I read where some claim that 410 loads at 1200 fps have a "hot core". Too hot according to them. But 410 loads at 1300 fps do not have this hot core.

Well maybe. But I'd like to see the numbers. Can somebody please provide pellet counts that indicate there is such a "hot core"?

No, I can not provide numbers, but I did look at my patterns on a board. With my load and my gun 1300 fps works best.

Steve

I don’t know either. I have heard that the Pro’s all shoot 1300 or above. You would figure they would know what they are doing. On the other hand I have been shooting my 1200 FPS hand loads for about 50 years. They work fine. I ain’t changin’. I would never dare patterning them. I like what I have and don’t want the facts to get in the way.

Regardless of the listed velocity I think all 410 target ammo is 1300 fps in order to cycle semi auto actions like the 1100 rem. I am told the 1300 spreads the pattern more evenly at skeet distances. The AA410 @1200 is actual the same velocity as their AASC410 @ 1300 fps same for STS 410 ammo.

I know the AASC410-#8.5 and my hand loads will break a rabbit out to 35 yards and #9 shot will smash them at 25 yards! I use #9 290 pellets for skeet and #8.5 with 242 pellets for Sporting clays'.

I also don't pattern and my 1300fps 410 loads work quite well. I shoot a Dickinson SxS with three marks on each barrel and I THINK it means a Mod choke.

I too am curious how the "hot core" information was generated. I've had good scores using 225 gr West Coast #9, 16.3 gr 296/H110, Win 209, and Clay Buster wads in the AAHS hulls. I believe this load is listed at 1250 fps. When I first got my Citori, I patterned it just to confirm POI for each barrel. While I did not do a thorough pattern study, I didn't notice anything that I'd call a "hot core". -Ed

I have been shooting AAHS reloads at 1260 fps for a few years now (15.4g, 296, #9). I recently had a few boxes of Rem Clay and Field #9 (1275 fps on the box) fall into my pouch; I REALLY liked the breaks so I chrono'd a few of them. They were up around 1325 in my 30" tubes. So I loaded a few AAHS with 16.4g of W296 and W209 primers and they were all around 1300, give or take a few fps. I loaded 2 boxes and will give them a try as soon as tonight's snow here in central VA lets me get out on the skeet field.

geo

Hodgdon, 15.3 = 1200 fps



Hodgdon, 16.3 = 1250 fps

Before the AA410hs were available and we were loading AA410cf, 1200 fps was a fast as you could get. How did we survive with all those "hot cores"?

I own two Model 1100 Tournament Skeet guns that have no difficulty cycling AACF hulls loaded to 1200 FPS or even 1150. In fact, it kicks to hulls out 8-10 feet.

I can read what Hodgdon says, but I can also read a chrono... two, actually.

geo

Who do you trust? A professional ballistics lab or a hobby chronographer?

I'm not sure why you think 1200 fps is all you can get out of an AAcf hull. Mine are a good bit over that.

It's also possible that Hodgdon's test barrel was shorter than the 30.5" tubes that I am using to develop that velocity.

geo

The ammo manufactures have been printing inaccurate information on their ammo boxes for years. All the quality 410 skeet loads are 1300 fps. My experience has been that the quality 20 and 28 ga loads will measure faster than 1200 fps.

My "hobby" chronograph showed 1400 fps for the 16.4 gr load. Definitely spread the pattern more evenly than the slower loads in my SP1.

Chrono really need needed, just look at the Patten, and it will tell you if the speed needs to be increase or decreased to clean up the pattern.

Hence in international skeet, you can load fast enough for the blast behind the wad as it leaving the barrel, that it will blow the hell out of the Patten before it even reaches the board. So porting of these guns helps to not only reduce the recoil, but to vent some of the pressure out of the ports before it leaves the muzzle behind the wad.
Note, we are talking 1350 to 1450fps loads at 24grs here,and it not like you are going to get a 1-1/8oz skeet load up to these speeds (or would every want to in the first place, since the recoil would be brutal).

Talked to Hodgdons rep at world skeet shoot a few years ago about 410 vel. He said the test barrels were short (think he said 22"). And if I was loading a book 1250fy/sec load for a 30" barrel I was probably getting closer to 1300.