I am a straight from the Alliant powder catalog loader. It seems all the 20 ga recipes are "high." Off the cuff they are 9500-11000. Any one have a recommendation in the 8k range? USING GREEN DOT OR 20/28 powders? I have generally unlimited hulls and will buy wads if needed.

Check your PM's

Ballistic Products, Precision Reloading....Google is your friend:)

Last recipe:
http://www.nssa-nsca.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/SSR/cerettos.pdf

Might be worth 20 bucks or so delivered to obtain the Advantages Manual from BP. I noted more than a handful of 20 ga. recipes under 8k. You would have to think about another powder, however.

Would someone on the board share with me what exactly constitutes low pressure for a 20 ga.? I'm loading for a friend that owns a 1920 something 20 ga. English s/s. I trim the hulls to 2.5" and use Hartin crimps with Ballistic Products loads that are in the 8-9k range. Not positive I'm doing it right, but beats hell out of the 2.75" promo loads he was using. As most likely know, 20 ga. factory loads o/t RST type tend to be hell for stout, 10-12K.

Steve

To the OP; you will need to change powders for really low pressure 20 ga. loads. Probably the best single powder for that purpose is IMR 800X. If you go to Hodgdon's website [they either own IMR or are the sloe distributors now], you will see virtually every 20ga. recipe w/800X meets the 'low pressure' criteria for 7/8 oz. loads using it.

I would recommend you stay with the 7/8oz. shot weight and if you want more 'thump' to use a larger sized shot/pellet. Also if you do a lot of surfing/reading on that powder you will find some remarks about it not metering well, in some loaders. Most all that kind of remark fails to make any mention of that last qualifier and had to do with some progressive loaders & how they were set up rather than there being anything specifically wrong w/the powder. There isn't. I have loaded quite a bit of it over the years using a single stage MEC and NEVER have had any issue doing so. I mention that only because I would not wish to see you discouraged when it will do exactly what you are wishing to do, perhaps better than any other powder presently available.

kind regards, tw

Appreciate all the help folks.

My standard 20 G target load, for a Parker Trojan, is the lightest published by Alliant Powder.

AA Hull 14.5 20/28 3/4 oz Shot. Clay Buster 1075-20 wad 7,200 lbs @ 1200 fps. Weighing # 8 shot thrown by my 3/4 oz bushing it's a bit lighter than 3/4 oz which should reduce pressure even more.

2nd 20 G load, for a Parker 20 G Hammer gun, Stock wood is suspect so I want less recoil and it's only used on Clay targets at modest range. All same except I go one powder bushing lighter. Weighs at 13.7 Grs. Recoil is lighter than the 14.5 load & performs well on clay targets. No sign of unburned powder residue.

Few side notes. If you are not sure about unburned powder run a patch through the fired bore. Safe place set the patch on fire. any unburned grains will Fizz, obvious it's unburned. No fizz you are burning all the powder. Cold weather to warm could make a difference working on the low edge of burn rate.

AA Hulls are shorter than Remington. I get them at 2 11/16 inch. They are fine in my chambers. Yours may be different, measure and be sure before you use hulls too long which will increase pressure.

Last 3/4 oz is plenty of shot for targets and probably the best way to reduce recoil and pressure , Most of the time I go to a twin of the Parker Trojan in 16 G when I want 7/8 oz. But in the 20 G Trojan Alliant's published 7/8 oz load using AA's and the CB 1078-20 @ 9980 lbs is a mild shooter.

Boats

I believe the pressure on the Gamebore low pressure 20ga loads is 7,657 PSI (I can no longer find my source for that)

There is at least one 1oz load at 7,700 PSI with longshot powder that can be found on the Hodgdon site.

I believe in general you should stick with 7/8 loads for most low pressure 20ga loads.

PS any 2 3/4 20ga data is good for 2 1/2 if it fits and most 7/8 loads do

I agree, and in addition, I think you should stay with 7/8 oz. loads in a 20 ga. 90% of the time, even when NOT low pressure.

