doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 2 1/2" reloads-pressure/velocity testing-12 GA

I've been wanting to start reloading cut down Remington STS hulls for my 2 1/2" guns and have come up with a load that I need tested for pressure and velocity because I made a wad substitution.

My "standard" 2 3/4" load for several years has been:

Remington STS hull
7/8 oz. shot
18 grains of American Select
Remington 209P primer
Winchester WAA12L (Gray) wad
1,200 FPS
5,800 PSI
Data from Alliant Powder

I tried cutting down hulls to 2 1/2" with no component substitution and then roll crimping to save space. The load was too long and I didn't have enough room left for a secure roll crimp.

So I bought "Short Shell" wads from Ballistic Products (item #072SSW) which are a full 1/4" shorter than the Winchester Gray wads. I also got brochures with reload data but none of it used components that I normally have on hand. I like to keep this as simple as possible and buy /store as few compnents as possible.

I loaded the hulls with the above recipe with just the substitution of the wad and got nice clean fold crimps. There seems to be plenty of room for 1 oz. of shot also. After reading all the trials others have been through looking for 2 1/2" loads could it be as easy as a wad substitution?

My problem now is I can't use this load until I know the pressure it will develop. Does anyone know who could test this load at a price that won't make it easier to just go buy RST's at $100 a flat?

I've used the receipes from the different powder manufactures for low pressure low velocity reloads that were for 2 3/4" hulls but cut down to 2 1/2" and roll crimped.
I don't understand why you stated that the shell wasn't long enough and that you went to another wad. Now you might not be iln the low pressure range anymore.

A 6 or 8 crimp shell is the same length as a 2 1/2" roll crimp, the internals are the same height but it takes almost 1/4" of shell to form either a 6 or 8 fold crimp, whereas the roll crimp only uses enough to hold the over shot card.

Handweigh some loads and pick 3 that appear perfect. Package them with a letter describing the recipe in detail, include a check for $15 and ship them UPS to

Tom Armbrust
1108 West May Ave.
McHenry, IL. 60050-8918
Phone 815-385-0037

Include your phone number in case Tom wants to contact you prior to testing. If you'd like a quasi-meaningful standard deviation, make it 5 rounds and $25. You'll receive a report including 4-foot instrumental velocity and pressure, and you'll be one of the few kids on the block who actually knows what his reload is doing.

That advise is hard to beat, if you realy want to know what is going on pressure wise..
franc

Thanks Mike, I'll send him five rounds. I won't shoot anything that I am unsure of as far as pressure. I'll report back if it turns out to be a useful load.

If that is a published load I would shoot it in any of my 2 1/2 or 2 3/4 guns as it is. My practice load is similar in pressure but loaded with PB powder and I shoot it in every 12ga I own except my 11-87 which it won't cycle.