for it (I hate to even use their name) COULD (if they wanted to sell to the vanishingly small market that would apply it as such) develop short shell loads for the products they do still sell (on occasion when the stars align and some of it dribbles in).

There are many other powders that have a similar burning rate to Universal and International that these profiteers do sell. 231, WST, Accurate #2, 244 to name them. It would seem that 2 1/2" loads could be developed for them but it would require some effort and expense. Another candidate for load development would be their new offering, obviously named by Commander McBragg, 'Perfect pattern".

Should an independent entity take on this project the list of candidates expands slightly to the offerings of the other American vendor who seems intent upon bankrupting their loyal customers.

I don't expect any of this to happen.

Not sure if we are on the same page, but if you are referring to a prolific publisher of reloading info, I wouldn't look to them. I trust the powder companies data as they have a lot of skin in the game. I would expect Hodgdon to publish more recipes before too long. Gil

Shotgun Jones,,do you have 231 data for 12 ga 2.5 or 2 3/4 I have quite a bit of 231 .Mark

I do not. My point is that we need it tested to see if it's suitable. It may or may not be.... it is however available at the present.

Pistol and shotgun powders certainly overlap. I recall Bullseye loads for light 12.

As far as who publishes loads, what matters is if they are actually pressure gun tested and the pressure listed.

Manufacturers (and others) have run a great variety of loads through a pressure gun that are in no way practical if you try i to actually build them.

A few years ago I called Hodgedon and asked about 231 in shotshells
They said absolutely NOT, so I have not used it for shotshells

International is my #1 powder and Universal #2. I’ve been rationing my supply for my favorite low pressure light load 16b 2 1/2’s. One of the regulars on 16ga talked with Hodgdon and they told him that it would be ‘24 before we see International again. Let’s hope.

I don't doubt it, but I'd like to know why. I'm curious that way.

I've only been at this since 1981. My reloading data is thus only fairly recent.

Back when there was such a thing as Hercules Powder, did they ever publish 2 1/2" loads with Unique?

Universal seems to me to be really similar in application to Unique.

Alliant has been dropping published loads in favor of publishing new loads for their latest and greatest offerings.

Example is how now they don't push 2400 for the 410, just (you guessed it) '410'.

231 meters really well in my Dillon press loading be 45acp it is supposed to be a fast powder like bullseye has anyone tried bullseye?

I load bullseye in my Dillon 1050 for 45ACP set up for large primers
I have also loaded it in 12 gauge, but it made me ill
to see it go away in shotshells instead of the 45

Did use 2.7 grains of Bullseye for 38 special in one of my Star press, but
switched to 231,

Mike

I load bullseye in my Dillon 1050 for 45ACP set up for large primers
I have also loaded it in 12 gauge, but it made me ill
to see it go away in shotshells instead of the 45

Did use 2.7 grains of Bullseye for 38 special in one of my Star press, but
switched to 231,

Mike

You might want to look into Hodgdons new Perfect Pattern powder. It is VERY fast. Also, very cheap (by modern standards). It can be made into fairly low pressure loads.

I'd love to see 7625 come back.

longago...

used to be a rule of thumb, that if one wanted a lite load, just back off 10% on the powder and test fire into maxwell house one pound coffee can...member the old ones with the key and detachable ring?

anyway, if your shot penetrated one side of the can, that was good enough to kill birds...

but for clean kills on rabbits, the shot needed to go thru both sides of the can...

wonder how that methodogy might work with todays wads an powders?

If you were loading one shell at a time I ges that would be practical but pull the bushing for powder and messing around for a 10percent reduction seems not very practical changing shot from 5 to 7.5 seems more useful.

I share your frustration with the powder companies, but it was the reference to Commander McBragg that earned the "Like."

I wonder how many readers here even know who the Commander might be?

Quite.

I looked at the norma powder burn chart and pb is faster the 4625 and 231 is slower then both powders and unique is slower then all three of the other powders.makes me wonder why 231 was never a shotgun powder.

Ballistics products sent me a free data packet on loading short shells. It is copyrighted 2017 and uses a variety of powders, including International, green Dot, Bullseye, titewad, clays,red dot 800x, universal, alliant 20/28, Longshot and unique. I have it saved on the cloud. Gauges are 12, 16 and 28. . I load 12 and 16 short shells and did load 2" using their data. I have two lifetimes' supply of unique. If someone can find a way to publish it, I'll email it to them. PM me your email address.

Allan