Reloading 12g

I do not have "the book". I have BPI Small Bore Manual 10th Edition, BPI Slug Loading & Field Application 8th Edition and Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook 5th Edition - in one of those, somewhere - I did not mark it, since I did not own either primer at that time. I do not even remember if it was .410, 28 gauge, 20 gauge, 16 gauge, 12 gauge, 10 gauge or whatever - was more of an "eye-brow lifter" for me as I was trying to learn the do's and dont's about shot shell loading - which was and still is pretty "new" to me.
I have all those books too , wasn’t trying to call you out and maybe I should have elaborated. With map being 11500 for 12 g switching primers will definitely effect pressure but not 40 to 50% increase , something definitely to keep a eye on but not be terrified by . When I am loading high velocity buck and or slug and I have to switch a primer out I lower charge by 10% and go from there , I also only shoot really high velocity shells out of a shotgun that has 3.5 inch chamber like my supernova as map is 14000
 
I haven't participated in any "shotgun games" for quite some time, but when I did, it was nearly as cheap to buy a bunch of flats as opposed to reloading 12 gauge. Has that changed in the last 15 years?
If you can get flats at $105 to $115 , its not really any cheaper. Hummasons or Lawrys has decent prices on Flats. A local shop had some Fiocchi's for $109 a flat . Hard to load for that cheaper , but its just entry level shells not the premium stuff.
 
If you can get flats at $105 to $115 , its not really any cheaper. Hummasons or Lawrys has decent prices on Flats. A local shop had some Fiocchi's for $109 a flat . Hard to load for that cheaper , but its just entry level shells not the premium stuff.

Thanks, good to know. The only shells I pop these days are always on or around April 25th, after which a tom usually accompanies me to the freezer.
 
The best shells to get are the Remington gun clubs when Cabelas has them on sale for $12.99 a box
The hulls are great to make reloads with too as they are one of the only one piece tapered hulls left on the market
Winchester AAs are good too but i think the Rems are the better shells now
 
If you buy components from distressed sellers, or have access to home made shot it makes perfect sense to roll your own... Think of all the money you are not spending on a new gun while you are reloading....

I still have components from 15 years ago.. I have flats of shells i bought about the same time... I don't have any other investments that have kept up...
 
The best shells to get are the Remington gun clubs when Cabelas has them on sale for $12.99 a box
The hulls are great to make reloads with too as they are one of the only one piece tapered hulls left on the market
Winchester AAs are good too but i think the Rems are the better shells now
Agreed rem gun clubs are solid hulls
 
I inherited a Ponsness Warren press from my father many years ago. This fall I decided that I wanted to reload bismuth shotshells to use my old guns this fall in Saskatchewan. While there are a few things to take into account that make shotgun reloading a little different than rifle, it' not overly complicated. I'm not sure if your wiener would fall off if you changed one component for another, but it seems to be highly frowned upon so I don't see any good reason to venture off into the wilderness by deviating from posted recipes.

A couple of Youtube videos later and a bunch of general maintenance on the machine itself (it had sat unused for at least 40 years so it needed some things broken free and lubricated) and we were off to the races. 8 boxes homebrewed bismuth shells later and the only thing I had to figure out was shipping the ammo out to the farm. Protip...have a friend with a business account with UPS and you're laughing.
 
Mec 700 versa mec for hunting loads
Pacific 366 target loads
As mentioned you will not save any money reloading any type of round
I load bismuth for my old shotguns plus it performs much better than steel
Other than that buying off the shelf is your best bet
Unless your are looking for a hobby
Your not saving money on 12 or 20 target ammo but there are big savings to be had loading 16, 28 and 410.
 
Hi folks. I’m contemplating starting to reload 12g. I have a single stage press and a few extra powder measures right now and I’m wondering what I would need to get started with this?
call or e-mail me i have a buch of 12 gauge shotsells and i don't reloa anymore
too damn old old timer lou 78 all gone

prairiedog243@mail.com asking 0.10 each
 
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FLHTCUI: "Are WW-AA's still the Gold Standard?"

