The Poor Man's 12ga round

bluemike807

bluemike807

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What would be the recipe for the most barebones - but still safe - 12ga general-purpose shot round?

Im interested in this after hitting on the idea of stockpiling quantity over quality.

The basic idea is:

Recovered trap hulls (with low brass) from ranges (I have something like 2000 of these in bags)
+
Cheapest Primer(Which?)
+
Cheapest, densest Powder(Which?)
+
Cheap, or better yet, Improvised Wad (ie Cardboard discs - which?)
+
Homemade/cast shot - which size (4/OO/OOO/etc?)

What are folks' thoughts on this and have they done something similar to get an absolutely barebones cost for a decently safe, basic round?
 
Seriously? Why would you want the cheapest, and better yet, improvised components to reload with? Decently safe?

Those aren't terms to be using when discussing reloading and personal safety.

As far as shot goes, they're all cheap when you cast them yourself. It's a matter of your preference as to what you'll be using them for.

Im interested in this after hitting on the idea of stockpiling quantity over quality.
Click to expand...

Cuz when the SHTF, everyone wants misfires and accidents. f:P:2:
 
Im sorry. Let me rephrase - I mean for it all to be within responsible safety margins. Essentially Im asking what the least expensive combination of components, up to and including DIY ones (within reason).

For instance, once upon a time, wads were little more than discs of cloth or cardboard - I've never used such, but Im wondering if others have.
 
Hope I didn't come off a #### at first. I'm honestly not sure about DIY wads. I see what you're saying. Shotguns are basically mini canons, so as long as the material is not going to harm the barrel, alot of stuff will do the job of "chauffeuring" the shot out of the pipe.

Maybe others' have ideas.
 
I'd say just buy a few smaller packs of wads and primers and powder, and do your own experimenting (from reputable data) as to what types of combo work for you.
The cheapest components may be trap type wads, but if you use those, you get stuck with 1-1 1/8 oz.loads. Primers are not cheap at all anymore, so find your best price in your area, load up.As for the old style fibre and cardboard wads.... well there was a reason that reloaders everywhere switched to poly wads as soon as they became available.. better patterns and performance, and they seal the bore better. I

For a general load, I'd like at least No. 4 lead shot. an ounce and a quarter weight. trap loads are useless, unless for trap or grouse shooting. At least 4's are a good compromise- good for grouse, rabbits, and in the old days geese and ducks. Or a little larger game.
Casting no. 4 might be a problem, I've never seen the nozzles for the Littleton shot maker in No. 4, not to say that there are none.

I'm no expert, but I think you need to decide on your shot size and weight of payload and power level desired, and then check the books for the combo that meets your need.
 
You will need 209 primers, pick your type Win/Ched/Fed etc

Used Hulls, cheap trap ones won't usually crimp very well though

Might as well pick up a bag of trap wads to try, theyre cheap

You can make your own wads from cardboard, and there are tools to cut them

Shot can be bought or cast/dripped, buckshot and larger are cast, smaller birdshot type are dripped on a special set up. Slugs are cast as well.

I would buy at least one bag of birdshot, then get some molds and wheelweights and try casting your own buckshot and slugs. I would recommend the Lee slug and buckshot or round ball molds and lead melter, alond with Lymans Shotgun Handbook. You may find you like buying cheap trap shells better, but you will gain the ability to make your own if you need to.

A powder like Unique is nice if you can find a usuable shotgun load, because it can also be used in most pistol rounds and also reduced cast boolit loads in a lot of rifles. That said, there are probably better powders for each specific job but its nice to have some Unique around.
 
Fassteel said:
Promo loads for 4 or 5 dollars, sounds to me like you must know where there is a pile of mis priced ammo? FS
Click to expand...

I have not seen that price around here either. $7 to $8 is more like it, but I haven't paid too much attention to those prices.
We just reloaded a bunch of trap loads for about $5.28 a box.
This was based on primers 3.8 cents
powder 5.4 cents
wads 2.1 cents
shot 9.8 cents per 1 1/8 oz load
The shot, wads and primers were based on recent purchases, The powder has been around for several years.
 
I don't load SS much anymore, but here is what I learned. The only hulls worth reloading are Federal Gold Medal. You have to find a wad that matches your desired shot, powder load, and hull. If you load an gas actuated auto(Rem), then higher pressure is better than lower pressure (faster powder).

I think if you plan to load an assortment of hulls picked up at the range, then all you will get is trouble.
 
IMHO forget about the Federal Gold Medal hull for reloading. The Remington unibody one piece hulls (STS, Wal-Mart Sport Loads, Gun Clubs, etc.) all load with the same reloading data and are much more common in my neck of the woods. Add some Nobel Sport primers (that can be safely substituted for W-W 209 primers) and some Downrange XL-1 wads along with reclaimed shot (that you have screened with a strong magnet to eliminate any steel shot). Alliant Promo powder will push along the above components nicely (and for less ca$h).
 
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