Steel-based Federal shotgun ammo

[gharrod]

At our club's last match yesterday, I started using some steel-based Federal Target Load #8's I had bought recently. I had two extraction failures with my Winchester 97. I switched over to my TTN rabbit-ear coach gun and they wouldn't even drop out of that without help. I switched back to brass-base ammo for the rest of the match, and had no problems with either shotgun.
Anybody else have that or similar problems with steel-base Federal ammo?

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Doesn't matter which brand ammo, any using the steel/aluminum bases are going to have extraction problems............Buck

[Haggis MacGurk]

I used remington gun club #8's last year, and the extractors on my 87 actually tore chunks out of the rims on a couple occasions. It's gonna be Winchester AA's for me this year. Lesson learned about aluminum based shells. They were cheap though, only $49.00 Canadian for a case. I think that's about $75.00US. (Been waiting for years to use that line)

[Oddman]

Had the same problem with my 1887, price was good, but not worth all the problems. Winchester or Rem. only

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

In my view, it's not the base materiel to blame.  The plastic on ALL the cheapo aluminium based shells is too soft and doesn't have the bounce back required for easy extraction. 

Winchester is the softest, and will crumble when crimped too hard on reloading.  Federal is better, and I use it to cut down for 2 1/2" smokeless practice loads. Still too sticky for easy extraction.

For me, Remington shells of all types give the best extraction qualities  Even old blue Peters shells work well after many reloads.  I select NITRO 27 gold coloured cases for 2 3/4" BP reloads for match use as they look like brass in my shell belt.

For 2 1/2" BP reloads for my old Husqvarna underlever, I use Remington Gun Clubs.  They still slip out with a backwards jerk, and I then just let them drop in "fire and forget" mode.  For plastic crimps at 2 1/2"  I use my JAM-ROLL technique, after shortening them, and can use my MEC Grabber to do it.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,16425.0.html

[John Barleycorn]

 I've been using cheap Rem. game loads, black hulls, steel bases, for two years now with out a hitch, and a few darksiders also request I save my hulls for them, they say there great for the holy black because the Rem. plastic holds up very well. I bought a Lee Load this winter and am excited to give shot shell loading a try. I did buy some Rem. STS to fire so I could have some hulls for big matches though, been lucky so far with the cheapies but don't want to push it.

[Dalton Masterson]

Hmm. I use the cheapest Federals or winchesters I can find at Walmart, both with aluminum bases. Never had a lick of trouble out of my 97. They werent too bad in my Stevens 311 either, but did stick some. Its not slicked up or nothing tho. I also use the Rem hulls to reload black. I have had some for several reloads now, and tho they are starting to get kinda crusty, will go another round. DM