Reloading Shotgun Shell question:

M

mike.j

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
Edmonton
Reloading Shotgun Shell question:

I’m thinking about starting to re-load for the insatiable shotgun, & have been asking around to find out if ALL used shells can be reloaded OR are some brands not advisable to use?

I have been firing and saving all my cases of, WINCHESTER ~ 12 GA ~ 2¾ LEAD 7½ & Federal 2¾ Top Gun LEAD 8

Anyone have any recommendations, or warnings before a stumble down the path........

Part II: Any comments on the LEE LoadAll ?

Cheers

Mike

“And remember it don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep!”
 
Buy a Lyman shotgun reloading manual. And if you are serious, buy the Hogdon manual as well. There are very good descriptions and pictures of the hulls that they list recipes for. Some hulls are probably not worth the trouble to reload. The best are the high end target hulls, and the best of them are the Remington STS. DO NOT switch between hull makes because with the same internal load components, different hulls produce different pressures.
Federal hulls are two types, paper base wad and plastic base wad, they are not interchangeable.
Winchester makes some polyformed cases with plastic disc-type plastic base wads and some very deep cup base wads made to mimic the internal volume and dimensions in the obsolete compression formed AA hull. These second type are likely what you have if you bought new Winchester factory loaded shells in the last year or so. You need to confirm what you are working with.
Some cheap promo hulls will have the tube collapse rather than take a good crimp. That is frustrating. A beginner should start with good 1x fired 8 point target hulls and gain enough experience before he can decide whether he wants to try to load any old hull. Especially on the Lee load all, a good basic loader that does not allow any adjustment for less than ideal hulls.
 
Mike, I am not sure of the costs any more as it has been nearly 20 years since I reloaded for my trap shooting addiction but if you are buying a loading setup I would strongly recommend the Ponsness Warren Duo-Matic as the way to go. It is a one at a time producer but is easy to set up and produce consistent loads at a fairly high rate and you can set it up for two guages if you want to re-load say for your .410 and 12 guage...

I beleive someone had a couple of used ones for sale in the EE for a very good price, not sure if they are still available but might be worth a look.

If you hang around the trap shooters there will always be lots of once fired hulls around for the picking, most just go in the garbage.

Good luck with it, I am sure you will get more help here if you run into problems and most of the load data is available for free from the component sellers so I am not too sure I would lead you to buying a manual but if you want it sure won't hurt.

Cheers, Bob
 
###XX said:
From my understanding it isn't economical to reload shotgun shells?
Click to expand...
It is very economical if you are loading .410 and 28 gauge.

When it comes to 12 gauge compared to the Federal Top Gun or Winchester Super Target reloading doesn't save huge amounts, maybe 5 to 10 dollars a flat. But they aren't great shells in my experience and my reloads are comparable to factory Winchester AA. Also I load 7/8s ounce 12 gauge and they aren't very common in factory form.
 
Forget about the Lee Load All; I had one once and it made it to the garbage can in short order. For the money, you can't beat a MEC product. If you are really 'into' shotgun shooting a progressive MEC such as the Grabber or 9000 is the way to go. As far as hulls go; the only ones I save are the Winchester AA or Remington Unibody (STS; Game Load, Target Load, etc.). Two piece hulls are not worth the trouble when the above hulls are readily available. Buy a Lyman manual and have at it (but buy a scale to check charge weights).
 
Mec 600 jr. press for a newbee and Rem. Premier, Win.AA or fed. Gold medal are the best empties for reloading 2 3/4".
 
Thanks for the all the info. As I load 9mm now for a hungry Glock, I was just thinking that trying out the 12 gage as it might be something to do in the cold Edmonton winters (also a chance to hide from the other ½).
Looks like I need to do a lot more research. Thanks Again

Cheers

and Remember “If you ever get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, just try ordering somebody else’s Dog around!”
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom