Shotgun Sabot Loading

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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
Does ANY company make a sabot for hand loading of muzzleloader type bullets in shotguns?

I'm sure I'm not the first person to have this thought but I'd like to see the ballistics of something like Hornady's 45cal 200gr SST in a 12ga.
 
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6thMichCav

New member
Same question

I'd be interested in the same information. I tried a post on loading round .730 lead balls, but all I got was smarty-pants answers about "nobody tries that" or "too inaccurate." It would seem that if you can get a 12-gauge sabot of the right configuration, you should be able to get a number of slugs to fire out of it, especially in a rifled barrel. To me, this is untapped territory for some manufacturer/marketer.

"Don't pay $3 a round for custom sabot rounds--load our 12-gauge Sabots with Famous Bullet Maker's .45 caliber Rackstopper and watch them fall to the ground with their legs in the air."

Don't say "buy factory slugs." Reloading is half the fun.
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
Yeah, thats my point. I'm thinking there must be some reason for it... unfortunately I think the reason is that there are about 5 people in the world (figure of speech here, don't crucify me) that shoot deer with rifled slug guns.
So all these manufacturers are saying why are we going to spend a zillion dollars on R&D for a product that 5 people in central New York would care about.

Basically all you'd need is a 73 caliber sabot with 45 cal inside. Should be cake.
 
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6thMichCav

New member
Okay, so who makes them?

I still want to know who makes a .730 sabot for smaller caliber shotgun munitions.

And I'll keep posting replies. Someone has to want to make money on this! Think of all the muzzleloading marketing going on--you'd think any state with shotgun zones would want to get in on this for people who don't want to buy a muzzleloader.

Or, at least, I would want to know why they (the manufacturers, not the buyers) don't!
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
I contacted a company that makes custom ammunition and they replied that they do not sell the sabots but that they knew who did and would get me the information. I'll post when (if) I have it.
 
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45Marlin carbine

Moderator
Lyman makes a mould for some sort of slug for both 12 & 20 ga. I'm almost certain that it loads in a wad, so that would be a 'sabot' of sorts.
 
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6thMichCav

New member
Slug

You are absolutely right--Lyman, Lee, and others sell slug molds for slugs from .690 to .730. What I am looking for is an actual sabot that fits inside the shell that would allow smaller, pointed bullets to be handloaded.

I could go ancient school and carve them myself out of wood (!), but I think I'm a little low on a solvent for splinters.

Peetz, I would really appreciate any info you discover, and I will keep sounding the 'net for other manufacturers. If a muzzleloader can do it and maintain accuracy to 200 yards, I see no reason why a properly loaded sabot slug can't do the same thing in a rifled barrel--and I'm not paying $3 a round for it when I can load rifle loads for 75 cents or less (components are paid for).
 
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Rem870elk

New member
My Bad

:(They show the components, but mean the loaded shell, my bad, sorry. I seems insane that someone doesn't make sabots; it would seem like a great add-on sale for the bullet manufacturers that already sell them for muzzleloading uses.
 
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crowbeaner

New member
Yeah, they will work, but they are STILL $3 a shot! I'll buy the Lyman sabot 12 gauge mould, cast a bunch, load them over 32.0 of Herco with a WAA12F114 wad, and shoot the H*** out of them. Or, I'll load some with 44.0 of SR 4756 and a WAA12R wad, and really get my kicks.
 
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snuffy

New member
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=382704

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=298546

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=779775

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=158096

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=291748

#2 and #5, the BPI-BLS-12 sabot has had a lot of problems, it's been removed from the market by BPI. The problem was blown sabots and bullets hitting sideways. The petals just aren't thick enough to grip a 50 cal bullet.

I did extensive testing when they first came out, gave up on them. Word has it BPI is re-designing the sabot without the cushion section and thicker petals.

I think by the summer of 2010, BPI will have new sabots out that will throw a 350 grain 50 cal XTP at nearly 2000 fps from a riled barrel 12 gauge.
 
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darkgael

New member
RBs

I tried a post on loading round .730 lead balls, but all I got was smarty-pants answers about "nobody tries that" or "too inaccurate"
Click to expand...

What do they know. I load RBs in shotshells on a regular basis. I do, however, use .715 or .690 round balls. I'm not sure that I'd be able to get a .730 RB into a hull.
Accuracy - shooting them out of an old cut down Savage O/U, they will shoot where they are pointed at 50 yards. They work quite well actually.
Hopefully the links provided will take you where you want to go.
My own approach to the "sabot" idea was (and is) to use the Lyman wasp-waisted slug in an appropriate wad and roll crimp the hull. The two barrels of the Savage shoot onto a paper plate at 50 yards. The bottom barrel shoots right to POA , the other is a few inches higher. I have not benched the gun; just shoot standing and use the front bead w/o a rear sight.
I have also used the Lee slug; it works also but is not quite as consistent as the Lyman.
Pete
 
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TopGunnr

New member
I like the looks of 1,3,4. I've always had accuracy issues with any of the factory sst's, Barnes expandables, and any ballistic tipped 45 to 50 caliber sabots out of a shotgun. The lightfields and just larger caliber sabots always seem to hold tighter groups for me. I forget where I read it, but I come to find out all of those 45-50 cal sabots require rifling with a faster twist rate than most cheaper or affordable rifled shotgun barrels offer. To get one that is going to hold a tight consistent pattern out past 100 yds the rifling needs to be at least 1/28 where most are like 1/38. The larger ones don't need such a fast twist rate, they're built for a slower spin to stabilize them. Again I read this somewhere I forget where, but it makes sense.
I wish I could crap money I'd buy a custom tarhunt slug gun and test all this out myself..... They have a 1/28 rate with a fixed barrel.
 
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appleseedgunsmith

New member
shotgun slugs

lyman does indeed make a slug mold as well as lee. bps sells heavy slugs. cant help on sabots sorry. i have developed loads using .735 roundball and blackpowder using a full brass case as well as a custom conical of 830 gr. a .735 ball and 150 gr 777 gives 1500 fps and basketball groups at 100 yds. they print only 6" lower than lightfields. horrendous recoil!! conicals are on par with 600 nitro!!
 
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