This is a report back.
Yup, I took my life in my hands, believed what I read on the internet, and used some common sense. But I also learned something.
First, the basics:
Used Federal 12 gauge shotshell hulls, 2.75 inch length.
Remington Fig8S wads.
Hodgdon 777 FFg.
Ballistic Products Inc. #1 steel shot.
Lee Load-All II.
I was looking for a nice, polite 777 load for shotshells, as you all know.
Then I read that some people used Lee dippers to load their shotshells with 777, up to over 4cc. However, 3.1cc seemed to be reasonably well regarded as a load.
This didn't seem to make sense, because online I'd read that the Lee bushings for the Load-All II were calibrated in cc. And their numbers were numbers like 105 and 116 - numbers which didn't in any way match the clearly measurable (by eye) actual volume.
So I thought a bit more, and read more, and saw recommendations of 70 grains of black powder or equivalent by volume. What did I have that might approach a 70 grain load of black powder? My loading kit for .45-70 Government, of course. I cracked it open, and saw that the Lee dipper inside measured 3.1cc. Great!
I took the dipper and brought it back to the Load-All, for a comparison with the bushings. I noted that the 3.1cc measure just about perfectly matched the listed 198 bushing. Obviously, it wasn't 198cc - nor was it 1.98, or 0.198 cubic anything metric. So what could it be? I thought for a while, then I wandered over to Google and did some comparisons and conversions. It appears that Lee's bushings are measured in thousandths of cubic inches, or very nearly, not cubic centimetres!
Well, no matter. I loaded up a shell with it, loaded a wad, loaded 1.125 oz of shot, crimped it (it fit perfectly), then I took it outside, loaded up and fired. A nice, solid boom, a decent pattern. What's not to like?
Specifically, the pattern at about 30 yards from a 28 inch barrel with a modified choke is around 3 feet wide (don't hold me to these numbers - this is approximation). At 5 yards it blows a ragged hole in stuff. No sign of the 777 blowing a hole in the pattern. No signs of trouble at all.
Recoil is not at all bad. Granted, I have a bit of an iron shoulder. I shoot hot .45-70 Government loads, I think a regular 12 gauge is a reassuring slap, I'm maybe not the best judge of recoil. But with the stock recoil pad this load feels like a nudge from a buddy asking you if you want another beer.
The only downside is the cloud of smoke, and that's only if you think the cloud is a downside.
Yup, I took my life in my hands, believed what I read on the internet, and used some common sense. But I also learned something.
First, the basics:
Used Federal 12 gauge shotshell hulls, 2.75 inch length.
Remington Fig8S wads.
Hodgdon 777 FFg.
Ballistic Products Inc. #1 steel shot.
Lee Load-All II.
I was looking for a nice, polite 777 load for shotshells, as you all know.
Then I read that some people used Lee dippers to load their shotshells with 777, up to over 4cc. However, 3.1cc seemed to be reasonably well regarded as a load.
This didn't seem to make sense, because online I'd read that the Lee bushings for the Load-All II were calibrated in cc. And their numbers were numbers like 105 and 116 - numbers which didn't in any way match the clearly measurable (by eye) actual volume.
So I thought a bit more, and read more, and saw recommendations of 70 grains of black powder or equivalent by volume. What did I have that might approach a 70 grain load of black powder? My loading kit for .45-70 Government, of course. I cracked it open, and saw that the Lee dipper inside measured 3.1cc. Great!
I took the dipper and brought it back to the Load-All, for a comparison with the bushings. I noted that the 3.1cc measure just about perfectly matched the listed 198 bushing. Obviously, it wasn't 198cc - nor was it 1.98, or 0.198 cubic anything metric. So what could it be? I thought for a while, then I wandered over to Google and did some comparisons and conversions. It appears that Lee's bushings are measured in thousandths of cubic inches, or very nearly, not cubic centimetres!
Well, no matter. I loaded up a shell with it, loaded a wad, loaded 1.125 oz of shot, crimped it (it fit perfectly), then I took it outside, loaded up and fired. A nice, solid boom, a decent pattern. What's not to like?
Specifically, the pattern at about 30 yards from a 28 inch barrel with a modified choke is around 3 feet wide (don't hold me to these numbers - this is approximation). At 5 yards it blows a ragged hole in stuff. No sign of the 777 blowing a hole in the pattern. No signs of trouble at all.
Recoil is not at all bad. Granted, I have a bit of an iron shoulder. I shoot hot .45-70 Government loads, I think a regular 12 gauge is a reassuring slap, I'm maybe not the best judge of recoil. But with the stock recoil pad this load feels like a nudge from a buddy asking you if you want another beer.
The only downside is the cloud of smoke, and that's only if you think the cloud is a downside.
