Shotshells Reloading Newbie

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Bluegill

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Southern Ontario
Hello

Thinking about trying my hand at shotshell reloading in the near future. Does anyone have any good resources they can recommend to that end? Is the Balistics Products manual any good?

I'm thinking to start off with a simple setup - purchase primed hulls, wads/shot/powder, a roll crimper, and a good scale. Any reason to avoid that or other equipment I should think about for giving reloading a try?

And is anyone reloading TSS for turkey? With the price of TSS shells I would think that's an area that really make sense to get into reloading.
 
Bluegill: One of the best resources for new shot shell reloaders(experienced ones, too), is the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook. It contains a wealth of information that you will find very useful in getting started. Plus, will be a great reference as you gain more experience.

Another good resource, is the online: Hodgdon Reloading Data Center. Geared more toward reloading data, but still highly useful. Will be helpful once you have a good handle on the basics.

There are likely more sources I've missed. Others will likely offer that info. But for now, this basic stuff should get you going.

Can't offer any advice on loading TSS. Have yet to reload any hulls using this shot. Have taken my fair share of wild turkey, though. Ordinary hard lead shot drops them just as cleanly. Plus a whole lot cheaper. Since you're in southern Ontario, you can likely purchase 25 lb. bags of lead shot for reloading(as well as wads, primers, etc.) , from either Hummason, or Lawry's.

You can roll crimp your shells if you like. Not hard to do. But, may find the process a bit intimidating, as a newcomer. Far better to start with the more widely used, 6 or 8- fold "pie crimp". This is the most commonly used form of shot shell crimp these days. Most load data will reflect shells built around this method.

You can buy pre-primed hulls. But...it's far easier and cheaper to simply re-prime your once-fired hulls. Most reloading presses offer a priming station, for just this step. Simple and easy to do. This step, as well as all other steps involved in the loading process, can be found in the Lyman Handbook.

Ballistics Products loading information is highly informative, too. Though heavily geared toward their products. A useful resource, but not as comprehensive as the Lyman Handbook. This source will be more useful to you once you've gained some experience.

As far as equipment goes, at the heart of shotshell reloading is a good, reliable press. Since you're a newbie, I'd recommend sticking to a very basic setup, to start. Your budget will reflect your choice. But....you can't go wrong with a Lee Shotshell Reloader. An inexpensive, basic reloading press that is capable of turning out good shells. Great little press to learn the basics on. I've owned and used one for years. Worth considering.

But if your budget allows, I'd recommend a basic, single stage MEC press. MEC Junior, etc. A big step up from the Lee. Fully adjustable and capable of turning out shells as good as....or even better, in my opinion....than factory loads. Will last your lifetime and beyond. Definitely worth the investment.

Ultimately, your choice will depend on how serious you are in getting into shotshell reloading.

Hope some of this helps.

Al
 
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I'd find some primers and powder first.

no need to buy new hulls, lots of good one piece hulls to find as most shotgunners don't reload.
 
I started on that journey this January and here is what I found.

Lymans manual is a great how to. It should be your first step.

Unlike rifle reloading ,shotshell loads should be followed to the letter, the pressure limits are low. Here is where the powder companies' load data is of great use.

I asked about what press to buy on a shotgun forum. The universal recommendation was MEC 600jr. While the Lee is inexpensive, the shotshell quality is done by "feel", whereas the MEC is done by "adjustment". I bought a used one,$100 and upgraded it ,$90 .

Components are hull, primer, powder, wads, and shot. While there is shortage of primers and powder, they are available. For hulls I dumpster dived at the range. Primers, get what you can find. Likely Cheddite as they are most readily available. They are good. I only bought 300 at first, unlike rifle reloading I ended up going through 50, two boxes, at a range visit.They didn't last long, I now buy them by the brick. They are pricey. With powder there are a number that work and work well with 12gauge target loads. Internet research and powder compainies' data allows you to use what is available. Wads are easily available, but they are specific to the hulls and loads.

Our range sells Challenger shells at a good price, but even at the current component prices, I'm saving three or four dollars a box. Where reloading comes into it's own, is custom hunting loads. I worked with lead in industry. I'm not going to eat it. So I can load bismuth loads that are a lot cheaper and much better than any I could buy.
 
I was thinking if a dedicated 12 gauge setup for 7 ½ target loads.
I'm curious as the the availability of component's.
I was letvto believe primers and powder are hard to come by.
 
I just did the math using the best component prices I could find on todays market. For a 12 gauge, 1 oz target load, I came up with $100 per flat of 250 shells. Not particularly compelling compared to 28 gauge, which rings in a $82 per flat. Part of the decision making process is knowing that you can "lock-in" at these prices for several years, assuming you buy components in bulk.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll start looking around for a copy of the Lyman book. Give it a good read through before getting to deep here.

I'm not as much looking for cost savings as much as gaining an understanding of shotshell composition/performance and a hobby for the downtime. I enjoy the technical aspects of hobbies, as an example I build my own fishing rods, tie my own jigs/flies, and brew my own beer. I find digging into the details of a hobby gives me a much better understanding and enjoyment of what I'm doing, more so than just buying equipment off the shelf.

