Need input from sabot experts

[Rangeball]

I had an experience yesterday, and while not pertaining to SML, I'm sure you guys have the answer.

I bought some 12g federal barnes expanders (325 grain MZ) 3/4oz that had shot so well in the past from my H&R slug gun. Federal advertises this load at 1900 fps, but I chronied them in the past at only 1700 fps. Accuracy in the past was very very good, load was mild to shoot and recovere sabots showed no damage.

I shot these new ones yesterday. Terrible results, groups if you can call them that of 8+" at 100 yards. No way I can use them.

The loads also kicked more than in the past. I'm thinking Federal changed powders to get the advertised velocity, but didn't change the sabot. I recovered 4 of the sabots, and the base was blown completely out of one and 70% or more of the others. I also recovered a gas seal, that as I understand it is below the sabot. Gas seal was curled over on one edge, looks like the rear edge towards the powder. No hole in it.

What causes the sabot bases to be blown apart like this if there's no damage to the gas seal? Sabots were recovered in a 30x 10 yard area, no real rhyme or reason to where they went downrange.

 

[Mountain Man]

Trying to accellerate the bullet too rapidly will put too much inertial resistance against the base of the sabot and punch through it. In a muzzleloader, the remedy is to back it down a few grains.

Have you tried Winchester Supreme Partition Gold sabots? They shoot great out of my Mossberg. I hear more positive accuracy reports on them than any others. I often hear that a gun will shoot either Federals, or Hornadys, or Remingtons well (but not the others), and also shoot the Winchesters reasonably well.

 

[Rangeball]

Thanks. I shot the Winchesters when they first came out, my gun hated them. Loved the federals, until they changed them.

I am going to buy some hastings sabots for this season, which opens next friday. Won't give me the long range I hope to some day find, but if they don't shoot for me I'll be the only guy on the planet who can't shoot them, every report I've seen is stellar accuracy.

 

[VENISONEATR]

The 3/4 oz. load never shot good for me. My Browning always liked the 1 oz. load much better.

 

[Tar-12]

Rangeball,Try the Lightfield Hy-Bred sabots.My old 980 Ultra Slug hunter and Tar-hunt absolutley loved these shells.The accuracy was outstanding in the 980.The groups would not start to open up until 97 yds.You will not get 1900 fps second.I never had a deer get anywhere other than excactly where he was standing when I touched her off.

 

[MK85Shooter]

I'll second what Tar-12 said. I've shot the Lightfield Hybred EXP out of my Ithaca Deerslayer II for over 10 years now. Consistantly 1-1/2" to 2" 100 yard groups. Lightfield also came out with a new version of that slug this year. Its called the Hybred Elite. Its a 3" 1-1/4 oz. 99% pure lead sabot slug that is rated about 300 fps faster than the standard 2-3/4" Hybred. I haven't shot them yet but they promise flatter trajectory. They are about $4 more per box than the standard Hybreds so even if I could clover-leaf them at 100 yds I still probably wouldn't switch since I can count the number of deer on one hand that I've taken at/over 100 yds with it. Here's the link.

www.lightfieldslugs.com

 

[Rangeball]

Thanks guys. I'm disappointed that Federal changed things, because the 3/4 oz load shot great for me with none of these issues.

I've never seen lightfields around here, but I do have a line on some hastings slugs which I'll pick up this weekend. From what I read, if they don't shoot for me, I'll be the only guy on the planet they won't work well for.

 

[Tar-12]

I'll be the only guy on the planet they won't work well for. :lol: :lol: :lol: Thats my luck!