Shotshell Reloaders... Help Plz!!!

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Big Dune

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Hi,
I'm looking for a reloader for target practice shotgun shells... i've heard so far hornady 366 and Mec (600, grabber, and 9000g)...
Can anyone help me on the following:
1) progressive of single stage?
2) hornady or mec?
3) is there a place to find a used one?

thnx
 
Single stage if loading slugs or buckshot, progressive if you participate in the clay shooting games using birdshot. You can load single stage mode on most progressive presses, but it's usually not perfect, and not meant to be used that way primarily. Single stages are made from the get go, to get your hands in there, and make life easier when doing it all the time.

I've got two MEC single stage presses, because I shoot slugs and buckshot mostly, and I like em just fine, never tried hornady, but I'm sure they work just fine too. Don't get caught up in brand naming, and be another brand queen like way too many douchebags here who talk more trash than teenage girls about the brand they hate, and chatter on and on (also like teen girls) about the brand they love. Both Hornady and MEC have been around for decades and are tried and true products. Lee is fine too; and although some people have been known to load many thousands of shells on it, it's made more for low volume shotshell reloaders and as such has a very low price point.

I use alot of Lee for metallic reloading, but I prefer the MEC for shotshells, because I spend many, many hours on it, and I need to load 10 gauge which is something the Lee shotshell loaders don't do, but I was able to get a 10 gauge conversion kit for my MEC and can go back and forth.

Yes, the EE will list used ones fairly frequently if you've got more patience than money.
 
Big Dune said:
Hi,
I'm looking for a reloader for target practice shotgun shells... i've heard so far hornady 366 and Mec (600, grabber, and 9000g)...
Can anyone help me on the following:
1) progressive of single stage?
2) hornady or mec?
3) is there a place to find a used one?
Click to expand...
The Lyman Shotshell Manual has descriptions of how to operate both single-stage and progressive machines along with good selection of load recipes. It's a good place to start.

The MEC 600 is about as fool proof and durable a loader as you are going to find. I started with one and still use a 600 for 28 gauge. At some point you feel the need for speed and move to a progressive.

Progressives are more complicated, require more of a learning curve and you most likely will have a few powder and shot spills before you get the routine down. It is an easier transition to make if you already have experience with a single stage.

I own MEC 9000 and have used a Hornady 366. Both are good loaders, each with its own strong and weakpoints. Neither is superior.

Used loaders, particularly 600s, show up at gunshows quite often. Usually in the $100 range. Another loader you may encounter is the Lee Load All. They are often cheaper but aren't as reliable or durable as the 600.

Another mandatory requirement is a decent scale. The bushing charts from the factories do not always equate with reality and most often throw charges that are lighter than advertised.
 
It depends on how much you intend to shoot. If you are just starting out, I would suggest buying an inexpensive Lee press where you manually move the shell from stage to stage. If you find you are getting into high volume shooting, advance to one of the expensive progressive presses. Difference in cost is in the hundreds of dollars. One other note; at least on my presses, the shot dispenser only works with the small shot sizes (7 1/2) and and heavier shot jams it.

cheers mooncoon
 
I just bought a Lee Load All II about a month ago. I've only reloaded approximately 500 shells but it's been pretty good. It's not the most tight reloader but you get used to the sloppiness. For what I do, it performs well. I sit down and "watch" a baseball game or something of the like and that way I still feel as if I get my sports in as well as getting some reloading done.

If you want to start extremely cheap Lee Load Alls are the way to go.
If you want to start with supreme quality go with something else.
 
For starting out and for something that can load a relatively good volume of high quality shells I would recomend Ponsness Warren. I beleive there were some used ones advertized on this site for around $150. In my experience they are a wonderful nearly foolproof press and the Duo-Matic can be set up to reload 2 guages of shotgun without having to change a lot of stuff.

I have used the MEC reloaders and the Ponsness Warren is in my opinion a far superior system.

Whatever your choice, have fun!
 
I've had 2 MEC 600 's (12 and 20) for about 20 years now. They have each reloaded a few thousand rounds with absolutely no problems. They are available used quite often and I would think that parts are readily available if reqiured.
 
The MEC 600 Jr. is the "Timex" of the single-stage shotshell reloaders.

You just can't go wrong - I bought my first MEC in 1967 and have had no regrets. Still have a 12ga & a 20 ga. sitting on a shelf as emergency "back-ups".

The single stage presses work O.K. for someone shooting 3 or 4boxes of shells a week.

The MEC 9000 is a very capable progressive reloader for someone starting to shoot a little more volume, and the Ponsness-Warren or Spolar progressives are the top of the line presses for high volume shooters... those going through say 2 or more flats of shells a week. I have a P-W 950 Elite that I bought about 10 years ago ... my only regret, that I didn't buy a P-W 2o years sooner !
 
have hornady 366 proggresive and 155 single stage both are exellent also used mec grabber and 900 both excellent. dont shoot trap on the circut anymore shooting sporting clays and turkey shoots. so mostly use the single stage 155 .the single stage reloader is good to start with if shooting lots move up.
 
I have a Ponsness 375, several lee loadalls, and a Pacific 366.
If you are just starting out get a Single stage like the ponsness or the Mec.
The 366 works well if you take the time to make sure everything is in place on every stroke. The most common problem with the 366 is shot under the shell plate, next is primers not dropping from the primer feed.

The PW375 is a great loader for a beginner. I have loaded at least 5000 12 gauge rounds on mine and close to 1000 20 gauge. No misfires, no bloopers, and no problems chambering cartridges as the entire hull is supported when the crimp is formed and set. The lee will give you the odd tight shell.
 
I have the PW375; the MEC 600Jr and the Lee Load All. The Lee and MEC have been sitting next to my bench for about a year now, which indicates my preference. All three work and which one you buy depends... The Lee kind of drives me crazy because of how one changes powder and shot and sometimes you need to use a nickel to get a deeper crimp. But, that being said, I can set it up quite happily for one load with one size of shot that I'm going to stick with for awhile. I also found the plastic bushings that came with the press to be OK and to have a decent range of sizes. The MEC is OK but the PW is the superior machine and I have ended up using it more and more. I like the way the PW holds and releases the shells and I like the system of the push and the pull on the handle doing a function each way. My press makes very good crimps, tapers shells effectively and can be adjusted fairly easily. Changing shot and powder is not difficult. One quibble I have with the PW is that I find the various drop tubes and so on to fit into the body of the machine very tightly. I'm not sure they have come up with the best system here. You can easily set up for two guages with the PW, as mentioned before. No real criticism of the MEC and lots of guys use them. The only thing I have had some difficulty with in using the MEC is shells sticking in the resizing die. They were shells with deep brass heads that I was using for hunting. I don't recall problems with my target rounds that all have lower or intermediate (e.g. Federal Gold Medal) sized brass heads . I also had some fun setting up the universal charge bar so it would be consistent and would probably stick with bushings next time around. Depends on how much loading you are going to do and how much you are going to change loads imho...
 
Look for a Ponsness progressive loader, I don't remember the model number, but they are a good machine.
Forget the single stage and working up, might be cheaper now, but in the long haul, you'll end up spending more money then you initially would have when you upgrade to a better machine.
When I had someone help box them, I could load about 500 shells in an hour.
 
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