12ga slug full diameter sabot style slug

[Firebricker]

I've been following a lot of the slug thread and had a thought on a new design. Forgive me if this has been brought up or seen before but I'm thinking of a slug very similar to the Lyman sabot slug except full diameter at the top and bottom to act as driving bands to be used without a shotcup.

My thought is the longer design will be more stable than the shorter full diameter designs. This design used with op wad or regular shotcup wad with the petals cut off and cork or nitro cards to make height. I would some input if there is any interest in this. FB

[jmort]

I agree, but i would like to use #2 alloy and wonder if .730" would be best. Also, would like weight around 800 grains +/-

[littlejack]

Firebricker:
I was planning on buying a Lee blank mould, to cut a cavity in for a longer boolit that had a better BC. I was going of stay with the sabot/wad design and the same diameter of the Lyman, but no waist as the Lyman, and having a round flat nose.
I would be interested in a groove diameter boolit, with grease grooves, of proper length to diameter ratio. The base could be hollow or not.
The weight would be proportionately more than the Lyman Sabot Slug, as may be the length. The length would have to be considered carefully, as to not be too long to stabilize in the slow rifling of the rifled barrels, i.e. 12 guage, 1 in 34", 1 in 26" for the 20 guage.
Jack

[longbow]

If you want a dual purpose slug suitable for smoothbore and rifled guns then hollow base or attached wad design for shuttlecock effect is required but if for rifled gun only my suggestion is solid slug or at least VERY THICK skirt.

I have shot hundreds of slugs of varying makes, styles and shapes from my smoothbores and almost every hollow base design collapses to some degree in the bore at firing. The only exceptions I have found were some thick skirted slugs I made from a home made mould then heat treated the slugs.

If the collapse is consistent all the time then accuracy should be okay but why allow it? A solid slug simply engraves and is on its way.

If you are bent on hollow base then you should search the "Casting for Shotguns" forum. Two people in particular have lots of good posts with good info: turbo1889 and VDOmemorie. There is lots to learn from them if you haven't already read their posts. Turbo has had several custom moulds made and I recall a post about a couple of full bore hollow base slugs.

In a rifled barrel, you don't need length for stability (as long as you have reasonable bearing length) and it seems to me that I have read posts (turbo1889?) commenting on the 20 ga. Lyman slug being longer in proportion than the 12 ga. and not being as accurate.

Accurate Molds has several solid slug designs in their catalogue:

http://www.accuratemolds.com/catalog.php?page=10

Longbow

[littlejack]

longbow:
Thanks for the information.
I was looking at the Accurate Mould line-up a couple of days ago. There are a couple of designs that favor the paradox slug design.
The 73-850 would suit me just fine to play with.
Do you know what the prices are for his moulds?
Firebricker, have you looked at the Accurate Moulds available?
Jack

[Firebricker]

The hollow base is not important to me at all I'm just thinking the general shape of the Lyman. I like the idea of having a slug that fits right from the start. Definitely looking for a rifled barrel design. I appreciate the input on the hollow base collapsing I had not considered that. FB

[littlejack]

So you are looking for a weight of just a little more than the standard Lyman Sabot Slug correct? Maybe 575 grain with the hollow base, and pobably close to 700 grains +/- with a solid base.

[longbow]

Do a search for Goodsteel and his wad slug. He shows a recovered slug that has collapsed considerably in the skirt and he made his with a pretty thick skirt. It was based on the Lyman design.

I haven't shot any Lyman sabot slugs but I have recovered some other people have shot when I mine the berm. They show collapsed skirt as do the Lee Drive Key slugs and factory Fosters.

I tried a variety of hollow based and finned slug styles and the only way I beat skirt distortion was thick skirt and oven heat treating the slugs. The Dixie Tusker has a very thick and fairly shallow skirt and they are HARD!

If the slug is a more traditional style Foster and full bore then the skirt can only shorten up a bit if the alloy yields because the barrel keeps it from distorting unevenly. The pellet style skirt can distort fairly badly. I know lots of people like them and have success, I am just pointing out a potential problem.

littlejack: According to the Accurate Mold catalogue it looks like a single cavity brass mould would run $93.00. I only have one Accurate mould currently in .44 cal. 3 cavity and it is a gem. A friend bought a .45 mould from Accurate as well and it is also a gem.

Longbow

[littlejack]

Thank you very much for the information.
Thats not a real bad price.