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

[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 !