Powders for 12g

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mason.djar

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I just got second hand MEC 600 jr set up for 12ga from an estate sale, and, as i'm very new to reloading, what powders do people recommend? I got shot from the same sale, and have tons of AA hulls, but i am having trouble finding what powders to use.

EDIT: reading the comments i guess i should have phrased it as where to look for load data. just want to assure people i'm not going to be measuring in table spoons and pinches. I like my hands and i'd rather not mangle them yet if it can be avoided.
 
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Different recipes will require different powders. Shotshells are much more component sensitive when it comes to what pressures they develop so changing wads, primers, or hulls may also necessitate a powder change. Get a shotshell reloading manual, look up data for the components you have or you can find, and see what powders are listed.

Do know that shotshell powders are as hard to find right now in Canada as pistol powders. They aren't impossible to find but you'll usually have to do a lot more searching to find some.
Also note that once you pay for shot at normal retail prices, your loads are going to be more expensive than bulk factory ammo. If you got the shot for cheap at the estate sale you could load up some shells for cheaper but generally speaking, if buying components, 12 and 20ga are only worth reloading for buckshot, slug, or specialty rounds (like bismuth, premium steel, etc.). Even then the real savings with buckshot and slug comes with casting your own.
 
Go buy a few shots shell manuals, then see what powders anyone has in stock.
There is a big void in those powders right now, so it might be a case of availability over like ability.
 
LUTNIT said:
Different recipes will require different powders. Shotshells are much more component sensitive when it comes to what pressures they develop so changing wads, primers, or hulls may also necessitate a powder change. Get a shotshell reloading manual, look up data for the components you have or you can find, and see what powders are listed.

Do know that shotshell powders are as hard to find right now in Canada as pistol powders. They aren't impossible to find but you'll usually have to do a lot more searching to find some.
Also note that once you pay for shot at normal retail prices, your loads are going to be more expensive than bulk factory ammo. If you got the shot for cheap at the estate sale you could load up some shells for cheaper but generally speaking, if buying components, 12 and 20ga are only worth reloading for buckshot, slug, or specialty rounds (like bismuth, premium steel, etc.). Even then the real savings with buckshot and slug comes with casting your own.
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Good advice LUTNIT.

I have 2 MEC 600 Jr shotshell presses. One in 12 ga and one in 20 ga.
To the original poster, get yourself a Lyman Shotshell manual and you will have all the info you will ever need to load shotshells. One other very important thing to be aware of. You will need a number of different bushings for the charge bar. MEC publishes a list of available bushings and the charge weight it will throw with numerous different powders. This is critical. Use the wrong bushing and you could over or under charge your ammo depending on the powder you are using.

Here is a load (from the manual) I have used for both trapshooting and upland bird hunting.
Winchester AA hull
Winchester 209 primer
Wad- Winchester WAA12 or Pacific
17 grains of 700X powder
1 and 1/8 oz of 7+1/2 or 8 shot.
 
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Brno8x57 said:
One other very important thing to be aware of. You will need a number of different bushings for the charge bar. MEC publishes a list of available bushings and the charge weight it will throw with numerous different powders. This is critical. Use the wrong bushing and you could over or under charge your ammo depending on the powder you are using.
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Really the chart should be used as a guide and you need to weigh what it actually dispenses. I found some of mine were quite lite compared to what the charts say they should be dispensing. The other option is a universal charge bar but they aren't perfect either, my tend to be stiffer to slide than the MEC bars.
 
i've been looking for a good manual on shot shell reloading and i was going to go with the Lyman one, but the Hogdon site that Bassmaster posted looks pretty good. anyone have experiance with the Lyman book? I like having a physical copy of the data.
 
LUTNIT said:
Different recipes will require different powders. Shotshells are much more component sensitive when it comes to what pressures they develop so changing wads, primers, or hulls may also necessitate a powder change. Get a shotshell reloading manual, look up data for the components you have or you can find, and see what powders are listed.

Do know that shotshell powders are as hard to find right now in Canada as pistol powders. They aren't impossible to find but you'll usually have to do a lot more searching to find some.
Also note that once you pay for shot at normal retail prices, your loads are going to be more expensive than bulk factory ammo. If you got the shot for cheap at the estate sale you could load up some shells for cheaper but generally speaking, if buying components, 12 and 20ga are only worth reloading for buckshot, slug, or specialty rounds (like bismuth, premium steel, etc.). Even then the real savings with buckshot and slug comes with casting your own.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and i'm well aware that i probably won't save much doing reloading. This is just a bit of a hobby that i wanted to pick up. I like nothing more than doing something for my self, and this looked like a somewhat cheap way to get into reloading. thanks for the info from everyone in the thread.
 
As mentioned in another post, you'll need to weigh your drops for set-up and confirmation, so a scale is an important item to have before you start loading. You can find them used also.
I don't save much (if anything) by re-loading, but I don't mind the process. Be careful if your estate sale included old wads, I had some given to me once, and when I went to use them the plastic had lost a lot of it's playability and was almost brittle.
 
700x

And FWIW, I see the value in reloading. I shoot several rounds of skeet every weekend and I certainly save money loading either 3/4oz or 7/8 oz (with AA hulls, W209 primer, 17 (ish, #29 bushing)gr 700x with the Cb 7/8 wad).

If I was shooting regular 1 1/8 loads, it would be the same price (maybe marginally less) as buying the cheapo club loads, but as I want something specialty, it pays for me.


C
 
Use whatever shotshell powder you can find. Primers are a little easier. After you have powder and primers start looking for hulls. Once you have powder, primers, hulls you can go find some loads (powder manufacturers normally publish a good number of loads). From the published load you will get your wad and then you are off...

When you do start- don't assume anything. Validate how much powder you are throwing as even lot to lot variability will change how much powder you get. Stay away from the high pressure, heavy loads until you have a bit more experience as you can mess up a low pressure, light load without blowing yourself up.

It is highly recommended to stick with published loads only- don't substitute components as changing wads,primers etc may physically work but the combination may have dangerous pressures. If you find a load that is almost what you need- contact the publisher regarding the substitution you want to do and see if they approve. Even then I would think twice.

Good luck- loading your own doesn't save much money, but it is fun and you make premium shells for a little less than it would cost for the cheapo loads. You can also start tailoring your loads to pattern the best for your gun/choke combo- slower loads tend to pattern tighter and vice-versa. For me- I'm currently loading a 1oz load with 17gr of 700x and the rest of the details you can get from Hodgdon's wedsite.
 
I mostly used Red Dot or Promo in my 12 gauge target loads, SR 4756 for my few experiments with buckshot and slugs. But in the face of the current powder shortage you are unlikely to have your choice. Go buy a copy of the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook, then take a list of every powder you could potentially use for the type of load you want to the gun shop. I predict your odds of finding even a single suitable powder in stock is less than 1 in 4.

But don't worry, it's getting better. In a few months you should be able to pick a choose a little.
 
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