SRH

What's your reason for 7/8 most of the time ?. 3/4 oz in the 20 patterns very well and breaks Clay targets just fine. Game loads another thing, they need larger shot and more of it.

Boats

I love the 3/4 oz loads if I'm shooting skeet with a sub-6# 20ga. If I'm hunting, then I want to shoot 7/8 oz. If I want to shoot 3/4 oz at birds, then I'll use the 28ga.

With the currency exchange rate being much more favorable again,
it would be nice if someone started importing Armusa shells again.
I believe that they still make some low pressure options.

B&P Competition One 20g 7/8 oz. is available from Aerostar
http://aerostaroutdoors.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/1_45

Pressure should be similar to the 24gm Legend 20g; 550 BAR = 7,981 transducer psi
http://carolans.com/R/bp-1/content/Speed-and-Pressure-Chart.pdf

I found this load on the Alliant site, please double check it to make sure I've got it right.

20 gauge Federal plastic hull
7/8 ounce of shot
CCI 209M primer
17.5 grains of Herco powder
20s1 Federal wad
pressure 7,600 psi
velocity 1200 fps
I think that is about as low as you can go.
Pete

cheddite hull
RXP wad
rem 209 primer
800x 17gr.
7/8oz
1200fps
6600psi

Double check as always

Any idea where to check? Hodgden does not list it.

I dunno. Two trips to Argentina and nearly 10,000 doves taken with it there and here, over the last 13 years, might have something to do with it. Also, getting into a shoot off for HOA in the 20 ga. event at a major sporting clays shoot. I probably don't know what I'm talking about, tho', since I have never shot a 3/4 oz. load in a 20 gauge gun in my life. And I honestly don't see myself ever doing so. If I can't handle the recoil of a 7/8 oz. load, I need to hang it up. BTW, I am NOT one of these "lighter guns are better" guys.

SRH

Builder,
That came from the 16ga UK site under the 20ga loads. They referenced a Lyman reloading manual.

Cheddite 2 3/4” 7/8 oz 800X Rem. 209P Rem RXP 20 17.0 6,600 1200 Lymans

Doverham shows the same load in this thread:
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=429873


Hope this helps!
Bill

It does. Thanks Bill.

I see your point.

On the Parker Clubs site is a copy of Recomended loads for 20 G Hammer Guns published when my gun was built. Both 3/4 and 7/8 are listed with the advice use appropriate loads for the intended game.

Not planning to use a 125 year old gun for high volume dove shooting 3/4 is appropriate. The 1923 Vintage Trojan I use either 3/4 or 7/8 but rarely hunt with it easier to run 3/4 oz in both guns. It's not the pressure or effect on the shooter , it's the recoil on 100 year old wood that's important.

Modern 20 g I use 7/8 oz loads that suit the gun and game.

Boats

Point taken, Boats. Three-fourths ounce is probably plenty for the clay birds that are usually set for a 20 ga. event at a sporting clays shoot. Seldom is there a presentation over 30 yards at those. I agree that recoil is important on some of these vintage guns.

My apology if I sounded dogmatic. I admit I shoot clays to win, not to hear a gun go bang. And, I shoot game to kill as high a ratio of shots to bag, with the gun at hand, as possible. I tend to use equipment that facilitates that as best I can. I need to be more understanding of those who have other, equally important, objectives.

All my best, SRH

Stan no offense taken, different perspective is always useful. Honest most of my shotgun shooting is Clays or Dog training with planted birds which is quite different from real hunting.

Boats.

Not to beat a dead horse but

One of the reasons Vintage SxS shooters get away with light shot loads is tight chokes. My 20 G Trojan is very tight and delivers good pellet density with light loads to 30 yards, dense patterns not wide patterns. If it was more open would need to go to either more shot or smaller pellet size to get adequate density for clay targets.

Real test is on the pattern board, let the gun tell you what it needs.

Boats