Yet Another Shotshell Reloading Question

[Duffy]

Please pardon yet another shotshell reloading question, but you guys are very helpful. Is it typical for the MEC 600 Jr to drop a shot load slightly underweight than the charge bar is rated for? The charge bar on mine is rated for 1 1/8 oz loads, but it is dropping just a smidgen over 1 oz, but not quite 1 1/8 oz. Has anyone else experienced that? Any problems? I assume it does not matter, but I wanted to check.

I have also read that bushings will typically throw charges under what they are supposed to according to the charts, such that you may need to go to a bigger bushing to achieve a charge closer to what any recipe may prescribe, and I have already had to do that.

Thanks in advance for your answers, as ever.

[buckhunter]

I use one of those adjustable bars. I can measure how man grains of powder and the shot charge I want. Bushing are never perfect but are within tolerances.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

IIRC, a lot of it has to do with the size of the shot....I remember seeing a photo years ago where a 1 1/4 oz of #2 shot was sitting in a charge bar, and it was flowing over the top, and a 1 1/4 charge of #9 shot still had some space left over.

[skeet]

Very typical...Adj charge bars are a help. And the size of shot really does make a difference. I typically ground mine to throw what I want..Even 9's usually throw light.

[Catfish]

Yes, shot bushing usually through a charge that is liter than the spec say. The main reason is that the charts are for pure lead shot, or drop shot, and everyone any more loads magum or hardened shot which does not weight as much as the pure lead shot. Not a big deal as shotgun patterens are not as critical as rifle groups. As someone already said, shot size does also efferct pettet count. The easiest way to see is take a look at 1 oz. of lead shot and compaire it to 1 oz. of steel shot. There is a tremindous difference in the volume. It is alot less with pure lead and hardened lead, but there is still a difference in volume. With your shot bushings you are measuring a volume of shot and a weight.