I took the shot out of about 250 shells so I could reload some 3" 1-1/2 oz coyote loads with the 15g/cc #2 Federal Heavyweight shot. This Federal shot is much heavier than Rem HD Wingmaster shot and Hevi-Shot that is 12g/cc.
The Rem HD 3" 1-1/2 oz #2 factory shells had over 120 pellets in each shell. The Federal HW 15g/CC #2 shot only has 90 to 93 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot. It says right on the box that Federal Heavyweight shot is 35% denser than lead. It is unreal HOW HEAVY a few of these pellets feel in my hand.
To reload the 3" Fiocchi shells with this Federal shot I weighed 90 ea 1-1/2 oz shot charges and put each shot charge in a 2-3/4" Fiocchi target hull.
I had to weigh each powder charge of 35 grains of Steel powder. Steel powder does not meter very good at all so each powder charge needs to be weighed.
I am using BPS TPS wads and all of the Federal HW #2s fit in the wad cup with room to spare. I put some white plastic filler beads on top of the shot to help get a good tight level crimp and to help keep the very hard shot inside the shot cup.
After putting the beads on top of the shot I put a 16 ga thin over shot card wad on top of the beads with a thin water proof Tyvec 5/8" diameter patch on top of the 16 ga over shot wad.
Then I crimped the new 3" Fiocchi hulls.
It takes quite a while to reload these 3" shells but I have fun reloading them.
The Federal factory 1-1/4 oz Heavyweight 3" shells had a average of 78 pellets per shell. The 3" 1-1/2 oz HW #2 shells I reloaded have 90 to 93 pellets in each shell.
