Quote:
Originally Posted by Tully Mars
Reload your own shells? I used to have a Lee autoloader for my hand guns. Dies for .38, .357 and 9mm. Kind of fun to play around with different powders. Had a friend who had a rifle model. It didn't seem to have very good QC. Each shell seemed to be different. Trying to hit something at several hundred yards with shells that vary doesn't work well at all.
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The point I was making to Walter's "steel buckshot" comment was that steel rounds are not used in "tactical" shotguns because steel isn't well-suited for "neutralizing humans" in the way that lead is. There is such pellet size as "steel buckshot" as far as I've seen.
Why? Steel is lightweight, harder (less give during barrel travel, issues with effects on target... deflect vs. flattening), generally in smaller shot sizes, and can be punishing on shotgun barrels not designed to handle it (such as older 18" cylinder bores). Lead is dense, heavy and relatively soft, a perfect combination of traits for an anti-personnel projectile, especially when covered with a thin layer of copper.
Comparison of shot sizes lead (aka "birdshot") / buckshot (also lead) / steel.
Most "tactical" loads feature a copper-covered lead projectile (
such as Federal Premium 00 buckshot), solid lead projectile (
Federal 1 oz. rifled slug),
solid copper projectile, or perhaps tungsten or another heavy metal or alloy. The idea is density: Steel pellets aren't nearly as heavy as lead pellets of the same size.
Steel shot is used in waterfowl loads because it is non-toxic. Premium waterfowl loads have done away with steel in favor of heavier metals and alloys such as bismuth, as they are non-toxic and have the advantage of heavier pellets. I don't have to eat the person breaking into my house, so I use lead because it has the predictable "Oomph!"
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Hot Hot Generalizations: If one was to examine the typical single shot infantryman rifle wound of a civil war soldier versus a soldier fighting in Vietnam... it turns out that slower-flying giant lead balls do a helluva lot more damage than fast-flying FMJ rounds (in most cases). Granted, this doesn't examine the flow-through vacuum effect of instant target body penetration nor does it account for full-house rifle rounds such as 7.62x51 or 7.62x54.
I suppose modern weapons were designed with smaller, faster projectiles to allow us to carry more rounds, shoot farther, and not really kill anybody (the whole one-wounded-guy-requires-two-buddies-to-carry-him DOD theory that follows the "humane ammo" contradiction in post-WWI militaries).
Ooops, rambling. Almost fell into another 5.56 trap.
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Reloading is a very precise science... especially when the decimal point is involved.
I had a buddy at Fort Bragg who used to reload all the time (.45 auto and .44 Mag) and you can get amazing consistency if you know what you're doing and have the patience to make sweet, patient love to each round.
Top end factory rounds are nearly unbeatable, but you can make some useful loads you can't find anywhere else on your own bench.
-----Added 22/12/2008 at 08 : 04 : 16-----
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tully Mars
And you ass is 6'4? How large is the rest of you? You must be a freaking giant. Why would you even need a shotgun?
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He uses it for concealed carry. Duh.