Cleaning shotgun hulls before reloading

[quinnjoblow]

I’m starting down the road to reload for shotgun. I have been reloading pistol and rifle for over 30 years. Does one clean shotgun hulls a bit before reloading? I have some second hand 20 gauge Winchester AA hulls that appear a little grimy. Just wondering before I start running them though my MEC. Any recipes for cleaning them if you do.

 

[BattleRife]

I never have. I suspect most people never have.

But, I do recall reading an article somewhere once wherein the author claimed he cleaned shotgun hulls by putting them into mesh bags and throwing them in the washing machine.

 

[waldo54]

I probably shot 50,000 or more reloads and never cleaned a hull

 

[Smis Five Creedmoor]

But why? I figured the wads kept the projectiles in place anyways.

 

[JohnnyPython]

If you picked them up off the field and they were dirty. Otherwise, no.

If you wash them, make sure they’re 100% dry.

 

[FLHTCUI]

I’m starting down the road to reload for shotgun. I have been reloading pistol and rifle for over 30 years. Does one clean shotgun hulls a bit before reloading? I have some second hand 20 gauge Winchester AA hulls that appear a little grimy. Just wondering before I start running them though my MEC. Any recipes for cleaning them if you do.

Unless it was dirt or mud I never cleaned them further than that.
MEC 600jr press.

 

[digitalblue]

Don't wash your hulls in water unless you have a way to quickly and completely dry them. Most current production hulls consist of multiple parts (Hull tube + basewad crimped together with a steel head). Aside from rust, you also risk getting your powder wet due to water being trapped in the basewad piece.

Most people don't bother keeping their hulls anymore, there's far too many discarded once-fired hulls laying around to justify cleaning them.

 

[250 sav]

I've never cleaned a hull but have thrown the real bad one out

 

[jcpal]

I have never cleaned a hull and have never had any issues

 

[warzaw]

They clean up well in a tumbler with walnut media but don't put them in water unless you are looking for trouble. Cheap target shells generally are one shot deals and can suffer from case and base wad seperation but some reload them. AA , STS , GM are hulls that are meant to be reloaded. Cleaning generally is not necessary.

 

[quinnjoblow]

I won’t try to clean them. Thanks for everyone’s feedback

 

[Deathrawt]

I’ve never cleaned then either
If the outside of the hull has some gunk on it maybe wipe it down with a rag