Hey everyone, I'm interested in getting into reloading as I am just recently getting in to skeet shooting and want to save a bit of money on ammunition.I know nothing about reloading, could anyone tell me what I need to get started and approximately how much will it cost?
shotgun reloading
- Thread starter ShootToThrill
- Start date
If your just shooting 12g the savings are minimal at best and not worth it once you look at the cost to get set up and the time involved. The advantage over buying target ammo by the flat will be the ability to tailor your load to your gun, but not cost savings. if your shooting a less common gauge then its a different story.
If you can get lead shot for free it is lol. If you must buy everything 12ga doesn't save much money. I hand roll my own 7/8oz loads for bout $5.25 a box I can buy factory 1 1/8oz for $53 +tax a flat. 28ga and 410 you will save a lot however
12ga buckshot and slugs are what make reloading worth it cost wise if you cast your own slugs and buckshot to make it worth while or if you get them cheap.
i got 100lbs of lead for free which will be turned into buckshot (approx 1750 shells (8x 00buck pellets each))
the cheapest i've seen 00 buckshot go for is the federal cans which were 146 tax in for 175 rounds. or .84 cents per round or $21for 25.
not including the press, or molds (which can be resold for an easy 2/3's the cost i paid) it will run me $0.20 per shell or $5.08 for a box of 25!
i got 100lbs of lead for free which will be turned into buckshot (approx 1750 shells (8x 00buck pellets each))
the cheapest i've seen 00 buckshot go for is the federal cans which were 146 tax in for 175 rounds. or .84 cents per round or $21for 25.
not including the press, or molds (which can be resold for an easy 2/3's the cost i paid) it will run me $0.20 per shell or $5.08 for a box of 25!
the big money saving is in slugs, roundballs, and buckshot exspecialy if you cast your own. for birdshot it works out prety much even, but ofcoarse if you can get deals on supplies it will work out cheaper=more of a savings. for example i reload slugs and .690 roundballs for aprox .22 cent per shot (i got my hulls for free, and lead for next to nothing) i use the cheapest wads i can find, and they work out to 3 cents/wad, 5 cents/primmer, and 14 cents/powder (32.5gr HS6). last year at a gunshow i picked ip about 18Lbs of lead shot #4 and about 20Lbs of lead shot #2 for i think $20, maybe $25. becouse of that it is worth it for me to reload shot.
as for a press, a lee load all will do you fine. i use a older Lee Load All (first model/no auto-primmer feed) and i think it was only like $50 used. i have loaded several thousand rounds on it and it still works like a charm. i have heard a few skeet shooter who reload their own shells just for the fact that they know exactly how its made and what goes in it, not caring about any savings though.
as for a press, a lee load all will do you fine. i use a older Lee Load All (first model/no auto-primmer feed) and i think it was only like $50 used. i have loaded several thousand rounds on it and it still works like a charm. i have heard a few skeet shooter who reload their own shells just for the fact that they know exactly how its made and what goes in it, not caring about any savings though.
If you are close to the border order the Lee Load All 2 from FSreloading. $45 new in box (plus shipping). If you evre want to try homemade slugs combine the press with a melter and molds to spread the shipping cost around a bit. You could have it shipped to your door too, but then you are looking at higher cost of mail and Canada Post will charge you duty while the border guards tend to not care for lower cost items.
well from asking around and doin a bit of research I think im just gonna stickto buying ammo from the store. if its not gonna save me a significant amount of money, if any money at all then it doesnt sound worth it to me. thanks for your input guys
Here's a cost calculator for you:
http://www.realguns.com/calculators/handloadingcostsavings.html
Isn't set up for shotshells, but by substituting wads in for brass, etc, you can make it work easily enough.
Shotshell loading can save you money, particularly if you buy your components in bulk and shop a bit. For trap and skeet, for example, I haven't seen any difference between club loads and reloads with reclaimed shot. The savings aren't great these days with current shot prices, but they're there.
The bigger issue is getting the loads you want, particularly for hunting but for trap/skeet as well - where do I buy 12 gauge 7/8 oz loads @ 1200 fps? That's what I use for both 16 yd wobble trap and skeet; why beat on yourself with an evening of 1 oz or 1 1/8 oz loads if it doesn't improve your scores.
