What did I get?? 20 gauge hulls that measure 2 5/8

[Potashminer]

I received a few bags of 20 gauge previously fired hulls - yellow - 20 gauge - made by Winchester - marked as "AA", although some are marked "AA PLUS". Says "2 1/2 - 7/8 - 9" Then below that says "SKEET". From Internet, I believe these are compression formed hulls, but the length is throwing me - they measure 2 5/8" long, so is neither 2.5" nor 2.75" from base to opened leading edge of the hull. Can I reload these, and if so, which hull length data would I use??

I have reloaded a few hundred rounds of 28 gauge in the past - I have never re-loaded for 20 gauge, so is all new to me. Not sure what these are??

 

[ted_dent]

I measured my once fired Winchester 20 ga. AA hulls and they all measure around 2.65 inches so between 2 1/2" and 2 3/4". Definitely reloadable. I just set up the dies on my MEC Jr. Press to give me the proper crimps.

 

[mbogo3]

The OAL can vary greatly between gauges and manufacturers. As above load e'm with 2 3/4" data and adjust crimp if required. The .410 hulls are even worse to deal with lengthwise and of course they are a true 2 1/2"hull for the shorties.

 

[cosmic]

I received a few bags of 20 gauge previously fired hulls - yellow - 20 gauge - made by Winchester - marked as "AA", although some are marked "AA PLUS". Says "2 1/2 - 7/8 - 9" Then below that says "SKEET". From Internet, I believe these are compression formed hulls, but the length is throwing me - they measure 2 5/8" long, so is neither 2.5" nor 2.75" from base to opened leading edge of the hull. Can I reload these, and if so, which hull length data would I use??

I have reloaded a few hundred rounds of 28 gauge in the past - I have never re-loaded for 20 gauge, so is all new to me. Not sure what these are??

I suspect the 2 1/2 printed on the hull refers to drams equivalent.

 

[Potashminer]

Thank you, cosmic - that matches up to what I just read in a 1975 Winchester shot shell reloading pamphlet - seems to be from a time when black powder "drams equivalent" was an important thing to know for shot shell choices - gave you pressure and velocity information, or at least a surrogate for those numbers. I just found a single Federal 20 gauge "TOP GUN" hull with similar markings - says "8", then "2 1/2 - 7/8", then says 2 3/4" 70mm. That fired hull measures 2 9/16" - so is slightly less than 2 5/8".

mbogo3 - I do not have many other shot shells here to compare the actual fired lengths to nominal sizes - what I get for not having "choices", I guess ...

 

[TimberPig]

Are they glossy or dull? The AA HS are glossy, the CF’s are dull. Load data is the same, but internal capacity on the CF’s is greater, which means the loads may not fit properly in both styles of hull.

The length of shotgun hulls often varies, some are worse than others in this respect, as said use the 2 3/4” data, find a load that gives correct stack height in the hull and set your press up for that hull/load and you will be fine. The markings on the hull are 2 1/2 dram equivalent, 7/8 oz of #9 shot, nothing to do with the hull length.