is it worth reloading shotgun shells?

Nope - its cheaper to buy Target Load Flats when on sale or thru your Club ...

I have a Ponsness Warren and it's sitting in my gun room ... I have several thousand 1F Reminton Target Shells, but it's not worth it - not wirth it to me anyways, to buy powder, shot + primers and reload them.

I have shot 5 to 7 to 10K shells a year, not any more (that's easy for trap shooters etc.).

Way cheaper to buy Flats on sale ...

Unless you have a special purpose ...

Rifles are seperate: I reload for the accuracy in numerous rifles ... not cheap but you still save alot and get your 1/4" moa and better ...
 
I don't bother loading 12 gauge or 20 gauge, as even shooting skeet, it would take years just to pay off the cost of the press. I do save around $4000 per year loading my 28 gauge and 410 skeet loads. I load about 6000 rounds of 410 and 28 gauge every year.
 
cosmic said:
Sniffer - People shooting high volumes of clays will often opt for lighter payloads (eg 3/4 to 1 oz in 12g). Recoil and shooting fatigue is reduced, as is cost, with lead being the most expensive component. Bear in mind it only takes a pellet or two to shatter a clay pigeon.
The heavier loads (1 1/8 oz and above) are typically field loads, where pellet count can matter when you are shooting at a pheasant at 40 yards.
Most modern semi auto shotguns have compensating gas systems that are designed to accommodate light target loads up to 3.5 inch duck loads. Whether a given gun lives up to its design intent can only be determined by experience. Light loads will often lead to "stovepiping".
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Thanks for the explanation. I am slowly joining the dots in my head with shotgun ammo.

You mention the heavier 1 1/8 loads are "Field loads" so are the lighter 7/8 & 1oz loads "Target loads"?

Trying to decide what would be best for dynamic type shotgun competitions - seems each has pros and cons.

Lighter load (7/8 & 1oz - Less recoil but less pellets (less chance of a hit but as you say it only takes a single pellet to shatter a clay)

Heavier load (1 1/8) - More recoil but more pellets (maybe better for knocking down steel?)
 
I also learned today that there are different "grades" of lead shot - from very soft stuff to very hard stuff - has to do with the amount of antimony alloyed with the lead and then the heat treat that is done. So another variable besides lead weight and shot size - what are you sending out for shot - what will it do once it connects? Chances are good that a hunter guy wants the hardest lead shot he can get, although there might be different opinions on that - I do not know what clay shooter guys would want.
 
Sniffer said:
Thanks for the explanation. I am slowly joining the dots in my head with shotgun ammo.

You mention the heavier 1 1/8 loads are "Field loads" so are the lighter 7/8 & 1oz loads "Target loads"?

Trying to decide what would be best for dynamic type shotgun competitions - seems each has pros and cons.

Lighter load (7/8 & 1oz - Less recoil but less pellets (less chance of a hit but as you say it only takes a single pellet to shatter a clay)

Heavier load (1 1/8) - More recoil but more pellets (maybe better for knocking down steel?)
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Sniffer for 2/3 gun Dynamic shotgun steel plate targets I'd Stick to 1 1/8 #7.5 your right more pellets downrange and the heavier #7.5 should retain more energy to help knock down the steel plates. Look for 1290/1330 FPS handicap loads . The lighter 1150 fps is lacking A heavy steel plate requires more to effect it than a Clay target
 
Sniffer said:
Disclaimer - I am clueless about shotgun ammo. Am I right in thinking 7/8 and 1 oz is the payload (ie quantity of shot)?

Can I ask why you do that? Most loads I see are heavier (1 1/8) and if I am correct would be sending more shot downrange (better chance of a hit?)

Is lower recoil your goal? And does the gun still cycle / run as well with the lighter loads?
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I shoot skeet mostly. 7/8 oz is plenty enough to break targets at skeet distances. 16yd trap and the large majority of sporting clays targets I find 7/8 oz or 1 oz are more than adequate, as well.

I used to shoot a lot of 1-1/8 oz at 1145 or 1200 fps shells and the recoil was manageable but after going to 7/8 oz and 1oz at 1180-1200 fps reloads its really quite a lot nicer to shoot them with the softer recoil.
 
The harder shot is more desirable then the softer stuff as it produces tighter patterns due to less shot deformity
The target loads like REM STS and Win AA use the harder shot with more antimony and as you probably guessed it is more expensive to buy those rounds and to buy the shot to load your own
 
The guy I was talking with said he had used a hardness tester and found that Lawrence brand "Magnum shot" with 6% antomony to be harder than Humminson "Extra Hard Shot". I also read there is a thing called "Chilled Shot" - I do not know what that is or what it is made from. From reading, apparently simply adding antimony to the lead might gain some hardness, but it is a subsequent heat treat and quench that makes it much harder than pure lead. I understand that a heat treat of pure lead accomplishes about nothing for hardness of the metal. I am not sure how long that extra "hardness" lasts - I think over time (weeks, months, years ?) that the hardness slowly goes away.
 
Lawrys shooting supplies carries Lawrence Brand shot
They have the Chilled shot at 2% Antimony and the Magnum Shot which is 6% Antimony
I'm not sure what the Hummason shot has but it's what I use being local and cheaper than the Eagle brand at Bass Pro

Hummason Lawrence and Eagle shot are the only brands I've seen in southern Ontario for sale
 
XLNC said:
I shoot skeet mostly. 7/8 oz is plenty enough to break targets at skeet distances. 16yd trap and the large majority of sporting clays targets I find 7/8 oz or 1 oz are more than adequate, as well.

I used to shoot a lot of 1-1/8 oz at 1145 or 1200 fps shells and the recoil was manageable but after going to 7/8 oz and 1oz at 1180-1200 fps reloads its really quite a lot nicer to shoot them with the softer recoil.
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Even at the same cost there is something to be said for reloading when you can tailor your rounds for the purpose.
 
Licensed to kill said:
IMO, it does not “pay” to load 12 or 20ga if you have to buy all the components (which of course most people have to). .410, 28, and 16 certainly pays due to the high price of Taylor mades.
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Ungrateful said:
Not with birdshot the shot and other components cost almost that much. Specialty hunting ammo is worth it or if you cast your own buckshot and slugs
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XLNC said:
I reload 12, 20, 28 and 410 , and save on costs in them all but the biggest savings are 28ga and 410.
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Just echoing that it is the same answer: .410, 16ga & 28ga you save money. Then if you do specialty Bismuth, buckshot, slugs and such, then it's like a rifle in tuning the ammo to the gun.

Otherwise, there is no savings or real reason to load normal 12ga and 20ga unless it is a passion you don't mind spending the money on.
 
444shooter said:
Just curious, what powder are folks using when loading 1-1/8 7.5 in 12ga?
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There’s lots of different powders you can use
Win super handicap, green dot, clays, red dot, ect
Some of the powders are hard to get right now though
The win super handicap is available and you can duplicate the AA winchester load with it
 
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