Whats a good .410 load using 2.5" Eley Fourlong Cases ?

[silva]

My son has got a little .410 and so when I'm up and running again and funds allow - I'm going to take him for a bit of coaching, so he doesn't end up a terrible shotgun shot like his dad.

I have never grown out of sneaking up quietly, getting as close as possible, waiting til the rabbit or pheasant stops moving or lands - just in case you waste a cartridge. Then aiming and shooting - Bsa Meteor style.

No doubt he will be burning up some expensive 410 ammo, so was hoping to do some loading both for clays and meat hunting. Using perhaps size 7 shot ?

So whats a good .410 load using 2.5" Eley Fourlong Cases ? The hand loading kit is a Mrc (not MEC) and I also have a drill mounted rto head.

If possible could you let me know the primer and wad type you are using as well. I have a variety of fibre wads in four different sizes and .410 G-Nana wads from clay and game - but these came thrown in with the kit and may not be suitable. I have been saving Eley .410 empties for years and have a good few hundred to start off with - then I will get some 3" ones.

Cheers

[DesG]

The most important thing with any handloading is consistency. If you keep chopping and changing the velocity then you will never manage to connect with a moving target except by luck.

[silva]

Thank you for that good advice.
So how much does the brand of case matter in shotshell reloading ? So long as you are using a proven safe load and have enough room for a crimp or RTO - is the case okay.

Do you adjust for free space using different size wads. Are there pressure issues to consider ?

[TA6319]

use .303 cases, see youtube. A friend has done it and it works fine

[RichardH]

Start with 8's or 8 1/2's...

With a light load and a limited range gun that's plenty and patterns kill.

[silva]

That's good advice, thank you - as you say at 25yds enough shot in the pattern makes good sense.

What about the case type though - a lot of the loads on the web specify case manufacturers eg. Cheddite - but if it all fits in can you ignore the case make.

Also thank you for the info on the 303 brass - its something I will look into in the future, as it looks good fun - but I'm going to stick to plastic cases until I have a bit more experience under my belt.

Cheers

[g60bv]

I used 13gn of 2400 Cork wad and 16g 7.5 roll top but in a 3" Hull. so maybe 12gn and 14g 8's or even 9's for a 2.5

[GoodWILLHunting]

That's good advice, thank you - as you say at 25yds enough shot in the pattern makes good sense.

What about the case type though - a lot of the loads on the web specify case manufacturers eg. Cheddite - but if it all fits in can you ignore the case make.

Also thank you for the info on the 303 brass - its something I will look into in the future, as it looks good fun - but I'm going to stick to plastic cases until I have a bit more experience under my belt.

Cheers

There are "compression formed" & "parallel tube" cases, both have different characteristics that effect data and therefore aren't interchangeable.

Cheddite, as is the case with most european, cases are parallel tube. Winchester etc. tend to be compression formed. Not sure about fourlong, check the manufacturers info, but the eley 3" cases are and I've reloaded a few, but the cases took a bit of trimming as there was quite a bit of splitting from the spent star crimp (message to self, buy a trimmer).

Fourlong have a roll crimp, if I remember correctly, so they maybe better/easier to reload, involving less trimming. Best do a search and see what experience others have had reloading furlong. Finding the correct primer brand fit, is something to consider also. My notes tell me I primed the 3" Eley cases with Cheddite CX50's, fourlong may well be different, primer needs to be snug without being too tight or too slack and while shot gun primers are all much of a much, they'e not all exactly the same size, meaning different cases suit different primers, so a trial and error task finding primers to suit the cases.

A small selection of primers, 100 of each, fiocchi 616 & 615 and cheddite CX2000 & CX50, won't break the bank and'll suit most fired .410 hulls and a wider selection of data. Now, I'm not saying they are but I'm using the hotter 616 & CX2000 as interchangeable, same with the cooler 615 & CX50, if one brand is too tight or loose for the hulls I'm loading I find the other does the job, but when I make a component change I've been backing off a half grain in powder until I'm happy that I've not inadvertently upped the pressure.

You could do a lot worse than buy a bag of 100 primed unfired 3" cases, fiocchi cheddite etc. from clay & game. That gives you a good base to start from in terms of known primer compatibility and cases that'll eventually (after a couple of firings) trim down to 2.5" before they're too battered

I've a few of my own loads now, based on solid data but with some small variation, primer wad type and shot size so I won't share those, but shamelessly taken from a Clay & Game data sheet, the only non plastic wadded 2.5" load data I have:

2.5" Parallel Tube, Cheddite CX50 Primer, 16gn Vectan-SP3, CGR Waxed 15mm Cork Wad, 1/2oz - 14g #7 shot, over shot card and roll crimp finish. For circa 1100fps @ 500bar

Clay & Game data is £1 a pop, containing typically a dozen recipes covering 2" 2.5" & 3" hulls, mainly parallel tube but also some compression formed hulls, for their mixed and powder specific pdf data sheets, phone them and ask which is best suited to the components you have. Or, just buy the lot from them, can't be more than a tenner and all the bit's and bobs can be had from them, or others, here in the UK.

There's ballistic products data manuals too, but their recipes tend to be hotter as is the way in the USA.

UK data is perhaps better for regular UK uses suitable for the kid, easier comer and goer clays, and semi static bunnies and not so sporting semi static pheasants.

[g60bv]

I just reused old hulls. Didn't even clean em. Remington primers. I have loads here 3 inch and 2.5 used ones if you want em.

[TA6319]

try

http://www.fourten.org.uk/

for all things .410 related

[silva]

Many thanks to all for the useful information !