Reloads are we saving anything ?

[M12shooter]

All fine and good if one has a local source with competitive pricing. Winnipeg with WSP and Cabelas Canada not stocking shot, wads, powder in larger than 1 lb cans, having components especially powder shipped is ridiculously expensive.
And they ain't selling top guns or any other target shells for less than $65. Plus taxes per flat.

Just finished a Winnipeg group buy from Higginsons out of Ontario. You could have purchased large bulk quantities of several popular shotgun propellants. Good news is that I'm sure another group buy from Manitoba's capital region will happen again in the next year or so. Have to keep your eyes open here on CGN.

I get my wads from the US, Claybuster clones for 10 bucks/500. Shot was 24 dollars/bag and has now gone up to 32. STS primers are 34 dollsrs/1000 in Grand Forks but we can't buy that stuff down there legally.

It's like putting a puzzel together. Once good quantities of the components needed to load your pet load are obtained then just a matter of putting it all together into live ammo.

The last batch of trap loads I loaded were 7/8 oz loads and calculated it cost me $4.18 per box to load.

 

[bowhunter1250]

I reload some 12ga with my grandson just so the next generation will know what reloading is. Sometimes we might have to give up a little on price too make sure that those that follow us understand how to supply themselves and so they understand the relevance of gun ownership. Try reloading with your grandkids and then go out and shoot with them. I'd pay twice the price of factory loads to see the satisfaction on their faces when they see their own made shells hit something.

 

[planemaker]

Just finished a Winnipeg group buy from Higginsons out of Ontario. You could have purchased large bulk quantities of several popular shotgun propellants. Good news is that I'm sure another group buy from Manitoba's capital region will happen again in the next year or so. Have to keep your eyes open here on CGN.

I get my wads from the US, Claybuster clones for 10 bucks/500. Shot was 24 dollars/bag and has now gone up to 32. STS primers are 34 dollsrs/1000 in Grand Forks but we can't buy that stuff down there legally.

It's like putting a puzzel together. Once good quantities of the components needed to load your pet load are obtained then just a matter of putting it all together into live ammo.

The last batch of trap loads I loaded were 7/8 oz loads and calculated it cost me $4.18 per box to load.

I did get into a group buy last year with some gents at the WTSC for an order from Higginson. Took about six months in total for the shot, powder, wads and primers to be delivered from order date, however after receiving the shot and wads several months later, as time progressed first it was they do not carry Federal primers, then powder delivery late to higgisons for a few months to end that they did not get any E3 powder I ordered, nor at final gasp did they have Clays or Claydot.

Seems it may be a curse to be reloading Gold Medals and not AA's or STS

While I do view the forums every day, I must have missed the one you infer to have kept an eye out for. What one was it in ? If you would care to pm me, please leave me some contact info and perhaps I could join in on the next buy if only for shot and wads again.

Tim

 

[Covey Ridge]

Seems it may be a curse to be reloading Gold Medals and not AA's or STS
Tim

What is this curse you mention? I scrounge my share of GM hulls and have never found them to be difficult to find components that will work.

 

[planemaker]

What is this curse you mention? I scrounge my share of GM hulls and have never found them to be difficult to find components that will work.[/QUOTE


Locally, no suitable wads, powder in more than 1 lb cans, primers in qty and WHS & Cabelas won't bring in.

Tim

 

[Covey Ridge]

What is this curse you mention? I scrounge my share of GM hulls and have never found them to be difficult to find components that will work.[/QUOTE


Locally, no suitable wads, powder in more than 1 lb cans, primers in qty and WHS & Cabelas won't bring in.

Tim

I was curious as to why you could not find suitable components with the group buy? The group would probably get their best deal if they would limit the variety and stick to a bulk buy. I would get on board with whatever type of powder, primers and wads were the best buy for the group. If you want to save money I would stay away from E3 or Clays. Alliant has a few reasonably priced powders like Promo and Hodgdon`s Tite Wad and IMR 700x are reasonbly priced. Any primer will work as well as the 209A and many are cheaper. Even if you can find components in larger quanities you will save very little if you buy from the big retail stores.

 

[BCFred]

I would get on board with whatever type of powder, primers and wads were the best buy for the group. If you want to save money I would stay away from E3 or Clays. Alliant has a few reasonably priced powders like Promo and Hodgdon`s Tite Wad and IMR 700x are reasonbly priced. Any primer will work as well as the 209A and many are cheaper. Even if you can find components in larger quanities you will save very little if you buy from the big retail stores.

So far I've been pretty lucky with wads and hulls, but have had to be a bit flexible with primers and powder. Right now I have some of CCI209; Win209 and Cheddites remaining from previous buys. You have to pay a little more attention to what you are doing, but everything has worked out so far. I've stretched the dollar a bit for powder and bought Clays pretty much all along, but I'm just about out and have a keg of Promo that I've just started on. Put a few extra PW powder bushings on my shelf for the Promo because lots apparenly vary quite a bit in how they meter. Have already had to drill a bushing out to get close to the load I want with this batch. Sometimes I wish I could have all the same components. It would be simpler, but then one wouldn't find things out about reloading different components either. Too bad about the E3. It looks like a good powder. I'm going to look for some the next time I need to make a powder buy.

