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Reloading question for all you experts

3K views 22 replies 8 participants last post by  Dark Horse 
#1 ·
I'm wanting to use some Remington Nitro hulls with a Remington RXP-12 wad, 1 1/8oz #8 shot, W209 primer and Green Dot powder. That is a published load by Alliant with 22 grains making aprox. 9,400psi and 1250fps. If i went with say 20 grains Green Dot how would it affect the load? I'm certainly not worried about the psi as it would lower and 9,400 is not bad anyway. Would this load still perform well or would 2 grains make that damn much difference? I'm wanting to use these RXP wads i have for say a mellow handicap load. I could easily load the 22 grains but i just don't need that much speed or psi.

I normally load 19 grains Green Dot, STS/Nitro hull, W209 primer, 1 1/8oz #8 shot and Fig 8 wad and use for everything. Its advertised at 1145fps and 8,100psi.

Any input fellas/ladies?--Matt
 
#11 ·
Ed---I'm no expert but you want to start with a tried and tested load first. Then you can explore the possibilities of substituting components. That load your talking about is steering way too far off the published load. I simply dropped (2) grains. Thats why i asked first because i honestly had no idea if it was a smart thing to do.---Matt
 
#12 ·
I've checked the Alliant website and I don't see anything about using AA wads in Remington hulls, but I've been doing that forever. Prior to the introduction of the Federal 209-A, I used to use the regular Federal 209 in AAs all the time. Now, most recipes don't suggest mixing name brand wads or primers, only clones and aftermarket brands.

Ed Yanchok
 
#13 ·
That is almost exactly my favorite load.

My loader drops and average of 19.8 and with that RXP wad and Remington STS primers. Broke a 98 from the 25yd. Handicap at the Grand last year and 97 from the 26.5 yd. a month ago using Gun Club hulls.

I just dont know what I'm going to do after running out of the RXP wad
 
#14 ·
Dark Horse---What do you mean run out? Can't you go buy more? Did they stop making them?

I loaded a 100 of them last night and shot them today in practice. Very smooth shooting and shot a 96 with them from the 20. I'm happy and believe i'll load some up for competition. Thanks for all the input and advice everyone.---Matt
 
#15 ·
Remington's web site still list them. Just finding them at some reasonable price is my problem.

The place where I get all my components is no longer stocking them.

I bought every last one they had at a discount because they had them so long. They just wanted the wads out of there.

If I had to special order them the cost would probably be close to $22-25 per thousand range when you include shipping charges. That makes them almost cost prohibitive. $110 to $125 a case is no longer in my price range

Mark
 
#16 ·
Mark---I understand completely. I was just curious as you sounded as if they were discontinued or something. I have a couple 1000 and was just trying to find a useful load for me to use them up. I have a pretty good source here in So. IL but i really don't use them anymore. Now if it turns out i really fall in love with this new load, that will change real quick. Good luck, maybe you'll find a new source.---Matt
 
#18 ·
Quack Shot---Alliants site shows 20gr Green Dot with a Fig 8 at 1200fps. I'm certainly not gonna argue with your chrono though. I may load some of them as well and try them out. Shooting Jack-said the RXP 12 with 20gr Green Dot showed 1215 thru his. Sounds as if they arevery similar loads. Thanks for your help. I'm certainly not beyond expereminting with new loads.---Matt
 
#19 ·
I really like the RXP wad. I just checked Recob's and they want $115.69 a 5000 case plus I guesstimated about $12-13 a case shipping that puts them at $128-130 range.

I can buy Claybusters all day long for $40-45 a case less and that includes our Sales Tax.

I'm already paying a premium price for primers using Remington STS as I do. The Remington goes through my P-W with absolutely no problems with jamming where other primer brands, especially the foreign primers will jam on a regular basis. So I buy the most expensive primers out there.

