Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Been testing the 12GA From Hell--

I've got 7 guns in finished condition. The
experimenting and load work is my hobby,
takes all my spare time and resources.
I get plenty of shooting in my testing and
chrono work. Ed

well then, pics from the rifle to the loading to the shooting. getting a buddy to digital video doesn't cost anything ...

We are going to do pics in good weather this
summer. Finally got someone with videocam, a good
web hookup to post it. Our lines here are
dialup, running through barb wire it seems like.
I do a little testing between storms now.
I do post plenty of pics of the bullets, the guns,
the equipment. using our little regular cam.

Tested the 415 gr hollowbase slugs in 28GA FH long
brass case. These are ones that Dixie Gunworks sell
that they call their Sharps .548" slug. They all run
about .008 bigger than that so they make perfect tight
fit for .550" barrel, and I used a good lube on them
in the grooves. Same speeds as above for GPs.
They are a little harder alloy slug than
the Powerbelts or Great Plains The 28ga shellholder
for our Lee, Lyman, Rcbs presses , we use, is from
RCBS for regular metallic press rams. For 28ga dies
Hollywood made some for metallic presses.Also for
sizing for bottom 2/3 of the brass case you can cut
top off of the 500J die.The slower powder loads don't
even have to have the bottom half sized, which
is great for a turned case. If we had drawn brass cases
we could get 11,000 ft lbs, in the Enfield, which we
don't really need for deer. 4-6000 ft lbs ok/deer ..Ed
__________________

well, dialup do pose problems.
looking forward to the "film."
could be classic youtube stuff ...

My line is so bad I can't even download videos, without
screwing up computer. I run net with pictures turned
off and it takes 15-30 seconds per page.Ed

Here is picture of a jacketed hollowpoint
12ga slug a fellow is going to make for us.
We hope to have tooling set up this summer
we plan on. Next to it is a 600gr Dixie hardened
slug. First ones he will probably make will
be about 700-750 gr.Ed

In the 87 Win Levergun, smooth barrel,
long barrel, using brass RMC 3" cases,
1 oz Brenneke KO slug to 2700 with 4227
powder. Shotgun primer. I will be getting
some 3.5" RMC brass that he will put a special
longer corner radius in, to allow faster loads
with less case expansion and easier resizing.
Should get same slug to 3000 and resize
easier also. With shotgun primer able to use
4227, and you WON"T have to rework hammer
or firing pin to do big primers.

Santa sent me 9 more PROP cases used in little
cannons for bomb disposal. Got 12 now.Ed

Here is picture of the Enfield bolt,
showing the 2 rear lugs I added.
The huge bolt handle base 3rd rear lug.
Bolt handle needs polishing.This one
will be in the action for the 8GA FH.
The Enfield I have 700H in is like
this also.Ed

Here is picture of the 4 slugs I've used in
the 28GA FH load developement in the
3.25" long brass case and they
also work in the plastic cases. Ed

THE 8GA FH BELLERED TODAY. It is in Enfield I rigged with
rear locking bolt lugs. 32" barrel, tested 3.3" plastic cases.
Cases are the REM kiln gun cases. With the double cup base.
I shaved base a little so that chamber will fire these as well as
regular 8ga plastic. None of the firing today expanded base cups
at all, so they are real strong cases. Started testing to check
ignition with shotgun primers and to see if cases are any
good. Starting with a 110 gr mouse ball, wad under it, and 150 gr
of Blue Dot, about 5000 fps.. Gun didn't even recoil.Then a
410 gr one at 3000 fps, Then a 770 gr hollowbase slug in a wadcup
up to 2000 so far with 180gr of 7383. Barrel is smoothbore .832"
bore at the muzzle. Ed

Some 8GA FH testing- using IMR 4759, 770 gr slug,
top load of 140 gr, got 2500 fps......
Over 10,000 ft lbs..Cases extract easy.
The plastic in 8ga case is twice as thick as
in 12ga cases. Tried 4227 and case is too large
diameter for dependable ignition.So it's
old dependable 4759..Ed