 

[planemaker]

I was curious as to why you could not find suitable components with the group buy? The group would probably get their best deal if they would limit the variety and stick to a bulk buy. I would get on board with whatever type of powder, primers and wads were the best buy for the group. If you want to save money I would stay away from E3 or Clays. Alliant has a few reasonably priced powders like Promo and Hodgdon`s Tite Wad and IMR 700x are reasonbly priced. Any primer will work as well as the 209A and many are cheaper. Even if you can find components in larger quanities you will save very little if you buy from the big retail stores.

let me address some of your questions / comments.

"why you could not find suitable components with the group buy?"

Because I do not reload the same hulls as they do, ie I reload Federal Gold Medals not Win. AA's or Rem. STS. Different hulls take different components, The supplier that they were getting from did not carry Federal #209A primers nor powder I wanted to follow the recipies I utilize.

"I would get on board with whatever type of powder, primers and wads were the best buy for the group"

See above, I reload Fed GM's, I cannot use components meant for use in the other hulls. I have thousands of these hulls and it is not practical to switch at this time. STS are not available in WPG, and HS AA's are no longer the hulls they built their rep on(CF). Besides, my receipies also can be loaded into Fed Top Gun( reload once and toss) and there is no shortage of those hulls available for the picking.

"If you want to save money I would stay away from E3 or Clays. Alliant has a few reasonably priced powders like Promo and Hodgdon`s Tite Wad and IMR 700x are reasonbly priced"

Well just saving money is not my goal or desire. I happen to really like using Clays and want to try E3. They are very clean burning and not sensitive to low temps( I do shoot thru the winter and it's not that friggin mild in the Peg), I find those qualitys very desirable.

"Any primer will work as well as the 209A and many are cheaper"

The 209A is the hottest primer so perhaps one could sub safely but generally it is not advisable to do so without manufacturer published recipies. The Federal 209A's are always cheaper than the Win or Rem primers here, Cheddites are cheaper but no published recipies are avail for use with my specific choice of hull, wad and powder.

Tim

 

[Win/64]

let me address some of your questions / comments.

"why you could not find suitable components with the group buy?"

Because I do not reload the same hulls as they do, ie I reload Federal Gold Medals not Win. AA's or Rem. STS. Different hulls take different components, The supplier that they were getting from did not carry Federal #209A primers nor powder I wanted to follow the recipies I utilize.

"I would get on board with whatever type of powder, primers and wads were the best buy for the group"

See above, I reload Fed GM's, I cannot use components meant for use in the other hulls. I have thousands of these hulls and it is not practical to switch at this time. STS are not available in WPG, and HS AA's are no longer the hulls they built their rep on(CF). Besides, my receipies also can be loaded into Fed Top Gun( reload once and toss) and there is no shortage of those hulls available for the picking.

"If you want to save money I would stay away from E3 or Clays. Alliant has a few reasonably priced powders like Promo and Hodgdon`s Tite Wad and IMR 700x are reasonbly priced"

Well just saving money is not my goal or desire. I happen to really like using Clays and want to try E3. They are very clean burning and not sensitive to low temps( I do shoot thru the winter and it's not that friggin mild in the Peg), I find those qualitys very desirable.

"Any primer will work as well as the 209A and many are cheaper"

The 209A is the hottest primer so perhaps one could sub safely but generally it is not advisable to do so without manufacturer published recipies. The Federal 209A's are always cheaper than the Win or Rem primers here, Cheddites are cheaper but no published recipies are avail for use with my specific choice of hull, wad and powder.

Tim

The Chedites are great Primers. They are slightly hotter than Win. 209's so lighten your load by about a half grain.

 

[Covey Ridge]

let me address some of your questions / comments.

"why you could not find suitable components with the group buy?"

Because I do not reload the same hulls as they do, ie I reload Federal Gold Medals not Win. AA's or Rem. STS. Different hulls take different components, The supplier that they were getting from did not carry Federal #209A primers nor powder I wanted to follow the recipies I utilize.

"I would get on board with whatever type of powder, primers and wads were the best buy for the group"

See above, I reload Fed GM's, I cannot use components meant for use in the other hulls. I have thousands of these hulls and it is not practical to switch at this time. STS are not available in WPG, and HS AA's are no longer the hulls they built their rep on(CF). Besides, my receipies also can be loaded into Fed Top Gun( reload once and toss) and there is no shortage of those hulls available for the picking.

"If you want to save money I would stay away from E3 or Clays. Alliant has a few reasonably priced powders like Promo and Hodgdon`s Tite Wad and IMR 700x are reasonbly priced"

Well just saving money is not my goal or desire. I happen to really like using Clays and want to try E3. They are very clean burning and not sensitive to low temps( I do shoot thru the winter and it's not that friggin mild in the Peg), I find those qualitys very desirable.

