[timb99]

I've been working from home almost all of the last week, and while it's nice to be at home, it's hard to stay focused. My wife wants to chat from time to time, which isn't so bad, unless I'm trying to concentrate on something work related.

Oh well, I believe this shall pass soon enough, but I hope it's before the Grand. And I hope the stock market free fall rebounds so I can retire one of these days...

Doing my part to maintain that social distancing, I stayed at home and assembled the Oehler System 84, which takes about 2 hours since my current house just doesn't have room for it as-assembled. Moving soon and I'll be having a small shed built at the new house that will be the new home for the test rig, so assembling and disassembling every time I use it may become a non-issue soon.

Anyway, I've been toying with my handicap reload, and with my Hornady 1-1/8 ounce bushing, honing it out so it gives me a little more shot, though not so much that it'll get me DQ'd if someone calls me on it. I honed it out so it is dropping right at 1.145 ounces consistently.

I loaded up some of my handicap reloads, but I wanted to see if the added weight caused the pressure to go high, before I loaded up a bunch of them.

Turns out, it's a winner of a load!

• Remington Hulls
• Winchester 209 Primers
• Downrange DRRT12 Wads
• 1.145 ounces of shot
• 18.6 grains of Hodgdon Titegroup

Average 1205 fps and 10100 psi

DISCLAIMER: This load is NOT in Hodgdon's data tables so use it at your own risk!!!

The second load is another one I have been toying with. And another one that is not in Hodgdon's data tables. So again, same disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER: This load is NOT in Hodgdon's data tables so use it at your own risk!!!

It uses IMR Green, which I understand is being discontinued, so I will load this until I run out of that powder keg.

For this load I used my MEC 9000H and honed out the 1-1/8 ounce charge bar to throw a similar weight to the Hornady bushing (above.)

It is surprisingly similar to the Titegroup load. I threw out the first shot. It just didn't seem to fit in with the rest of them.

• Remington Hulls
• Winchester 209 Primers
• Remington Figure 8 Wads
• 1.145 ounces of shot
• 19.3 grains of IMR Green

Average 1193 fps and 9900 psi

Like I said, a lot like the Titegroup load:

Finally a load I had tried using a while back when I was using reclaimed shot. I always thought it had a little more recoil than it should, and now I know why. I made these before I honed out the charge bar, so they are likely a little less than 1-1/8 ounces, but should be pretty close.

• Remington Hulls
• Winchester 209 Primers
• Remington Figure 8 Wads
• 1.125 ounces of shot
• 17.5 grains of Hodgdon Clays

By the Hodgdon data tables, this should be 1145 fps and 9700 psi. It's a little faster than that.

Average 1202 fps and 9900 psi

Amazingly similar to the other two:

For the good of the sport!!!

 

[renfrow25]

Thanks for listing the results! I use a similar Titegroup load....although with 1.125 oz.

 

[mg1polo]

Thanks for listing the results! I use a similar Titegroup load....although with 1.125 oz.

Tim's loads are 1 1/8th oz.
1.125 is 1 1/8th.
MG

 

[renfrow25]

Tim's loads are 1 1/8th oz.
1.125 is 1 1/8th.
MG

1.145 is not however....Thanks

 

[Broncofan]

Tim,
Can you explain 1.145? Isn’t the rule 1.125?

 

[timb99]

ATA (on the basis of SAAMI Standards) allows up to 3% over 1-1/8.

Page 49 of the online 2020 Rule Book:

"Shot charges are maximum and no charge may exceed the charge amount by more than 3%."

3% over 1.125 is 1.15875 ounces

If you cut apart a bunch of factory-made shells and weigh the shot in them (and I have), you will find that the cheap shells are almost always less than what is stated on the box. And you will almost always find the premium shells, like AA's, STS's, Nitros, Federal GM's, etc. are over 1.125. Sometimes even over the 3% limit!

 

[timb99]

Keep in mind your reloader's shot bushing throws a volume of shot. That volume is usually based on chilled shot, so when you use magnum shot, which is less dense, the shot weight will be less.

Same pellet quantity, but slightly less weight.

My shot bushings always threw less than 1.125 ounces with magnum shot until I honed them out.

 

[Shooter5878]

ATA (on the basis of SAAMI Standards) allows up to 3% over 1-1/8.

Page 49 of the online 2020 Rule Book:

"Shot charges are maximum and no charge may exceed the charge amount by more than 3%."

3% over 1.125 is 1.15875 ounces

If you cut apart a bunch of factory-made shells and weight the shot in them (and I have), you will find that the cheap shells are almost always less than what is stated on the box. And you will almost always find the premium shells, like AA's, STS's, Nitros, Federal GM's, etc. are over 1.125. Sometimes even over the 3% limit!

Interesting. Pardon the ignorance, but if a factory premium load is over, I’m assuming the ATA will still fault the shooter if it were tested?


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[Broncofan]

Thanks for the clarification. I have read the rule book a few times but I don’t have it memorized.

 

[timb99]

Interesting. Pardon the ignorance, but if a factory premium load is over, I’m assuming the ATA will still fault the shooter if it were tested?

I think they have no choice, given the wording of the rule book. Although, few people will challenge someone using factory ammo.