Hay Ed,

Sounds like you've been busy. I worked on some 3.5" slug loads with Alliant Steel powder; 60 grains with 1 3/8 oz (600gr.) Lightfield slug and got 1900+ from NEF. With the older 1 1/16 oz (465gr.) style over 65 grains I got 2000+. Cheddite hulls role crimped by hand drill (technique sensitive). They would fit in a 3" hull but the role crimper was eating up the top of the slug. No pressure signes, poped right out. My I recomend using the Lightfield slugs over the Buckhammers as they are a tougher slug and don't need to be pulled from a factory shell: $6.99 for 10 and Midwayusa.com. When I get some more time I will test heavier loads, until the brass starts to stick in the chamber and back off a grain and post as Max. This is all with a factory NEF Ultra slug hunter and cheap slip-on gel recoil pad over factory one. I did have an extra Benelli Comfort-tech pad that I cut the lip off and placed under the slip on pad, after I took the factory pad off, and it made almost a pleasure to shoot but the LOP threw me off and I didn't want the cut the stock down just yet. That way I can put the factory POS back on when I let others shoot it:-)
Did some research on the T/C Encore Pro Hunter I told you about. The action should take around 30,000-35,000 psi, and the barrel is a stainless alloy, so should hold up just fine. The twist rate is 1:28 vs 1:35 for the NEF and the fluted barrel is a full 28" long!

-Anthony

P.S. I got a little more velocity with Mica dusting the wad, but the real difference was made when I treated the bore with Tungsten Disulfide. I gained about 50 fps with no more pressure. I should also mention I had the barrel hand lapped which gave me a bit of speed but accuracy really improved the most (and less cleaning). 3" groups all day long with 2" or less possible.

You are roll crimping plastic cases I take it.
You are better off using 3.5" cases as extra wads and
neater crimp keeps peak pressures down. I'll test some
lightfields later on and check out that powder. It appears
from your uses better than Blue Dot, because when we got
to 55gr with it and 600gr slug cases were sticking.
You have done some great work. What brass cases will you
go to? It is shame that Encore with long barrel cost
so much.. and we keep telling NEF they are missing the
boat, as they say, by not having 28" barrel. Ed

Thanks. I am rolling plastic hulls. I haven't got the tool for the brass cases, but I'm looking at the RMC brass you wrote about earlier with the modified radius in 3.5". I'll likely save those for the Encore and see what I can get with the Alliant Steel/Lightfield combo. I don't mind the extra cost of the Pro-Hunter, as long as it's a one-time deal. Just in reloading the slugs you can make up the cost over a few hundred shells (seeing the price they are asking nowadays). It's tougher, longer, better built, more comfortable and Stainless steel. And it doesn't need to be modified to shoot rifle primers, as it's already designed to. Also, with the faster twist I can shoot heavier and/or longer bullets more accurately. My first slugs were a saboted Barnes-X in a 3.5" plastic shell at 2200-2300. The problem was I used the .500 375 grain handgun bullet(B.C. of .269) that wouldn't stabilize in the 1:35 twist, that and everyone stopped making sabots for shotgun reloaders.

I called NEF and asked about maximum pressures, longer barrels and twist. They responded with "Only factory shells should be fired...wait you modified it to 3.5"...no warranty with handloads and you already violated it." No longer barrels can be had except smooth bore and they apparently changed they rifling style but not the twist. Hope that helps some.

-Extremist

P.S. Factory Lightfield shells easily get over 1900 fps in 28" Remington 870 pump with 1.5" extended rifled choke tube; 3-5" groups. Chrono broken:-(

I know they won't warranty shooting any handloads or chamber changes. I'm sure you will do great with Encore.

Here is picture of Enfield 8GA FH. You can see plastic case
in the port. Box of cases behind, 770 gr and 1050 gr
slugs in front with the 8ga wadcups I use.
Left two slugs are 1050 gr made from 3 oz kiln slugs.
I rounded nose and put in hollow base. Also the
cards and fiber wads used. Slugs are hollowbase, as
it is smooth bore barrel. Ed

Haven't got a detached retina yet? They must be glued in pretty good. LOL
I'd like to know what you got on the butt of that unit?
Have agood day.

Recoil pad is 1.5" thick cushiony
decelerator. And butt has 4 lbs weight,
with gun total of 19 lbs.Ed

Did E recommend a scope for your unit yet?

I'll just put aperture sights on it
when it is finished.Real good scopes cost
more by twice than what gun did.Ed

That must be a prototype that you fabricated, I've never seen one or heard of that type of rifle ever. I've been to a lot of gun shows and I've seen many a strange rifle but that one is odd.
If you fabbed an armor piercing round that thing would be awesome in house to house combat where you could just shoot through the walls and doors. It would be like a 50 cal put have just as much punch in a shortened combat (trench gun)rifle. Any military folk approach you on it?