Can I ask if there are any legalities in Canada for reloading that I should be aware of? Of course there is the requirements for purchasing and storing ammunition and I'm assuming the same rules apply to storage of any primers/powders. But are you allowed to share reloaded shells with shooting/hunting partners or is that a no-no?
 
I have only ever used a Lee LoadAll II for 12 ga. Works fine for me, as I'm not a high count shooter. I haven't done any for quite some time, but I do recall that the Lee did Winchester AA perfectly. One little trick that made a BIG difference in crimping - have a little incandescent lamp near by and place the hulls close enough to the bulb to warm the crimp area a bit. Even enclosing the crimp area in your hand makes a difference. I'm sure the volume loaders will snicker at this, but it worked good for me.
 
Bluegill said:
Thanks for the advice. I'll start looking around for a copy of the Lyman book. Give it a good read through before getting to deep here.

I'm not as much looking for cost savings as much as gaining an understanding of shotshell composition/performance and a hobby for the downtime. I enjoy the technical aspects of hobbies, as an example I build my own fishing rods, tie my own jigs/flies, and brew my own beer. I find digging into the details of a hobby gives me a much better understanding and enjoyment of what I'm doing, more so than just buying equipment off the shelf.

Can I ask if there are any legalities in Canada for reloading that I should be aware of? Of course there is the requirements for purchasing and storing ammunition and I'm assuming the same rules apply to storage of any primers/powders. But are you allowed to share reloaded shells with shooting/hunting partners or is that a no-no?
Click to expand...

Selling your reloaded rounds could get you into trouble. giving them to friends not so much, assuming they trust you capabilities, - dan
 
kjohn: Let them snicker. Warming the case mouth makes the plastic more malleable. The crimp forms more easily. I always do it when forming crimps in new, un-crimped hulls. Also, when forming roll crimps. Maybe not an efficient way to do volume loading, ie: trap, etc. But for low volume hunting loads and especially when roll crimping, works well.

Bluegill: Be aware that sharing hand loads...though not illegal to my knowledge, has its own share of risks. Should one of your shells fail or otherwise cause damage to another shooter's firearm or to themselves...due to a squib, detonation, blown primer, etc., you could be looking at some serious liability issues. Something to consider.
Still, many reloaders do share their ammo with others, without issue. As dan belisle says: If they trust your capabilities. Plus...you are careful and methodical in your safety practices and loading procedure....the odds of anything bad happening are pretty slim. You can't sell them, though...as already mentioned. Unless you are a licensed manufacturer.

Al

ps: By the way, one of the best ways to acquire shootable hulls, is to scrounge them at your local range. Trap shooters throw them away by the bucket load. Have sourced thousands of good hulls, this way. Best part: Free.
 
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The one piece of advise i will give you that no one has covered yet....set your loader up in an old bathtub for the first year or so...raise the tub up enough to fit a cake pan under the old drain spout to catch all the pellet spills you will have for a long while....if pellet spills happen on a hard floor that #### goes everywhere and you & your family will cuss everytime you step on one. Its amazing how far one ounce of shot will spread when bounced on hard flooring!!
 
Fingers284: Words of wisdom! Spills can and will happen... no matter how careful a person thinks they are. As any experienced shotshell reloader can relate. Stray pellets go anywhere and everywhere. A spilled 25 lb bag of shot makes one helluva mess(Ask me how I know). Stray pellets often turning up in unexpected places months, or even years later. Plus, make you very unpopular with the missus. Even #8 shot hurts when stepped on. Depending on which part of your foot it contacts. Which is always the most tender spot, too.

Sound advice to follow.

Al
 
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lots of reloading videos up on you tube to see also. i just started reloading 12Ga black powder for cowboy. bullseye had a ton of primers in stock a couple weeks ago. pick up what you can while you can...
 
A bath tub? whoa! I know exactly what you mean though. For the sake of my marriage I now reload shotgun hulls in the living room with the press mounted over a baking/cookie pan. Now we can spend quality time together.
 
dakotamar: You may have already seen this you tube video but, cowboy action shooter Jedi Knight, (jed i tv) created a video some time ago, describing how he loads his black powder shot shells. Shouldn't be too hard to find on his channel. May be worth a look.

Been loading and shooting bp shot shells for many years. Jed's method is fast and efficient for loading shot shells in quantity. A must, for Cowboy Action shooters.

Al
 
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cosmic said:
I just did the math using the best component prices I could find on todays market. For a 12 gauge, 1 oz target load, I came up with $100 per flat of 250 shells. Not particularly compelling compared to 28 gauge, which rings in a $82 per flat. Part of the decision making process is knowing that you can "lock-in" at these prices for several years, assuming you buy components in bulk.
Click to expand...

You could just buy the ammo in bulk too?

Reloading basic target ammo is not cost effective. Its only the more expensive ammo types, buckshot and slugs that are worth reloading. Or something special that you can't necessarily find easily.
 
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