BPI Sabots

6043 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by GMFWoodchuck, Nov 25, 2010

GMFWoodchuck

Discussion Starter · Oct 28, 2010

Has anyone tried the new BPI RSS-12 sabots yet? I'm getting into slug reloading. I don't have any casting equipment yet and figure these sabots might be a good place to start. They seem like they would work well with the 350 grain XTP and the 300 FTX 50 caliber bullets from Hornady.

They call for an overshot card for them for the roll crimp loads, which makes sense to me. But how do the manufacturers keep the bullets in their sabot products without the bullets coming out during transport and whatever else?

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Augustuz

· #2 · Oct 28, 2010

Well, I don't have any personal experience with the RSS-12, but I have heard less than positive reviews about them.

I played with its predecessor, the BLS-12. They were difficult to work with and I never got satisfactory results. The sabot would be propelled faster than the bullet and the fired sabots I recovered had a hole in the bottom. It took a lot of rigging with nitro cards, etc. to get it to cure that and my results were still inconsistant.

I don't think an overshot card would be nessessary. If the sabot is well made it should hold the bullet tight enough that falling out shouldn't be a problem. If it doesn't, would it hold it tight enough to spin the bullet down the bore?

Since your getting into slug reloading, might I suggest Lightfield Commander slugs? You can check them out on Midway. With a primed hull, you drop in the power, drop in the slug, roll crimp, done.

Here's the e-mail I got from Lightfield in regards to data:

HAND LOADING WITH GREEN DOT:

The sabot we offer from handloading is the Commander IDS slug. It is the original 12ga. offering in Impact Discarding Sabot (IDS) family and weighs 465 grains.
It has been replaced by the current 600 grain 13/8oz. Commander IDS PLUS “Heavy Game” factory loaded round.
You can also use Green Dot powder starting at 24.0 grains and NO MORE than 27.0 grains for a velocity of 1475-1500ft/sec. at an OAL of 2.425 inches in a Cheditte hull. THIS IS A MAX LOAD… It was 1510ft/sec. at 10,900psi. @ 70 degrees. That is even a good cold weather load.

There is loading info in each pack of sabots for Solo 1250.

I cannot explain, in this format, the crude ways you have at home to guess at what pressures you are developing using this reloading method. A real pressure gun is the only way that you are ever sure about how much pressure you are developing. That's why every loading manual is so adamant about not ever changing ANY THING in a recipe for loading shot shells at home.

The real trick is come up with a final OAL shell that is fully crimped, generating the proper pressure on the nose of the slug, but not enough pressure that you start to collapse the pressure wad at a usable pressure at the velocity desired.

PS,
Check out the new Lightfield/TarHunt web site at: <lightfieldslugs.com> or <tarhunt.com>
Watch for up coming discounts on ammo, clothing, free giveaways, monthly contests, register for a free hunt and a whole lot more!

Questions: 570-784-6557 (9AM-3PM week days).
IN GOD WE TRUST
Have a nice day,
Randy

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Augustuz

· #4 · Oct 29, 2010 (Edited)

First, congratulations on the up coming baby!

I would definetly have interest in your results from this project, so report updates! Factory sabots are rediculiously expensive.

I don't quite follow you on the first shot being okay and the next shots "not seating correctly". The BLS had many problems. They were supposed to be for .50 cal. bullets but you really needed to cast your own in a slightly larger caliber to get the sabot to dig into the rifling.

The factory stuff uses metal in making their sabots? That would be a good way beef them up.

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