I also like using a full 1 1/8 oz of Remington Shot. From what I read from Neil Winston's post, that he believes Remington to be one of the hardest shot out there.

Why do I use a full 1 1/8 of shot? I have heard a quote attributed to everyone from Arnold Riegger to Leo Harrison, "Because they won't let me use 1 1/4 oz", and I want as many soldiers down field as I can get. How I hate hearing the excuse, "I'm only using an ounce of shot"

Let's see, I use Remington shot and a Remington primer with a Remington RXP wad, in a Remington hull, using Green Dot powder. Does it look like I am trying to duplicate a Remington Factory shell? .......YES!

But I truly believe that I can produce a reload being more consistent than factory.

I have been disapointed with the speed consistency of any brand, of new factory shells. I think the expert, Neil will agree with me on this point. He probably has used his chronograph on more new shells than anybody I can think of.
 
#20 ·
Matt,

There are some differences between the chronograph setups that the factory uses, vs what the average reloader will use. There are many variables, including the chokes used. Mine is a "light" type screen set with diffusers. I use the most open choke I can find for a particular barrel. If I were to compare factory shells to mine, they are close to what the factory 3 dram 1 1/8 oz shot loads would do. Most "hobbyist" chronographs would read a little higher than the type the factory uses. As long as they are consistent, they give a valuable piece of data for the reloader. Neil Winston had written some valuable information on chronographs.There was a link in one of his posts, which I cannot seem to locate at the moment. I also use two chronographs in series, in order to validate the data I receive, if I am doing something other than just a casual check. A search should bring the threads up.

In other words, the load I described is a solid replacement for a factory 1200 fps load, if indeed the factory load is 1200 fps. Many may not be what they are advertised to be.
 
#21 ·
Mark---i think your just gonna have to buck up and pay the extra $$$ to keep loading your favorite load. Even you said you pay more for the best. Persoanlly i use alot of DownRange Wads and find them as good or better than the more expensive Remington Fig 8 and a hell of alot cheaper. I've used ClayBuster wads before as well but i get alot more plastic build up in my chokes from them. JMO

Quack Shot--Thanks for clearing up the difference in what the advertised loads are and reality. I suspect you would have to replicate the exact testing equipment used to match any advertised ballistic numbers. Thanks again for your help.

Matt
 
#22 ·
Matt

All you would need is access to a chronograph with induction screens. They work by sensing the "mass" of the shot going past instead of triggering by the first piece of the shot column tripping the switch. A Full choke would likely be a better choice for those types of screens. Generally, there is a slightly higher reading obtained by the light screens than the induction type, but I have only been able to test that theory one time when I had an inductive setup available to me.

Duplicating the exact setup the factory used is not needed. Just to be able to get a consistent reading for comparison is good enough for most purposes.

I have shot a lot of factory shells over my light screens and have a good idea of where they are, velocity wise. I judge the velocity of my reloads based on the comparison to the measured velocities of the factory shells. Factory shells do not always give the velocities that you would expect. I've had them vary quite a bit from what was advertised. Using two chronographs at the same time gives some validity to the consistency of your measuring equipment.
 
#23 ·
Grntitan-Matt---You are exactly right about "buck up and pay" to load my favorite. But if I didn't bitch a little, I woudn't be a practicing trapshooter.

I've used the DownRange wads in the past and liked them. Again I don't have ready local availability to them. Yes, I can have UPS deliver, but it is easier me to justify gasoline expenditures because gasoline expenditures all gets lumped into the same heap. I just hate to see those shipping charges, even though in reality, I am spending exactly the same amount in gasoline. It's a mental thing.

Quack,-- I'm really not a fanatic about using the exact factory recipe to produce a very acceptable load. But I HAVE found that some are more acceptable than others. As crazy as it is, it is hard to shoot a shell that I don't have confidence in, even though it may be, in most every respect, the equal of any other. It's a mental thing. That again goes right along with being a crazy trapshooter.

Mark
 
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