Slug hulls.

[Dick Dastardly]

Make great black powder shot shells.  I use a roll crimp and they sure come out nice.  So, if your club is having a hunter sight in day(s), go collect the empties from slug loads.  These make great black powder loads, especially when you roll crimp them.

DD-MDA

[Coffinmaker]

Now that is really interesting.  I'd never thought of "Slug" hulls as a source of fodder for BP shot shells.  Might not hurt to check in withe the armorer and range master for your local PD either.  I would imagine when the PD qualifies with the shotgun, the hulls are "lost Brass"
and just swept up into the trash can.

Coffinmaker

[Grapeshot]

I agree with DD on the hulls.  I used to work in an indoor range and come hunting season the hunters would come in and sight in their slug guns and leave the hulls in a box labeled for that purpose.  I liked them because the European ones were translucent and you could see all the components in the hull after I reloaded them.  I did not have a roll crimp tool, so they got a six point folded crimp.

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Grapeshot,

A crimp that I like is to use a standard pie crimp over an overshot card and then do a roll crimp finish.  This may be the strongest crimp available to handloaders.  I wouldn't use it with heathen fad smokeyless powder, but with Holy Black it really builds pressure soon and the burn is very complete.  You may never be able to reload the hulls again, but the Boom is well worth the sacrifice. .

DD-MDA

[rickk]

for BP, my favorite hulls are the ones that no one wants any more. I cut the star crimp off, load them with BP with a roll crimp, and toss them after one shot.

[Gabriel Law]

I've shot a lot of Winchester AA plastic shot shells with black powder, and what surprises the heck out of me, is how clean they seem to be after firing.  I load them again without doing anything else, and they perform just fine.

I have a 1887 12 gauge with 32" full choked bbl, so I cut my cases to 2 1/2, load then with Holy black, and roll crimp them.  This is such a fine gun, and it loves these loads.

DD:  what is the advantage to using 'slug hulls'?

[Dick Dastardly]

Slug hulls have no pie crimp memory since they were roll crimped when the factory loaded them.  I've never found them fired more than once, cept when I reload 'em.  They load like new hulls with whatever kind of crimp you prefer.  As I said, I like the pie crimp with a roll crimp finish.  I do use an overshot card either way.  Black Powder seems to like a firm strong crimp to get the pressure up early.

DD-MDA

[Gabriel Law]

thanks DD!

[litl rooster]

These are good casing to reload- these and paper ones. I love rolled crimp on shotshells. Loaded buck n ball rounds too.   I lent my crimper out a few years ago. Trying to help a shooter get started. He wasn't a honest person and i never got it back. I figure i will find one again.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Rooster,

I do my roll crimps with a bench top drill press and a roll crimp spinner while holding the shells with a MEC Supersizer.  I have crimp spinners for all between 410 to 10ga and Supersizer grippers for same.  This rig holds the shells absolutely straight, square and steady.  The bench top drill press does a great job.  Yes, this cost me some loot, but it's the best rig I've come up with for great roll crimp closures.

For black powder shot shells I find a good firm crimp is very necessary.  FWIW, black powder shells can develop near as much energy as heathen fad smokeyless ones.  That, plus they are a lot more fun to shoot. . .

DD-MDA