I am no expert at loading shotgun shells. The loads I have worked up I have used in my own guns. They may not be safe in yours. You are on your own here. This information is shared solely for educational and informational purposes. NEVER take anyone's loading data at face value. Work up your own loads in your gun carefully.
Some years ago I was looking around for a shotgun slug load that would do a little more than the standard factory slugs. In those days there was not the availability such as now. You basically had your choice between a Brenneke or a Foster slug. I knew old-timers had used round balls and that intrigued me, so I started looking around.
I found a round ball mold in Dixie Gun Works catalog that
threw a .720" diameter ball. I figured this would be about right
and ordered it. When I got it I cast the balls out of
wheelweights. They weighed in at about 540 gr. and were a sight to
behold!
These are not for use in choked guns. A
hardcast ball might be kind of tough on the thin end of a choked shotgun
barrel. The ball load is for OPEN BORE'S only!
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I worked up some loads and tested them, then settled on the Unique load that I still use.
I have never had one stop in a car body... though I have only shot 3 cars with this load and that is not a real good test statistically. Shooting targets nailed to an 8" pine tree at 50 yards, the balls completely penetrated the tree and split the trunk up and down quite a ways.
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A few weeks ago a neighbor came by and dropped off some slugs he cast. Made of wheelweights, these hollow-based beauties had a real flat nose. I loaded them with the same powder charge that I use with the ball. I had to use a different wad, since the overall length was different. This allows the overall length of the shell and the crimps to be identical.
Shooting them I found that some will turn sideways, and that the accuracy was not up to the standard of the ball load. However, these would be devastating short-range loads. And out of a rifled barrel I imaging these would be quite accurate. Of course, rifling would help either load.
These are not long range loads. A flat slug loses lots of velocity quickly. So does a round ball. I have shot the ball loads at 100, 200 and 300 yards. They do well to 100 yards. By 300 they have lost a lot of steam and drop quite rapidly. Accuracy was surprising at 100 yards.
Recoil is pretty stout in the light gun with either load.
 Left- .720" diameter ball Right - flatnose slug |
 Top - Hornady Versalite Wad used with Round Ball Bottom - Winchester AA Was used with slug |
TWO SHOTGUN LOADS
Load One:
Winchester AA hullsWinchester 209 primers
Winchester AA wads
Unique powder
510 gr. flat-nosed hollow-base slug cast from wheelweights
I load the flat-nosed slug over 28 gr. of Unique. This load using the above components produces 1130 fps from my 18 1/2" barrel shotgun.
Accuracy is on the order of 5" at 25 yards. Not all of the slugs shoot point-on..some of the slugs turn sideways at 25 yards. This would be very devastating to anything hit with it, though it does reduce accuracy somewhat. I am sure the slugs would shoot much more accurately from a Paradox barrel.
The slug loads inside the AA
wad.
