12 Gauge 3” Duck/Waterfowl Loads

[@williambryant5950]

Thank you for going over the resizing ring. Could not find anything that explained it the way you did!

[@theshotgunscientists]

Thanks man

[@ronaldjohnson1474]

Nice! Straight forward presentation. Thanks.

[@theshotgunscientists]

Thanks man.

[@tntphillipians4134]

Where did you get your load data for these shells ?

[@theshotgunscientists]

Alliants website

[@Wigeon3211]

Last season steel shotgun shells became difficult to buy and doubled in price. As a life time loader for clays I just never loaded for ducks. Don’t want to go thru having to scrounge for duck loads and pay twice the price again. I’m going to get busy reloading some ducks loads for the fall! Thanks for the video.

[@theshotgunscientists]

Luckily everything you’d need is currently available

[@Navyuncle]

BP had their steel shot on sale. I believe that it was in 10 pound bags. Check their website.

[@Mdwaterman]

If you wanted to mix say BB/2 , does it matter what gets loaded on the bottom of the hull first ?

[@theshotgunscientists]

@@Mdwaterman in our experience no

[@smartacus88]

Wade Rush has got a 3in steel BB load using 33 grains of Longshot with a TPS pre slit wad that i am assuming is a 3in shell wad because the load is 1 1/4th ounce and sits flush with the top of the wad. I don't believe he uses any additional nitro cards or fiber wads etc. Just powder, TPS was, shot, crimp. I mention this because you said in the video that stack hight might be an issue with Longshot powder?

[@theshotgunscientists]

Longshot takes up a lot less room

[@bennyreyna6237]

Haven’t had any luck finding Alliant steel, how would blue dot change this load ? Can you still use the 2.75 wad? And how much powder?

[@theshotgunscientists]

You’d have to ask bpi about that, I’m not sure.

[@tripplebeards3427]

Thinking of trying my 3oz 10 gauge loads with some flax seed and or corn cob media. How will it tighten my patterns on average? I put clear nail polish over my card board shot cards to try and waterproof them myself…reposted because I don’t know if live chat was working.

[@theshotgunscientists]

Those are filler materials used over the shot to get better crimps actually

[@clks1165]

That is a good duck load. I was wondering if you could try that loads load (1 1/4 or 1 1/8 oz), but with longshot or hs-6 powder?

[@theshotgunscientists]

Longshot develops pressure spikes a lot faster with steel shot. It can be done but the velocity would suffer.

[@clks1165]

@theshotgunscientists more velocity doesn't really kill. If it 1200 to 1350 fps, that should work.

[@sarkm]

What would be the Blue Dot charge? Being that I have that powder on hand.

[@theshotgunscientists]

I’m not sure honestly

[@Wigeon3211]

Thanks for what you are doing! Could you put the recipe pinned in the comments? Thanks again for what you are doing!

[@mikehunt4314]

I’m looking to load some steel/tss 3” 12ga, I have ched hulls, ched 209, longshot, and tps 42 wads, just wondering if you have any insight on that load and about how much powder to stay within safe pressure ranges.

[@mikehunt4314]

Going for 1 1/4 oz payload and a roll crimp

[@theshotgunscientists]

I’m not sure man I’ve never messed with that wad

[@CoopDawgg21]

What reloading manual do you recommend for reloading steel shot 3” for waterfowl?

[@theshotgunscientists]

Status of steel

[@mickluther2693]

Have you ever loaded any 2 3/4 in 1 1/8 oz steel loads?

[@theshotgunscientists]

Yes

[@Badreload]

What do you think the best roll crimped to get started roll crimping thanks

[@theshotgunscientists]

Reloaders network 4 pin is by far the best one on the market unless you get one of the gaep bn series but those are expensive. The reloaders network one puts a very nice taper on your shells and will even roll crimp shells that have a fold crimp on them.

[@robertfrapples2472]

@@theshotgunscientists I bought two of the Reloaders Network 12ga 4 pin roll crimpers over a year ago. I've made hundreds of rounds with one of them, keeping the other as a backup. So far, the first one is performing as well as the day I bought it. Highly recommend. I don't have a Gaep, but hear they are phenomenal. I do much more fold crimping than roll, so I never found it a justifiable purchase. What part of KY are you in? I'm in Louisville, about 9 miles from Knob Creek Range. You should swing by and pick up Scott from KY Ballistics and Buffalo from Buffalo's Outdoors, and bring them out for a day of mayhem with me! Lol.

[@theshotgunscientists]

@@robertfrapples2472 I’m in Grayson about 30 minutes from Ashland. Just below Ohio and west Virginia. I have the RN roll crimp tools in 20 and 16 gauge they are awesome. Best on the market I believe. Gaep is on a different level though. I ain’t seen the need for one though.