The patterning board will also probably tell you there is room for improvement with your loads. Lots of very expensive shotguns give pretty pathetic patterns - a sheet of paper on the patterning board does not lie... And there's only so many factory offerings to substitute in and out.
Reloading and a patterning board allows you to do a lot of things - Green Dot, for example, seems to give tighter core densities in patterns than other powders. It isn't hard to move up and down a choke or two in older fixed choke shotguns, just using different components with the same shot charge. I have my grandfather's old Davis side by side, for example, built about 1920 and choked full/full. Not exactly what I want to shoot at early season pheasants flushing in front of my Griffon - pheasant hamburger. With some work, I've got a load that makes that full/full old shotgun shoot somewhere between modified and improved cylinder. And that's without resorting to anything like spreader wads, which almost certainly would give my skeet choke performance. I'm not going to find results like that at the local gun store shelves...
Takes some time experimenting, yes it does, but once you find what you're looking for, you're done.
If you just want to shoot skeet or whatever once in a while relatively inexpensively, then reloading probably isn't for you. But if you really want to get everything possible out of your shotgun, then your chances of finding that with factory loads is pretty small.
Your club probably has a patterning board somewhere on the property. Go pattern the loads you're using at the distances you're shooting at. The results may surprise you...
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
Try the usuall: ... www. losttarget.com/costcal.htm
for a shotshell reloading cost calculator.
Don't forget to include your local GST/PST or HST as
part of the component costs.
Lately, it is certainly not much of a savings to reload for
12 or 20 gauge ... if you already have a big supply of
empty hulls... but is more economical if for 28 ga. and 410 bore.
You can effect some decent savings if you're able to buy in
bulk at cost or wholesale ... lead by the 1/2 ton or ton, primers
by the sleeve (5000) wads by the case (5000) and powder in
at minimum, 8 lb. kegs. JUst ain't worth it if you buy lead by the
bag, wads by the bag, primers in small quantities and powder by
by the pound, especially if you have to have it mail ordered and/or
shipped.
for a shotshell reloading cost calculator.
Don't forget to include your local GST/PST or HST as
part of the component costs.
Lately, it is certainly not much of a savings to reload for
12 or 20 gauge ... if you already have a big supply of
empty hulls... but is more economical if for 28 ga. and 410 bore.
You can effect some decent savings if you're able to buy in
bulk at cost or wholesale ... lead by the 1/2 ton or ton, primers
by the sleeve (5000) wads by the case (5000) and powder in
at minimum, 8 lb. kegs. JUst ain't worth it if you buy lead by the
bag, wads by the bag, primers in small quantities and powder by
by the pound, especially if you have to have it mail ordered and/or
shipped.
If you're trying to save money without reloading, you gotta up your volume.
Don't buy a box of 25 at a TSC, Walmart or Canadian Tire. Even those 100 round "value packs" are a little over priced. Pony up about $60 and buy a flat. So instead of paying $12 for a box of 25, or $32 for 100 you should be able to find under $65 for a flat of 250.
Of course if you hunt, you'll still probably buy specialty stuff like slugs, buckshot, turkey and goose rounds. That's where reloading may be cost effective and give you some versatility. Like the others have said, if you start to cast slugs or buck, that's where you'll save more money, after the initial investment of a reloading press and some casting equipment.
Have you seen this? It does look pretty easy and fun.
[youtube]ippkg5kIH1Q[/youtube]
Don't buy a box of 25 at a TSC, Walmart or Canadian Tire. Even those 100 round "value packs" are a little over priced. Pony up about $60 and buy a flat. So instead of paying $12 for a box of 25, or $32 for 100 you should be able to find under $65 for a flat of 250.
Of course if you hunt, you'll still probably buy specialty stuff like slugs, buckshot, turkey and goose rounds. That's where reloading may be cost effective and give you some versatility. Like the others have said, if you start to cast slugs or buck, that's where you'll save more money, after the initial investment of a reloading press and some casting equipment.
Have you seen this? It does look pretty easy and fun.
[youtube]ippkg5kIH1Q[/youtube]
New guy here as well, looking to maybe try reloading to reload slugs primarily since shot isnt allowed at the range (on targets) and Im not a hunter and may only trap shoot once in a while.
I dont really want to cast slugs if I can avoid it. Is there a one stop shop for them?
I dont really want to cast slugs if I can avoid it. Is there a one stop shop for them?
