doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 8 gauge loads

Well, my stash of 8 gauge shells is dwindling and it looks like I need to reload some new shells. I've ordered some brass hulls from RMC.

Does anyone have any recommendations for loads? I want to use blackpowder. I'd like to load two different shells:

1) 'light loads' probably 1-3/8 oz shot or so for general skeet use
2) 'normal' loads - whatever that would be.

GregSY I am doing the same thing only in sixteen gauge brass. I am a member of the 16 gauge reloader's group which has a 150 or so tested low pressure recipes for the sixteen. They said for black powder just to reload what it says on a modern box of shells 2-1/2 Drams or 2-3/4 drams of black powder and an ounce.

Best,

Mike

Burrard listed 6drams with 2 1/8oz as standard load for a 3¼" 8 ga case. As chamber lengthened loads grew, up to an 8dram x 2 3/4Oz for a 4" case.
The 1904 Scale of Proof for the 8ga shows a service load of 6drams x 2¼oz shot.
W W Greener cites three classes of 8 bores; Light, Medium & Magnum.
Light --- 3¼" case, 11-12 lbs; 6Drams x 2¼-2½ oz
Medium -- length not stated, 13lbs; 6drams x 2½-2 3/4 oz
Magnum -- 3 3/4" case, 15lbs; 7drams x 2 3/4-3 oz.
The later was recommended for "Boat" work as it was stated to be too heavy for carrying.
Greener recommended thin brass cases for all classes.

The 8-gauge loads given in my 1903 UMC ammunition catalogue with black powder were --

5 drams-----------1 1/2 ounces of shot
5 1/2 drams-------1 3/4 ounces of shot
6 drams-----------2 ounces of shot
6 1/2 drams-------2 ounces of shot
6 1/2 drams-------2 1/4 ounces of shot
7 drams-----------2 ounces of shot
7 drams-----------2 1/4 ounces of shot

Loaded with Bulk Smokeless powders you could get --

5 drams (meas.)--- 1 1/2 ounces of shot
5 1/2 drams (meas.)1 3/4 ounces of shot
6 drams (meas.)----2 ounces of shot

No mention of case length is given on the page of 8-gauge loaded shells. The UMC "Expert" empty primed cases were available in 8-gauge 3 1/4 inch for $25 per 1000, and from 3 1/2 to 4-inches for $28 per 1000. The UMC Best brass 8-gauge case was available in 3-inch for 18 cents each, and 3 1/8 to 3 1/2 inch for 20 cents each.

I think that the grain(size) also needs to be considered as in the Trial of Schultze's sawdust powder vs. black gunpowder, Lawrence's No. 3 was used and a No. 3 grain was common in the powder charge for ball guns during the mid to late 19th century.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I like a 1.5oz load over cards/fiber with a roll crimp......in a 3.25" hull sitting on top of 5 drams of Goex ffg.

And that is in my 3.50" step chambered gun......would have to say patterns are not very good.

An order to RMC has been on the wish list for the last couple of years. If I get the order dimensions right, patterns should go way up in percentages.......or I'm gunna have to get a cone reamer on top of that.

Best,
Mark

The last commercial loads, by Remington, were 1 3/4 ounces of shot and 5 1/2 drams equivalent in 3 3/4" roll crimped paper hulls. Eight gauge should probably be loaded with FG black. There would probably be litte harm in using FFG, but FG would be preferred.

Thanks all.

I talked to Republic MC and they do not load 8 ga but she did tell me who they use for suppliers. She said they use Shuetzen powder.

What material should I cut wads out of....? I can use an old shoe box but I don't mind buying a better material.

I would tend to agree with 8-Bore on the powder granulation. Powder burn rates are based upon load density & velocity, so for black powder shotshells this gives load density as almost the exclusive factor, unless some "Extreme" loads are used. Load density is the wt of charge to be moved in proportion to area (sq-in) of bore. Of all standard shotshell loads the 1-1 1/8oz 12ga & 1 1/8-1¼oz 10ga loads generally speaking have the lowest densities of any. FFFG in mild loads is very successful in these loads. If shot charges heavier than these are used FFG should normally be switched to & even FG if very heavy loads are used. Smaller ga's than 12 were mostly loaded to a higher density in order to obtain a better shot charge wt & also ga's larger than 10 were normally loaded to higher densities as these were generally loaded with large shot for an attemt at very long range use so very heavy charges were common.
The 5½ x 1 3/4 load 8-bore mentions for the 8ga would "In My Opinion" be about what I would consider as heavy as I would want to go with FFG & like him would probably prefer FG, for that or heavier.
It should in fairness however be noted that 10ga is the largest size shotgun I have ever had opportunity of firing with either Black or Smokeless.