What size round ball for a 12 ga?

[coloradoclyde]

I hope this load data helps.

Data is neither a compilation of, nor a substitute of experience....

Even modern manuals printed today are full of inaccuracies, differences and questionable data...
All loading data eventually becomes outdated, obsolete. irrelevant or inaccurate...as time progresses, correct or not..

According to the "data" everyone has given correct and incorrect information.....so take it with a grain of salt...

 

[Britsmoothy]

I hope this load data helps.

Data is neither a compilation of, nor a substitute of experience....

Even modern manuals printed today are full of inaccuracies, differences and questionable data...
All loading data eventually becomes outdated, obsolete. irrelevant or inaccurate...as time progresses, correct or not..

According to the "data" everyone has given correct and incorrect information.....so take it with a grain of salt...

Or a grain of 3f :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

It only makes sense after a guy has gone to the expense of buying a gun to do the load testing to make it work right. Published data might have been ideal for the gun used in testing, but might not have a whit to do with your own gun. That applies to shotguns as much as to rifles and handguns.

I read on here about the charges, both shot and powder, guys are using in their 20 gauges and just shake my head. Many are using loads much heavier than what I use in 12 gauge and even 10 gauge. Does that make them wrong?

 

[Darkgael]

Sam Fadala has useful data about LRBs in 12 gauge smooth bores.
Understand that much of one is apt to find concerning BP shotguns is going to concern shot, not LRBs.
Fadala found that reducing a load from 90 grains of FFg (1 1/2 oz of shot) to 80 grains produced a 10% better pattern in his gun.
His comment about LRBs, though, highlights the differnce between shot and LRBs....an 80 grain charge (a three dram charge) with a .690 LRB yielded a velocity of 850 fps. A 110 grain charge (five drams) gave 1115 fps.

 

[Eterry]

Brown bear, I agree that you need to do load development, and that each gun is an individual and will have its own "sweet spot".
But you have to have some idea of where to start and stop, and that is where the load data manuals help me.
I've seen people on here throw out 70 grains ffg several times on here as a max charge, and I'm trying to wrap my head around a max load in a 12 ga that mild, and wanted to know why so light a load is warranted, and what, other than an opinion, is that load based on.
If someone has a favorite load they should say" this is my favor load", not "don't exceed this load"

Eterry