[Pull-it!]

Does anybody have any pics of your patterns testing loads of reclaimed shot vs. new shot? I am wanting to go test some trap loads to see what kind of patterns my reclaimed shot is throwing for 16 yd targets.

 

[timb99]

I think the latest Trapshooting USA magazine had a few pattern pics for reclaimed shot.

 

[cunninmp]

Trapshooting USA did have a great article on reclaimed versus new shot.
Don't have it right in front of me, but their testing showed that the best
reclaimed patterns occurred at the lower velocities. Around 1150 fps. As they
approached 1200fps and above, patterns really opened up.
Mike C.

 

[Pull-it!]

Checked out Trapshooting USA magazine! That was a great article. Thanks!

 

[Unknown1]

Reclaimed and homemade shot pattern also identical because neither of them is uniform in shape.

MK

 

[cunninmp]

Pull-it

Glad you found the article useful.
As soon as the weather gets better I'm going to do some testing
of my own.
I've got 80 shells loaded as follows:

20 1 oz AA Wad Mag Shot
20 1 oz AA Wad Reclaimed
20 1 oz Windjammer Mag Shot
20 1 oz Windjammer Reclaimed

All are in STS hulls with STS Primers and 19.0 grns Int Clays.

I'll chronograph and test for patterns. Then will publish some
pictures and pattern sizes. Will use Modified and Light Full
chokes. Should be interesting.

Mike Cunningham
Groveland, CA
ATA Life Vet

 

[$$$SHTR]

Because of the price of shot I also went to reclaimed. I use it for 16's and doubles. I slowed both the 1 oz and the 1 1/8 oz loads down to 1100 fps. Can't tell the difference in the speed, and these loads do really grind the birds. Also, less recoil. Not good for long yardage though.

Tomas

 

[psfive]

Unknown1

The homemade shot I use patterns just as good as new shot. As a matter of fact I doubt you could tell the difference between a sample of each without testing the hardness of each. Paul in Nebraska.

 

[Ed Y]

Where's Neil when we need him?

Ed Yanchok

 

[timb99]

Ed,

Neil said he was planning to do such a test, but I think he's busy with other ventures.

 

[Unknown1]

<blockquote><I>"The homemade shot I use patterns just as good as new shot. As a matter of fact I doubt you could tell the difference..."</I></blockquote>Your standards for "round" and "uniform" must be way different than mine!

MK

 

[Ajax]

Unknown, just curious, how many patterns did you have to shoot to reach that conclusion? What were the percentages, and at what yardage?

Ajax

 

[JerryP]

Ajax , I have done what you ask and I have the numbers. I did a test, Neil Winston style, counted pellets and holes at 40yds. Home made shot= 75% PE. Rem mag shot= 77.5%, same loads, ten patterns each . I have never seen home made shot that I would call round. Doesn't seem to make much difference. I haven't done anything with reclaimed, what I have seen is just too nasty to mess with, covered with oxidation.

not the Neil.

 

[Ajax]

Jerry, I've run the test the same way and found much like you did. Little closer percentages to each other but new West Coast shot had the edge. I actually had a batch that came in at higher percentage than new. It was made out of Industrial Pipe with a full 6% Antimony. Wish I could find more of it. I'm not so sure Round is the key. I think hard may have more to do with a good percentage. Case in point, is Heavy Shot. Kind of questions the theory of round?

I've run some pretty clean reclaim, some of the best I had ever seen out of Evergreen. The stuff was ok up until about the 22 and then the patterns dropped to the 55% range. It didn't take long for the patterns to go from fair to bad.

Ajax

 

[Unknown1]

<blockquote><I>"...how many patterns did you have to shoot to reach that conclusion? What were the percentages, and at what yardage?"</i></blockquote> Didn't take but 10 shots with AA and 10 with made-by-home from 35 yards to show me all I needed to know. Patterns are completely random...you ought to know that by now. So when all 10 AA shells sent half as many shot into the area outside a 24 inch circle as the made-at-home shot did, I had my answer. Same gun, choke and day... and them same result from 10 random events

It can't be otherwise; tower-dropped shot falls at least 100 feet while it cools and its surface tension pulls it into a ball. Homey shot falls a foot or 2 into a tub of liquid. It never has a chance to pull itself into a ball and the force of the impact with the liquid HAS to knock some of it more out of shape than it already is.

MK

 

[psfive]

Your standards for "round" and "uniform" must be way different than mine!

We were not talking about anyones standards of roundness and uniform, only about patterns. I did not call you out. I only said the home made shot I use patterns as well as new. Simply said.

This would be in my tests and not yours. I have no idea where you got the home made shot you tested. I have seen some "new" home made shot that looked worse than reclaimed shot fresh out of the ground.

The home made shot I use is as round looking as any factory new shot.

You shoot new, I'll shoot home made. It's all good. Paul in Nebraska

 

[JerryP]

I have seen some vast differences in home made shot.

Ajax , I am curious about the reclaim you have seen. Was it metallic shiny like new dropped shot? Was it gray with oxidation or black? From what I have seen running it in a cement mixer does not do much.

 

[BudsterXT]

Pirates would load anything into the cannon and shoot it with good results..

As long as it destructs what it is shot at is the main goal.

Kenny Uhlbeck

 

[Ajax]

You're right Jerry, if you just take shot off the ground and tumble it in a cement mixer it doesn't do a lot for it. If you wash the old dirt and graphite off and tumble it with heat and add graphite, it does a better job.

Evergreen Sportsman Club in Washington had a "all in one" truck built by one of the members. The shot was scooped up by a tractor then put on a conveyor belt, went through a number of washing screens, and separated and then rolled in a large heated cylinder. I would guess the heated cylinder was about 8-10 feet long and 3 feet in diameter. Put in 55 gallons drums and then moved to another place and tumbled and graphited. Some place in the system was a magnet to see in there was any steel shot, but I don't remember where. By the time it was put in the bags it was nice and shiny Black. It still had some flat spots but pretty good.

I think the truck has about rusted away, to bad, did a pretty good job.

Ajax

 

[himark]

Been here and done that...Found HMS actually had a tighter pattern than store bought...sorry to burst you bubble boys but it actually is the same. Pattern pics to follow.