"Any primer will work as well as the 209A and many are cheaper"

The 209A is the hottest primer so perhaps one could sub safely but generally it is not advisable to do so without manufacturer published recipies. The Federal 209A's are always cheaper than the Win or Rem primers here, Cheddites are cheaper but no published recipies are avail for use with my specific choice of hull, wad and powder.

Tim

There are lots of recipies for other components with GM hulls. I am not suggesting substitution without checking reliable data. I have spoke to tecs from both Hodgdon and Alliant and got suggested loadings for Cheddites and Fiochi primers that they had not published. I know all that cold weather stuff, but the original topic was the economy of reloading.

 

[Covey Ridge]

Well just saving money is not my goal or desire. I happen to really like using Clays and want to try E3. They are very clean burning and not sensitive to low temps( I do shoot thru the winter and it's not that friggin mild in the Peg), I find those qualitys very desirable.

Well, I probably never shoot as cold as it can get where you are. I never shoot when I can not feel my fingers with good shooting gloves. I have tried all the powders mentioned in this thread and quite a few more. I am not certain, but I think the only time I ever had weather related soft loads was when I used ammo stored in the back of my vehicle. Two times when I supected soft loads was with Tite Wad powder and the other time was with Remington Gun Club factory loads. The rest seem to handle as much cold as I am willing to put up with.

 

[planemaker]

There are lots of recipies for other components with GM hulls. I am not suggesting substitution without checking reliable data. I have spoke to tecs from both Hodgdon and Alliant and got suggested loadings for Cheddites and Fiochi primers that they had not published. I know all that cold weather stuff, but the original topic was the economy of reloading.

Am I being chided as going off topic for answering questions as to why I have difficulty saving as much as others ? I don't get it, seems to me to be directly in topic in relating my efforts of reloading economically not what is the bare bones least cost option. Can you hop in your car and go get an 8lb container of the powder of your choice ? I can't, have to order it, tried once no joy, however perhaps I do find what I want this year in stock at Higgisons or elsewhere, economically I'll take a hit in hazmat fees and shipping costs because powder can only be shipped by truck and not courior. A group buy helps to lower each individual's costs like this as discussed.


Tim

 

[Covey Ridge]

Am I being chided as going off topic for answering questions as to why I have difficulty saving as much as others ? I don't get it, seems to me to be directly in topic in relating my efforts of reloading economically not what is the bare bones least cost option. Can you hop in your car and go get an 8lb container of the powder of your choice ? I can't, have to order it, tried once no joy, however perhaps I do find what I want this year in stock at Higgisons or elsewhere, economically I'll take a hit in hazmat fees and shipping costs because powder can only be shipped by truck and not courior. A group buy helps to lower each individual's costs like this as discussed.


Tim

You are not being chided about anything. Just pointing out that you are not limited to the choice of components just because you use Gold Medal Hulls. If it is your choice to just accept certain primers, wads and primers you may always have difficulty getting what you exactly want. I wish you better luck with your next group order. I do not forsee an abundance of E3 or 209As in Canada in the near future.

 

[planemaker]

You are not being chided about anything. Just pointing out that you are not limited to the choice of components just because you use Gold Medal Hulls. If it is your choice to just accept certain primers, wads and primers you may always have difficulty getting what you exactly want. I wish you better luck with your next group order. I do not forsee an abundance of E3 or 209As in Canada in the near future.

I apologize if I took your statement " I know all that cold weather stuff, but the original topic was the economy of reloading" to be something it was not.
I'm not sure you quite understand what I've been getting at.

No powders, primers or wads are locally available in bulk qtys.
As I originally stated, I went in on a group buy last year got the shot and wads eventually but it was not til very much later than the order was placed was I told the primers I wanted were not available nor the powder.
If I get into another group buy I simply will find out if what I want is available. I'm not adamant about need to have E3 or Claydot I just wanted to try them. I am very happy with Hogdon Clays perfomance.

My biggest point is that no matter what one reloads here in Winnipeg, it is impossible to buy ANY shot, wads, powder or primers in bulk qtys locally and therefore the cost of having it all shipped in at personal expense limits
economic advantage and makes it much more difficult.

Truly I jealously mutter to myself when I visit the US just 2 hours away and
see a Canadian owned Wholesale Sports store in a extremely smaller city stocked to the rafters with all the above yet here it's we don't stock it, won't
order it yadayadayada.

Tim

 

[Covey Ridge]

Until recently, the WSS in Calgary has had 8 pounders in Clays, American Select,Red Dot , Green Dot, 700X, 800X, and Winchester Super Target. They have bulk primers in Winchester 209 and the Federal 209A. Although the primers are in short supply a buddy of mine managed to score 5000, 209As. At this time, the only bulk wads they have are winchester. They never stock E3 or Clay Dot. Their buyer says it is not available to them. The Calgary store buys for all the Canadian stores and they do take orders. I would go to the store in the peg and place a special order. Ask for an older dude by the name of Graeme.