At one time, that was a pretty common opinion. Some shooters still think so. Asserting that the new, two-piece AA-HS hulls aren't as good as the old, one-piece AA hulls. The two-piece design making them harder to load and more prone to failure. Lately, the mood seems more toward Remington STS hulls, being a better overall choice.

Though there are still others, who believe that Federal Gold Medal hulls take top bragging rights, especially as regards shotgunning sports.

As an active competitive shooter(Trap, Sporting Clays, Cowboy Action), I happen to load and shoot
hundreds of the AA-HS hulls over the course of any given year. Also, whatever AA hulls I still have left. Plus, quite a few Remington hulls...whether STS or Game Club. Gold Medal hulls too, but prefer to reserve them for hunting loads, these days.

I have not observed any real difference between one and the other(AA vs AA-HS), regards loadability, durability, or any other aspect of hull performance. Nor do I see any real advantage with Remington hulls. Though I do agree with Deathrawt and others. Remington hulls are very good.

Both brands(Winchester, Remington) load easily, hold good, firm crimps, are durable and perform well....at least in my experience. I use either, pretty much interchangeably. Though more often the AA-HS's....for no other reason than I have more of them.

So... Are the old style, one-piece AA hulls still the gold standard, when it comes to shotgun hulls?

Sure. They're an excellent hull, in my view. With all the best attributes that reloaders and competitors prefer. But, would I shun their HS cousins or other brands, thinking them too inferior for my delicate taste?
No.

Just my toonie's worth
Al
 
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Does anyone have any suggestions for hulls that are commonly used for a variety of loads?

Like the Titegroup of hulls?

I too am starting down this venture and the lack of interchangeability between reloading components for shotshell loading verse center fire pistol rifle is challenging and off putting.
 
AfroCowboy: Likely the most commonly used hulls(Not in any particular order) would be Winchester, Remington and Federal. Followed by Challenger(Cheddite). Any of these four are readily available and versatile. As they can be loaded to fit most shot gunning needs....ranging from light target, to heavy hunting loads. Some shotgunners may prefer one brand over another. I have no personal preference; using any of these hulls, depending on my shooting goal.

As for a 'Titegroup' of hull. Of the group: Remington STS or Game Club hulls seem to offer the greatest versatility. Also, excellent reloading hulls. STS, in particular. Though I do like the Winchester AA-HS hull, especially for 3/4-1 oz loads. Excellent reloading hull too, in my experience. But, any of these will work well.

If you cross reference load data for any of these hulls, you will see that many of the common components...ie: powder, wads, primers, etc., can and do interchange with one another.

Not uncommon to see a Winchester AA wad, for example, used in a Remington hull. Challenger share common wads, with Federal hulls. Powders, primers, and so on.

True...shot shell loading doesn't offer the same level of experimentation or load development as metallic cartridge. But, there is still a lot of room for load development. Even when sticking closely to published load data.

Al
ps: I agree with Yomomma. A careful loader can sometimes venture a bit off the trail and develop 'unconventional' loads. For a beginner though, I would advise sticking to load data in the manuals. It not being a good idea to swap components around without regard to operating pressure, etc. As you gain experience, your understanding of the loading process may grow to the point where you can experiment some more. There are some interesting loads found outside the books.
 
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Does anyone have any suggestions for hulls that are commonly used for a variety of loads?

Like the Titegroup of hulls?

I too am starting down this venture and the lack of interchangeability between reloading components for shotshell loading verse center fire pistol rifle is challenging and off putting.
There are the religious zealots which say that manuals have to be followed meticulously.

Then there are those that are a little more adventurous.

I have found that the internet is a great resource when going off page.

Those adventurers who still have their faces and hands intact usually publish decent data.

I have found some good loads that have never been published in any manuals.

YMMV
Use at own risk.
 
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I have made a variety of different loads using the Rem gun club and the AA Winchester hulls
Everything from target loads to buckshot to heavy magnum bb shot loads, they all worked great
 
I still use Remington 2-3/4 peters blue hulls i have about 100 left i use them with WW 571 powder 1-3/8 #5 lead shot for turkey or thick cover grouse hunting just shy of 1330fps
 
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