RCBS 12 ga cowboy brass dies and shell holder

[Dangermouse]

http://www.midwayuk.com/epages/Midway_U ... cts/296286

http://www.midwayuk.com/epages/Midway_U ... cts/214811

Thinking about getting some of these but not at those prices.

Anyone got any sitting around?

DM

[saddler]

My set came with a few more things than shown on the MidwayUK pages, plus their own links don't open when you click for more info on the dies!

Best bet is on-line from the USA, or Europe (no ITAR bollox to put up with that way)

I was on the Pete Lawman site a couple of days back - he had the CBC Magtech brass listed - at a very very reasonable price.
Given my attempts to buy exactly this brass, dating back some time now, but covering a period of about 3 years - after which I gave up trying to get any sort of reply or products from the cakesuckingwinkstein, I ended up buying some elsewhere

I can PM you some scans from an article in a US magazine on the reloading of the brass shotshells. Some of the older Lyman manuals (circa mid-1960's) also cover brass shotshells, but the Alcan & other brands

You DON'T need the dies.
The CBC brass uses a large pistol primer; some folk convert them to take s/g primers! (At approx. double the cost, what could go wrong )
Seat the primer on a flat surface, add powder and a over powder card.
Add a felt wad, then the shot.
Fit an over-shot card.
Seal the shot-card in with water-glass, some use PVA.
NO need for a crimp, NO need to have the shot column flush with the top of the case.

As the CBC brass has a thinner wall than a plastic shotshell you will need to use 11-bore wads and cards.
BASIC wooden hand-tools can be used to seat the components...but brass shotshells are the least complicated of any shotshell loading, so good results are easy to obtain without a press or dies.

Need any more info?

[Dangermouse]

I was going to PM you but then thought someone else might be interested in this.

I am going to use this purely for single shot slug shooting - through a bolt action gun.

Will I still be able to get the slugs in the cases?

I hear a lot regards sabot rounds and plastic wads, any thoughts on accuracy with these? Accuracy is the name of the game for me.

Do the cases not need resizing? or just trimming from time to time.

I guess that you still need some kind of shell holder to seat the primers, do you recommend any?

Would a slug still need to be held in place with some water glass? - which I have no idea what that is - does it just come as a standard mix or do you have to buy a specific type for this.

I assume that a wad has to be used to compact the powder, to assist with consistent burn rates, even when using slug? Is there a gap between the top of the wad and the slug? or do you have to push the slug down to sit on top?

You will be pleased to read that I have not got the components yet, so am still a long way from making anything.

DM

[saddler]

I was going to PM you but then thought someone else might be interested in this.

...my reputation must have preceeded me tongueout

I am going to use this purely for single shot slug shooting - through a bolt action gun.
Will I still be able to get the slugs in the cases?

Bolt gun = cheating! Use a Winchester 97, from the hip
The CBC case internal dia is approx 11-bore
The sabot slugs are under 12-bore dia. = there IS some "wiggle room" as the slugs are under sized & most of the plastic wads you'll find are going to be 12-bore specific. The plastic wad is what the slug will ride down the barrel in...so it has to be a good fit in the wad.

I hear a lot regards sabot rounds and plastic wads, any thoughts on accuracy with these? Accuracy is the name of the game for me.

THE wads to use are the Federal 12S4 - or as close as you can find to them. As you are using the slugs in a brass case, the wads will need to be 11-bore...SO, it may be a case of using a plastic wad as a sabot for the slug, with a felt-wad below that as a gas seal

Do the cases not need resizing? or just trimming from time to time.

Once they are fired, that's it. They are then fireformed to your chamber
You'd only need to trim them IF you decided to taper crimp them...so best not to, as there's no need to

I guess that you still need some kind of shell holder to seat the primers, do you recommend any?

The main RCBS Cowboy die set you linked to DID have a s/h included...though MidgayUK also stated that the dies were to be used to remove the large rifle primers from the brass. (The CBC box states LARGE PISTOL primers)
You can just seat the primers on a flat metal surface. Align the primer into the pocket, rest the case above it & tap down from the inside of the case until the primer is flush.
Honest! Never seen one of the old Lee Load All shotgun sets?
That said, IF you don't want to do this stage & cannot get the M-I-L to do it, I may have a spare s/h I can hire out at very reasonable rates

Would a slug still need to be held in place with some water glass? - which I have no idea what that is - does it just come as a standard mix or do you have to buy a specific type for this.

Water glass, a.k.a. Sodium Silicate. I got a litre online, delivered, for just over a fiver.
OR
http://chemistry.about.com/od/makechemi ... licate.htm

I assume that a wad has to be used to compact the powder, to assist with consistent burn rates, even when using slug? Is there a gap between the top of the wad and the slug? or do you have to push the slug down to sit on top?

Use a wooden dowel to firmly press the powder wad onto the powder, EVERYTIME - no matter if making slug, buckshot or birdshot loads. NO air gaps = dangerous & bad for pressure.
Over the powder card it is best to use a sealing wad, felt is good for this, THEN the payload (slug, buckshot or birdshot) THEN the overshot card, sealed with water glass.

You will be pleased to read that I have not got the components yet, so am still a long way from making anything.
DM

Do what I did

Read EVERY article & write up on the net, i.e. http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/P ... artial.pdf (page 48 onward)
Then read them all again.
Then look for more stuff to read, buy old manuals...and the new ones. BPI offer a book dedicated to brass shotshell reloading. Look on the Circle-Fly website. THEN re-read everything a couple more times, then get the kit together & go for it

[Dangermouse]

excellent, thanks.

I will start with some factory combos to see what the norm is. If I start shooting the v bull out then I will leave it at that!
Seriously no idea what "groups" will be achievable at 100 yards, but looking forward to getting this down the range.

DM