I've taken several shots lately with the Maverick. The kids have taken about 1000 in the last few days!

I had the gun set out in a ready position to take care of the squirrel population (no wife here!). Every day, I'd take a shot at the target wall to verify I was on target (this gun never leaks and is always on target) with my stash of Falcons. Well, the kids decided to get interested in target shooting again and before I knew it, depleted my stash! What the heck!

Naturally, the casting pot is busy... So, while I need to go cast the super accurate Falcons and Bishops as soon as I can, I decided I'd try to see if there was a substitute for the Hornady .25 ball that some so and so decided to discontinue!

I bought some JSB .25 JSB King Exacts and some H&N (Kodiaks) and they both work! They are a bit large for the barrel and don't load as smooth as I like but the accuracy is squirrel head at 40 yards... Best part is that they come in bulk and I can save my Barnes slugs for the high value targets.

I just bought some more JSBs as they seem to be a bit better than the heavier Kodiaks. Tomorrow, I'm going to run some of the ones I have through the sizing die to see how that changes performance. I think running them through backwards will work. That might be wishful thinking as the diablos only have the skirt and head to align with the die. Most slugs have another ring or more surface to get true to the die. Anyhow, it will be interesting to see how velocity and maybe accuracy changes with sizing.

I'd rather just use the balls I can't get... I figure sizing pellets is about like making buck balls but in anycase is a tiny bit easier and allows more shooting than casting the good stuff (my private stash now!).

Hey. Good show. Glad it's performing.

I think another possibility would be a die ram with a head shaped as the inside pellet skirt.

Hi Jerry
You will need to get those kids onto some more casting!
Cheers
Neil

That's right Neil, they need to earn their keep around here!

It's kind of funny that I would be trying the JSBs as I have the molds for the best slugs and experienced casters besides me living right here dependent on me for food... That said, getting use out of the gun is why I bought it. My stash of .25 slugs was pretty healthy a couple weeks back and I was using them at a slow pace. Then the kids rolled back around to wanting to shoot...a LOT! Well, taking the best slugs and spitting them out at huge rates to shoot stuff at near ranges does seem a little wasteful. Thus, the alternative pellets for high volume plinking idea.

It turns out that the JSBs load into the die just great backwards and come out fine. They load like butter now and.... they shoot great! I don't have a clean target to post but I found that filling to 23-2500 gives a nice string of shots that are touching at 40 yards.

That should allow for the 6 shooter 10 target 5 shot group competitions that pop up around here recently!

After the boys re-stock your slug supply, you'll have to turn the sizing die over to them and have 'em go to town on "plinking ammo" so they don't clean you out so fast.

It's like the "kids table" at family Thanksgiving dinners. The kids still have to peel the potatos and help wash the dishes, but the nice plates and the good silverware are reserved for Grandma and the aunties.