[5Shot]

Can the loads found in the Lyman Handbook be reduced to provide less pressure/recoil?

I was specifically looking at one of the loads using Unique, since it is running at 11K PSI and I would prefer it to be closer to 10K.

Thanks,

5Shot

 

[12GA guy]

I have not used Unique powder specifically, but I have reduced powder loads with other brands of powder. They dropped in velocity of course but still shot well from the 16 yard. They were too slow for good breaks in handicaps though.

I wouldn't do it with centrefire reloading as underloads can actually cause "more" pressure.

 

[5Shot]

The load in question is for a Sabot Slug that I plan to use for tactical training, so it doesn't need to be super accurate, and I would prefer something a little softer shooting anyway.

Thanks for the reply.

5Shot

 

[waverider]

The answer is yes. However if you do not have pressure testing equipment you will not know when you will have acheived 10K psi.

If you are concerned specificly about recoil, pressure is not in the equation for calculating actual recoil, velocity is.

The major problem if at all is problems with the crimp.

 

[Case]

The reason pressure can rise to dangerous levels when charges are reduced too much is analogous to someone trying to push a boulder too large for his size and strength.

He huffs and puffs and busts a gut and the boulder barely budges.

Exactly the same effect can occur in metallic cartridges with a heavy bullet and a heavy crimp.

I'm not sure if this would occur with a slug in a shotshell, but I'd nevertheless be very cautious about reducing a published load by much.

 

[12GA guy]

The reason pressure can rise to dangerous levels when charges are reduced too much is analogous to someone trying to push a boulder too large for his size and strength. He huffs and puffs and busts a gut and the boulder barely budges..

Good anology Case! That is exactly the problem with reduced loads in centrefire loading.

 

[Thomas Krupinski]

Can the loads found in the Lyman Handbook be reduced to provide less pressure/recoil?

I was specifically looking at one of the loads using Unique, since it is running at 11K PSI and I would prefer it to be closer to 10K.

Thanks,

5Shot

Alliant has a pretty good technical support section. If you ask them the question with the actual recipes you intend to use they will give you a pretty good idea on expected results and safety concerns. They often have information that is not published as there is not a precieved demand for that information or it is potentially unsafe.

Check their website for e-mail address, telephone and contact information. Calling them would probably give you the most productive information.

 

[5Shot]

Thanks guys -

5Shot

 

[Ulysses]

The reason pressure can rise to dangerous levels when charges are reduced too much is analogous to someone trying to push a boulder too large for his size and strength.

He huffs and puffs and busts a gut and the boulder barely budges.

Exactly the same effect can occur in metallic cartridges with a heavy bullet and a heavy crimp.

I'm not sure if this would occur with a slug in a shotshell, but I'd nevertheless be very cautious about reducing a published load by much.

Having a heavy bullet with a heavy crimp in a metallic cartridge is not at all like an underload in a shotshell. In the former, you actually have a sort of obstruction in the bore (even though the bullet is technically not in the barrel yet). The added resistance of the heavy crimped bullet in addition to the already sizeable inertia that must be overcome to get the bullet moving makes for a dangerous situation....... although there is considerable doubt as to how much danger there would be from an underload.

In shotgun shells, an underload is simply going to be a "blooper". The most dangerous thing about this is NOT in firing the blooper. The DANGER is in firing the next shell if the blooper left a wad stuck in the barrel, which it often does. The obstruction (wad) in the bore is often enough to cause the barrel to blow up. So anytime you fire a shell which doesn't seem to have the usual noise or recoil, ALWAYS stop and check the bore before firing another round through it. :shock:

 

[5Shot]

Thanks Ulysses -

I figured that since there were target loads in the 6K range that I couldn't go too wrong dropping the listed load by a little bit (about 10%) to stay below 11K.

5Shot

 

[mgrace]

I myself would have no problem reducing the load some, I would first compare it to other regular shot loads using the same powder and decide from there. (This is something I feel safe doing, I am not recommending it to anyone else.)

I have made roundball and buckshot loads just by using regular shot data and and round balls or buckshot instead of regular small shot. (This is something I feel safe doing, I am not recommending it to anyone else.)

You didn't say what gauge you were asking about, but I assume it's 12ga if it is I know there are loads listed for 1 1/8oz shot using Unique at around 1200 to 1250 fps and they use a lot less powder then the 1 oz slug loads that were listed, so I would have no problem using that data in place of the larger charge. (This is something I feel safe doing, I am not recommending it to anyone else.)

But in the end your the one shooting them so you have to be the one to decide what you think is safe and what is not.

Michael Grace