The double sabot loading method is simple once explained. Take one of your sabots, the same ones you use with the bullet, preferably MMP or Hornady high pressure high velocity sabots, and with a razor blade, scissors, or shrap knife, cut the fingers or petals off flush with the top base of the sabot. This will be started in the bore first. Then take a wool wad, like a Wonder Wad, and start it on top of the sabot base you started first. Then take your normal sabot with bullet, start it and ram the whole column home. Some people are using 28ga shotgun wad bases instead of a sabot base, with good results. Either will work.

For hot loads of Lil Gun, say 52-60 grains, you may need to use the double sabot method. For light and meduim loads of Lil Gun, anything less than 52 grains, you should be fine with just the sabot with the bullet. Only shooting will tell whether you need to use the doble sabot method, though. If the sabots are missing fingers or petal and/or the base is burnt or distorted, then you may need to use the double sabot method.

 

Posted by Mike 3132

I've shot the double sabot laoding method probably more than anyone here and this is how i found it to work the best. First use Lil Gun powder as it is the powder of choice for this method. Use from 45-60grns. You can use up to a 300grn bullet but with 60grns of powder and a 300 bullet it will kick you big time. Second, I use the base cup of a 28ga. wad. Cut off the wad column and use just the base. They fit tighter and increase velocity by 30-50fps. Third, use 2 Remington Bore buttons, Ox-Yoke Wonder Wads or any other wool wads and make sure they are the lube kind. After shooting both one and two wads, two seemed to seal better. Next use the bullet of your choice and a MMP or Hornady Hight pressure sabot. And last use a Mag Primer. The loading sequence i use is powder, then base wad with a couple of tamps, lubed wads, couple more tamps, and then sabot/bullet with one hard tamp. I like the 180 Red Hot/MMP sabot with 60grns of Lil Gun. It goes thru the chrony at around 2800 fps. This has done a great job on whitetail this year. Double sabot method works great and is the best method for hot loads until someone comes out with a tougher sabot that will with stand higher pressures. Good luck, Mike

 

Posted by Saskhunter

 

I've heard that the sabot acts as a "pressure release valve" to prevent internal pressures from getting too high and causing damage or injury. Does using the second sabot increase the pressure, or does the pressure remain the same? Also, why doesn't someone just make a better sabot, or just the base of the sabot? Seems like there would be a market for them.
Thanks for the info.

 

Posted by Doug/Va

 

MMP is working on a better sabot-or so I'm told. The double-sabot load does let pressure go higher as it protects from blow by. But the pressure will still be at a safe level, and if shooting a model 10-II the primer acts like a second pressure relief valve at higher pressures.

 

Posted by blue-dot-37.5

 

I was wondering about the pressure thing with the double sabots. Thanks. 2 questions tho. 1)With the 28 ga. base, how critical is it to get the flat part of the base wad flat? Should I grind off any bits of the compression legs that are left? 2)Would the smaller dia. bullets work any better using the double sabot method vs. the single sabot method? Just curious. I was thinking about how to get a better BC without going to a heavier bullet.

I ordered a bag of brush wads from Precision Reloading for the 28 ga. They have a cup on both ends, with a compression section in the middle. If someone can e-mail me and tell me how to post a pic, I'll take a pic of one and post it. Their powder cups have a deeper "cup" and a small "o" ring around the outside. I know that they seal really well in shotguns! (I've got a .800" I.D. 12 ga, and the 12 ga. ones work well - std. bore is .729").

 

Posted by Mike 3132

 

blue-dot,
the base cup on a 28ga. wad is .504-5. a cup from a 32ga would be considerable smaller, probably in the high .480's or low .490's and probably wouldnt seal as good unless you used the whole column with the petals cut off. 28ga. wads didnt work well that way, the accuracy wasnt as good as just using the base and wool wads. I found some 28ga. Magnum reloading wads and am ordering them to test. they might have a stronger base cup.

If you just want to use one wad use the .250, if your using two use the .125. The ones we buy are 1/8" or .125 from OX-yoke, Remingtion, T/C/ and use two. Be careful that you dont over lube them. I made some and the trouble I had was loading the second shot. Lot of lube left in the gun and it caught the powder and stuck it to the side of the barrel. Then the sabot didnt want to load very easy. I even heated the lube and dipped the wads and it still did it. Maybe you will have better luck, Mike

 

Posted by Blue-dot-37.5

 

Mike: After doing some digging, it seems that the 28ga. is real close to .54 cal. So you reporting that they load real hard would be right on the money. I saw that Precision has 32 ga. felt wads, both .125 and .250 thick. I believe that the 32 ga. is real close to .50 cal, so I'll probably order a couple of bags and a good sized can of Wonder Lube and make my own lubed felt wads. I can't see spending $6.99 to $7.99 plus shipping for 100 Lubed Wonder Wads. Which thickness do you think would be better, .125 or .250?

 

Posted by Mike 3132

 

Blue dot, Tried them with the wad column left on and it doesnt load easy. The cup loads easy but the flat with the petals attached is a lot bigger and loads real hard. shot them with the column attached and didnt seem to work as good. These are the 28ga. Claybusters I am talking about. To trim the Claybusters, use a X-acto knife and cut the four legs off as even as you can with the top of the cup. If a little is left it doesnt seem to make any accuracy difference. Never have used any of the others so cant give any advise. The advantage of 28ga. wads is they are bigger and fit tighter than BP sabots. Seem to seal better. Let us know how the others perform. Mike

 

Posted by Mike 3132

 

Dont worry about the legs. I use an X-acto knife to cut them off with and it doesnt seem to make any difference if they is a little left on. I use Claybuster 28ga. wads but any 28 will work. 2. That is one of the advantages of using the double sabot method, you can use smaller diameter bullets. I have had success shooting .429 bullets with the double sabot method and never could get them to work consistant with single sabots. Good luck, Mike