How I repurpose “Target Load Birdshot” into 12 Ga. Buckshot, Ball & Slug loads.
One of the few ways to actually “Save Money” by being a reloader is to produce your own Buckshot & Slug Loads. Here’s how I have done it!
Diagrams like this one above are interesting and helpful to get started but eventually you just have to open up some shells and see what fits!
Slug Loads
I start off with factory loaded, Challenger 12 Ga. #7.5 Birdshot (1 oz. Load). Open the shell, dump out the birdshot, replace the birdshot with a home cast Lee 7/8 oz. Key Drive Slug & recrimp on the MEC 600 press. 1 oz. of birdshot was replaced with slugs that weigh approx. 365 grains. That’s a little over 80% payload weight swap.
Single Ball Load
I start off with factory loaded, Winchester 12 Ga. #7.5 Birdshot (1 1/8 oz. Load). Open the shell, dump out the birdshot, replace the birdshot with a home cast Lee .690 Cal. Roundball & recrimp on the MEC 600 press. I used a 1/8th inch spacer below the Roundball to raise the height to the proper level. 1 1/8 oz. of birdshot was replaced with Roundballs that weigh approx. 485 grains. That’s about 98% payload weight swap.
6 Pellet Buckshot Loads
For this load I replaced the 1 oz. birdshot load with 6 Buckshot Pellets, 4 X .330 Cal. & 2 X .312 Cal stacked in two’s. 2 X .330 Cal. Pellets, 2 x .312 Cal. Pellets, 2 x 330 Cal. Pellets. Recrimp on the MEC 600. 1 oz. of birdshot was replaced with approx. 300 grains of Pellets. That’s about 70% payload weight.
9 Pellet Buckshot Loads
9 Pellets of .312 Ca. Buckshot was stacked in layers of 3 in this load. 1 oz. of birdshot was replaced with 400 grains of Buckshot. This is approx. 90% payload weight. This load is “Big Game Legal in BC, Canada. In BC, the hunting regulations call for Shotshells no smaller than 20 Ga., 8 Pellets minimum, #1 Buckshot (.30 Cal.) minimum size.
I’ll be testing these loads in a Remington 870 Wingmaster, equipped with a Smoothbore Slug & Buckshot barrel. with iron sights, as well as my Red Dot equipped Single Shot SBS Shotgun.