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Low Recoil #4 Buck 12ga load


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I have a nice recipe (low brass, low recoil, #4 Buck) that I think will be what I will blast out of the MD-20. The load is the lightest buckshot load I've ever felt in a 12ga. I fired it in my unconverted S-12, and when I took the stock out of my shoulder, the S12 failed to cycle because it had just enough power to cycle the thing when held steady. Well, I didn't just take it out of my shoulder... I held it out at arms length (aimed safely) and fired it once to get a brass rim stuck on the receiver when the next round loaded. It was amazing, I didn't know you could load this weak. It'd be a great SBS or AOW pump load as well I would assume.

 

Alright, this is the super secret local shotgun champ's (not me) recipe for low recoil #4 buckshot:

 

Low Metal Hull - (Win AA)

Winchester Yellow Wad: WAA12F114

22 pieces of #4 buckshot

18 grains of Alliant Red Dot powder

Winchester 209 primer

 

Rough estimate of cost per shell: $0.35

 

This stuff is so cheap that when I get my press working, I'll send you guys 5 packs of it if you want to try it. I got a 25 pound bag of #4 buckshot ready, 5 pounds of #00 buck and 5 pounds of #1 buck. The bench is almost finished, I just have to cut up some random sized chunks of cabinet board to fill in gaps and then bolt the press down and have a friend help me set up the crimp height and angle because I'm clueless to setup.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 9 months later...

Updates:

 

I got the crimps looking good by just not using crappy hulls. Done. My friend that was going to help me set up my press had some terrible heart problems lately at a young age. I just gave up trying to use Federal bulk pack hulls... why did I even bother with them?

 

This load cycles using the MD-20 drum 100%, which at it's first revision creates more upwards pressure on the bolt than a stock 5 round magazine or AGP 10 round magazine. This makes sense, considering the drum must push up twice as much weight in a circle instead of a straight line.

 

I substituted 9 pellets of 00 buck in this same load for the #4 buck. The loading is noticeably lighter than the #4 load, and is too large for the given wad, the crimp is very tall and bulging. Although, this has yet to stop one of the 200 that I blasted out of my MD-20! HAHAHAH 20 ROUND DRUMS! EAT THAT, FUDDY DUDDY! 100% perfect cycling with this load as well, although that bolt sure is moving slow.

 

I loaded 5 rounds into my MD-20 using the 00 load (the lighter load) and put the gas setting on #1 magnum setting. 100%. These shotguns are fantastic.

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I still can't get the crimp to look pretty. I suck at adjusting this press, nothing seems to work.

Twinsen, when my mec jr crimping station got out of adjustment, I too had a terrible time bringing it back. I found that using a factory finished shell as a guide/template helped.

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  • 2 months later...
The WAA12F114 wad is obsolete and is only for 1oz 1/4 loads.

Try the WAA12 instead.

 

What? Really? I might as well try it!

 

Yup!

Here is a cheap replacement of the Winchester WAA12F114 if we really want to use this wad but the standard WAA112 is made for loads between 1 and 1-5/8 oz (optimum is 1-1/8 oz) so I believe it to be better suited for most loads.

Link to cheap replacement: Claybuster wad

Edited by The Globule
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How, exactly?

 

opps, sorry twinsen, I didn't see your reply......I take a Factory finished shell and place it under the final crimp station and lower the crimper and use the adjusters until it bottems "nicely". While it does take some finese, it was surprizing how well it allowed me to bring it into "compliance".

 

My crimps used to be all over the board (too high,too low), when I saw a factory finished hull on my table, and I tried it as a template. It helped me, I get nice crimps now.

 

note: I use a mec 5jr.

Edited by Patrick D
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I keep a loaded factory shell of every hull I reload as visual inspection controls. I guess I could give it a try. Better than not.

 

I have been using the Claybuster replacement as I couldn't find the Winchester ones ANYWHERE. It all makes sense now! Alright, I know a guy that knows a guy....

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  • 9 months later...

I have a nice recipe (low brass, low recoil, #4 Buck) that I think will be what I will blast out of the MD-20. The load is the lightest buckshot load I've ever felt in a 12ga. I fired it in my unconverted S-12, and when I took the stock out of my shoulder, the S12 failed to cycle because it had just enough power to cycle the thing when held steady. Well, I didn't just take it out of my shoulder... I held it out at arms length (aimed safely) and fired it once to get a brass rim stuck on the receiver when the next round loaded. It was amazing, I didn't know you could load this weak. It'd be a great SBS or AOW pump load as well I would assume.

 

Alright, this is the super secret local shotgun champ's (not me) recipe for low recoil #4 buckshot:

 

Low Metal Hull - (Win AA)

Winchester Yellow Wad: WAA12F114

22 pieces of #4 buckshot

18 grains of Alliant Red Dot powder

Winchester 209 primer

 

Rough estimate of cost per shell: $0.35

 

This stuff is so cheap that when I get my press working, I'll send you guys 5 packs of it if you want to try it. I got a 25 pound bag of #4 buckshot ready, 5 pounds of #00 buck and 5 pounds of #1 buck. The bench is almost finished, I just have to cut up some random sized chunks of cabinet board to fill in gaps and then bolt the press down and have a friend help me set up the crimp height and angle because I'm clueless to setup.

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  • 3 years later...

 

 

The WAA12F114 wad is obsolete and is only for 1oz 1/4 loads.

Try the WAA12 instead.

What? Really? I might as well try it!

 

Yup!

Here is a cheap replacement of the Winchester WAA12F114 if we really want to use this wad but the standard WAA112 is made for loads between 1 and 1-5/8 oz (optimum is 1-1/8 oz) so I believe it to be better suited for most loads.

Link to cheap replacement: Claybuster wad

 

 

I've been using the AA12 and Claybuster clone with 22 pellets of #4B in a several loads, but closer to 1300 FPS or higher depending on the load. 22 pellets of Remington feild grade can be basically poured into a neat stack in the shell. sometimes I have to poke one of the top pellets into place, but usually they settle naturally into the proper pattern. This works well in several other wads I have tried that are intended for 1 1/8 oz of shot. I've been trying to find a source of book data for pushing this load at 1400 dead out of either win AA or STS hulls. I think I have some that are close.

Oh, and while Winchester quit making the yellow wad, claybuster still does, and ditto for the red wad. This is handy because most of the book recipes for buckshot call for one or the other.

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