My reloads for sporting clays are inconsistent - any advice?
I've been reloading for about a year with a MEC 600 Jr. using once-fired Remington STS hulls, Claybuster wads, and Alliant Extra-Lite powder. My 12ga Beretta A300 seems to pattern fine at 30 yards, but I'm getting some real velocity swings on my chrono. Some shells feel noticeably softer than others. I'm loading 1 oz of #8 shot for sporting clays.
1 Answer
That's a classic symptom of inconsistent powder drops. Extra-Lite is a great powder, but it can be tricky in progressive presses - it tends to settle differently in the powder measure. Try tapping your powder measure handle a few times before each stroke to settle the powder consistently. Also check your wad seating pressure - if it varies, you'll get different pressures. What's your current powder charge weight? Might be worth switching to a ball powder like Hodgdon Clays for more consistent metering in that MEC.
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