In ISSF competitions, each competitor's shells are tested (maybe just the top 6 finishers who go to the finals?) I recall a case a few years ago where a shooter finished 3rd and then got DQ'd because their shot charge exceeded the rule limit. Factory ammo.

 

[Shooter5878]

I recall a case a few years ago where a shooter finished 3rd and then got DQ'd because their shot charge exceeded the rule limit. Factory ammo.

Ouch! That would be a tough one to take.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[timb99]

Ouch! That would be a tough one to take.

Yeah, here it is. Russian shooter Elena Tkach was DQ'd:

Nakayama wins gold at women's trap, Japan and Chinese Taipei win quotas

 

[benny r. lawrence]

Thanks for the work and info sir , it's been a long week.

 

[machine121]

As usual, outstanding analysis and info

 

[George MT.]

I think they have no choice, given the wording of the rule book. Although, few people will challenge someone using factory ammo.

In ISSF competitions, each competitor's shells are tested (maybe just the top 6 finishers who go to the finals?) I recall a case a few years ago where a shooter finished 3rd and then got DQ'd because their shot charge exceeded the rule limit. Factory ammo.

I remember a couple years ago or less there was a thread here in ref. to a particular lot of shells at a International competition in India (qualifier of some sort) was all over spec. and the shooters who used it were DQ'd

 

[pheasantmaster]

I've been working form home almost all of the last week, and while it's nice to be at home, it's hard to stay focused. My wife wants to chat from time to time, which isn't so bad, unless I'm trying to concentrate on something work related.

Oh well, I believe this shall pass soon enough, but I hope it's before the Grand. And I hope the stock market free fall rebounds so I can retire one of these days...

Doing my part to maintain that social distancing, I stayed at home and assembled the Oehler System 84, which takes about 2 hours since my current house just doesn't have room for it as-assembled. Moving soon and I'll be having a small shed built at the new house that will be the new home for the test rig, so assembling and disassembling every time I use it may become a non-issue soon.

Anyway, I've been toying with my handicap reload, and with my Hornady 1-1/8 ounce bushing, honing it out so it gives me a little more shot, though not so much that it'll get me DQ'd if someone calls me on it. I honed it out so it is dropping right at 1.145 ounces consistently.

I loaded up some of my handicap reloads, but I wanted to see if the added weight caused the pressure to go high, before I loaded up a bunch of them.

Turns out, it's a winner of a load!

• Remington Hulls
• Winchester 209 Primers
• Downrange DRRT12 Wads
• 1.145 ounces of shot
• 18.6 grains of Hodgdon Titegroup

Average 1205 fps and 10100 psi

DISCLAIMER: This load is NOT in Hodgdon's data tables so use it at your own risk!!!

View attachment 1664615


The second load is another one I have been toying with. And another one that is not in Hodgdon's data tables. So again, same disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER: This load is NOT in Hodgdon's data tables so use it at your own risk!!!

It uses IMR Green, which I understand is being discontinued, so I will load this until I run out of that powder keg.

For this load I used my MEC 9000H and honed out the 1-1/8 ounce charge bar to throw a similar weight to the Hornady bushing (above.)

It is surprisingly similar to the Titegroup load. I threw out the first shot. It just didn't seem to fit in with the rest of them.

• Remington Hulls
• Winchester 209 Primers
• Remington Figure 8 Wads
• 1.145 ounces of shot
• 19.3 grains of IMR Green

Average 1193 fps and 9900 psi

Like I said, a lot like the Titegroup load:

View attachment 1664617

Finally a load I had tried using a while back when I was using reclaimed shot. I always thought it had a little more recoil than it should, and now I know why. I made these before I honed out the charge bar, so they are likely a little less than 1-1/8 ounces, but should be pretty close.

• Remington Hulls
• Winchester 209 Primers
• Remington Figure 8 Wads
• 1.125 ounces of shot
• 17.5 grains of Hodgdon Clays

By the Hodgdon data tables, this should be 1145 fps and 9700 psi. It's a little faster than that.

Average 1202 fps and 9900 psi

Amazingly similar to the other two:

View attachment 1664621

For the good of the sport!!!

And now you've given me a new handicap load to play with after all these years.

I like what I see.

 

[Border Bandit]

Good job Tim. You have proven, once again, that the Dremmel tool is your friend. My PW bushings are a sight, but they throw great charges.

 

[mg1polo]

Tim,
Can you explain 1.145? Isn’t the rule 1.125?

100% correct, you have a difference of
.020gr or 12 - #7 1/2 pellets.
This will not change anything other than, 12 more pellets having a chance to break your target. I've been dropping 1.150 for years after dismantling factory premium shells and realizing that is exactly what they were doing.
MG

 

[SDV]

Tim,
No doubt most of us older trapshooters are staying home during the Covid-19 crisis so if your a reloader there's plenty of time to do so.
I'd like to ask what's your current testing and recommendations regarding 7/8 and 1 oz. practice loads.
Thank you for sharing your analysis and time in posting the results of your testing.

 

[timb99]

Good job Tim. You have proven, once again, that the Dremel tool is your friend. My PW bushings are a sight, but they throw great charges.

That's exactly what I did. It's a handy tool!