[@clks1165]

Can you try 1 3/8 oz steel shot in 3 " s hulls and 28 to 29 gr alliant steel powder? Note that tps1230 will fit 1 3/8 oz

[@theshotgunscientists]

What’s the full load data

[@clks1165]

@theshotgunscientists it comes from the alliant 2000 data, but that one was a 1 1/2 oz load, but know that alliant steel had changed a bet since then, and I also checked out the new tps data and looked at both the 1 1/8 oz and 1 1/4 oz load to get the exact charge of powder with 1 3/8 oz load to be in safe psi

[@robeveridge8329]

Will this work woth cheddite or fiocchi hulls?

[@theshotgunscientists]

Yes

[@clks1165]

I have two loads i like to see tried out. It come from the new tps wad data 2023. For one is in 2 3/4 cheddite hulls, ched209 primer, 23 gr longshot powder, Tps1275 wads, 1 1/8 oz steel shot going at 1250 fps with 10,800 psi. The other one is a 3" cheddite hulls, ched209 primer, 29 gr longshot powder, tps1230 wasds with a 1/4" felt wad under shot with a over shot card, 1 1/8 oz steel shot going at 1350 fps with 11,000 psi.

[@theshotgunscientists]

That first load is something I’ve actually done a video on a couple years ago. People seem it like it. I used crossman bb’s.

[@clks1165]

@theshotgunscientists but that one was 1oz load, not 1 1/8 oz

[@clks1165]

And yep, that 2 3/4 " load is an awesome load

[@jorgehernandez6878]

Can I use long shot for this load??

[@theshotgunscientists]

@@jorgehernandez6878 no it’s too fast for this. You could but the speed would be a lot lower and not nearly as effective.

[@jorgehernandez6878]

@ do you have any load with ether long shot or perfect pattern? 3” duck load? Appreciate your time and love your content

[@theshotgunscientists]

@ Neirher will work, especially not perfect pattern as that is a really fast burning target load powder. You can do steel with longshot but you’ll have to step down to a 2.75” shell and go with 7/8 or 1 ounce.

[@clks1165]

Do you have Hercule/Alliant 2400?

[@theshotgunscientists]

Nope but I can get it locally

[@clks1165]

@theshotgunscientists I have a Requested load I love to see tried out. It comes from a mec steel shot load data from 1994 copy. It uses 3 " winchester supper X hull basic base wads, fed209a primers, 42 gr Hercules/Alliant 2400 ( I try 39 gr if needed to use ched209 primer), mec12 3" which are now the precision reloading tuprw123 wads, 1 1/4 oz of steel shot going at 1260 fps at 11,500 psi.

[@clks1165]

@@theshotgunscientists I got 3 cans of it and was curious to see you try this load

[@user-qp3eb4pm1zfatcatreloading]

Good video. 👍

[@theshotgunscientists]

Thanks man

[@general-Lee-700]

Bro you guys got to do a hunting video

[@theshotgunscientists]

One day for sure. Hardly anyone hunts waterfowl where we’re at.

[@general-Lee-700]

Quick question you think you can make a video on how to make a three inch shell hold two different kind of loads?

[@robertfrapples2472]

If you can afford it, go with the MEC Jr. instead of the Lee Load-All. I have both, and there is no comparison. On the Lee, the stationary pre-crimp obliges you to align the pleats with every round. You can't make adjustments for shot column height other than "hand pressure" on the lever. The whole press leans at an angle when the lever is depressed, that often causes a slant to the top of your shells. Lastly, that resizing ring is a real pain, especially if you misplace it. The Lee will get the job done, but "not horrible" is not the quality I'm after. I do enjoy the videos you boys put out. Please watch those pressures!

[@theshotgunscientists]

I’ve used mec presses and don’t like them. I’ve been using the Lee load all for 4 years and get great looking crimps out of it. I don’t think mecs are anywhere near as versatile, I’ve got lees in 12, 20 and 16 gauge, and a converted 12 gauge kit that does 10 gauge. I can also load 2.5” shells with them without having to adjust anything at all. I also fold crimp my 24 and 32 gauge shells with them with the help of chamber inserts as a final crimp tube. I also have 3d printed kits for the Lee load all in 28, 24, 32, 10 and .410. The taper crimp die I have on my 10 gauge press is awesome. I’ve got a bolt on depriming punch for 3.5” shells that’s mounted right to one of them. Basically a whole new station. I just like my Lee presses, they put out great crimps if you know how to use them and I’ve got about 200 bucks into them and some add ons that allow me to crimp all 8 different gauges I own. We’ve barely ever ran into any pressure signs, typically speaking we stay away from max powder charges or high pressure loads due to unavailability of components right now. It’s almost impossible to follow a load recipe piece by piece these days. We also test new components out that don’t have data available hardly. The trick is to start low with powder charges if you aren’t sure. I can think of only 3 times we’ve ran into pressure problems but nothing serious, just some primer flow back here and there but most of that is due to mossberg shotguns having huge firing pin holes.