Shotshell questions

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Brentn

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How many times can you reload plastic shotshells? Plastic if alot more maleable than brass so would this mean that they can be re-loaded quite a few more times?

Also, I noticed that alot of bird shot etc has a steel shotgun head that only comes up to the hull about a centimeter. Where as some of the larger buckshot and slug loads use brass and the head comes up about a 3 centimeters.

Looking at the load data for the birdshot I was using versus a slug, they have about the same amount of lead, just over an ounce. I'm assuming then that pressures generated are the same, so why the difference in head sizes?

Can I use steel heads for slug loads?

Thanks for any advice/corrections, I appreciate your time.
 
Also, is reforming the brass necessary? There is a kit that i want to buy in which you use small hand tools to prime and crimp the shell, I don't want to get into a press just yet.
 
Buy the kit, read the directions and have fun. "Brass" is just coloured steel anyway, and the height means nothing. I get between one and six reloads on typical plastic hulls, depending mostly on how abusive the gun is. Autoloaders beat up shells something fierce, pumps and ejectors not so much, extractors least.
 
bigstickpilot said:
"Brass" is just coloured steel anyway,
Click to expand...
Often it is coloured steel but not always. Premium target shells such as Remington STS, Winchester AA and Federal Gold Medal use brass case heads as do some hunting loads.

As for how long a hull will last depends on the hull and the load. I haven't done any slug reloading but for target loads with premium hulls you can get at least 5 and often up to 10 loadings each. I also don't resize my brass and my shells work fine in all of my guns including semis and pumps.
 
Thanks for the advice, the last question I have is a recommendation on a simple reloading set for shot shells.

I saw one on youtube that was very simple, had three tools I believe. One was to remove the primer, the guy used a hammer and the tool and it popped right out. The second was the insertion of a primer, again assisted with a hammer, and the third was a crimping tool, once again assisted with a hammer. It looked real inexpensive, if you have an idea of what I'm talking about point me in the right direction please!

Thanks guys.
 
Contact Higginson Powders and buy a Lee Load All II. It is a single stage press and works like a champ. I've had one for over 20 years.
 
I'm seeing it online and at wholesale, and that's a really good price 60$. What do I need to get this going, does it come with everything or do I have to buy anything else other than primers, shot, wads?
thanks for your help
 
you might get the Auto Prime for it so you don't have to handle primers one by one, but other than that, you're good to go with the LoadAll. If you want a used AutoPrime, PM me.
 
Ive been looking at this to just do some shotshell loading for fun.

Can you re-load the cheap Win Target hulls? (like once or twice? not expecting much)

From what I have read on the all mighty, always right Internet you can not....

If so it would be fun to load some 7/8oz loads for the wife to shoot, or new shooters to try.

Tx
Mike
 
If you don't want to do volume, you can make most of these tools yourself, with stuff you have already kicking around, the only thing i would buy for tools, is a roll crimper, for use with a drill or drill press(def. worth it).
 
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