Yes, Another "Is it worth it to reload Target Shot Shells" lol

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welkie3

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So i found many posts about how much it costs to reload target loads. I've found that the cost to reload a box of 25 is mostly compared to the cheapest factory target loads. My understanding is a cheap factory load has poor quality components and a reload usually has better quality components depending on what your trying to achieve.

This is what i found, numbers may be off.

Lets say we already have Remington Gun Club Hulls or AA's and so on
Win209 Primers 100 for $5.99 $0.06
Hodgdon Clays 14 oz $26.99 $0.09 for 20 grain load (just for easy numbers)
WAA12SL Wads 250 for $11.99 $0.05
#8 magnum Shot 25 LBS. for about $85.00 $0.21 for 1 ounce load
which equals out to $0.41 per shell and $10.25 per 25

Components from retailers, thats why not in bulk if your wondering.

Correct me if i'm wrong on this, factory Rem. Gun Clubs and Win. AA's are around the $10.00 a box

Would a person get a lower, equal or better quality shell reloading compared to the factory Gun Clubs or AA's

Just want to see what everyones thoughts are on this
 
How many rounds per year are you going through?

Unless you're reloading sub-gauges(28ga, 410), specialty stuff(slugs, buckshot, ultra low recoil, etc) or you're shooting 5000+ rounds per year, you won't save much(if any).

The prices you're paying are a bit on the high side, gun clubs shouldn't go for more than ~$6-7 per box. Likewise, Win AA's shouldn't cost more than $7-9 per box.
 
Target loads are $59-69 (25-30 cents ea) for 250 at Canadian Tire... and where are you getting shot for less than $3.50/lb?
 
I'm in the same boat, since 1994 I've loaded every target load I fire. In the last few years it's been damn near impossible to find #7.5 or #8 shot here in the Moncton area, once one adds in the cost of shipping it's cheaper to buy target loads.
 
If you buy in bulk ... wads & primers by the case or sleeve (5000) shot by the 1/2 ton and powder in 8 lb. kegs, you can still save a little loading
for 12 & 20 gauge ... and even more savings if 28 or 410. I would guess at a savings for both 10 & 16, but have never reloaded for either.
Don't forget your provincial taxes (if any) GST and "Shipping" in your cost calculations. Lucky for me I'm within reasonable driving distance for
all my supplies (including shot) in bulk from one or two locations, and even closer to "short notice" supplies locally should I run out unexpectedly.

FGR's as a buddy calls them ( F---ing Great Reloads ) are as good IMHO as factory AA's, GM's or STS's ... but that only applies to the first 2 or 3
reloadings of a quality hull. After that the case mouth starts to degrade & crimp quality is not all that it should be. Once a case gets a hole or split in
the mouth area I trash it. I don't find the lower cost replacement wads to be quite as good in cold weather as the OEM stuff ... likely not as good
a gas seal and/or (seemingly) harder plastic. Claybuster & PC have worked well for me.

I've found Alliant's "Promo" powder to be the lowest in cost and quite acceptable for the bulk of my 12 gauge target shell reloading.
It uses "Red Dot" data, but must be accurately measured to find the right powder bushing as it's denser than Red Dot
( I find about 2 bushing sizes less in volume than Red Dot for my P/W progressive )

You can save a little as well using Cheddite primers in place of Winchester,Remington, Federal or CCI.

Lead shot is the largest cost. Good quality shot (round, uniform 5-6% antimony) is pricey. I've tried a little home-made shot
and it's not bad ! Don't like the idea of reclaimed shot though ... and what the grit in it might do to a good barrel.

As I have literally thousands of once fired old style AA's (no, not for sale) and Federal GM's, and I'm sure, a fully ammortized
Ponsness-Warren progressive loader, I continue to reload while saving maybe $8 - $10 per flat on 12 gauge target loads.
What I do like, is that I can concoct 24 gram International 7/8, 1, 1-1/16 or 1-1/8 ounce loads at will for the shot sizes I have on hand,
either light or more heavily loaded, for whatever is needed. Beyond that, I find reloading a good pastime & treat it as a hobby-fire as well.
(Nothing but reloads for my current 4 centre fire rifles as well !)

Personally, I can't see reloading with steel shot, Bismuth or other alternative non-toxic shot. For the relatively low volume I shoot at
waterfowl, factory loads for me.
 
welkie3 said:
So i found many posts about how much it costs to reload target loads. I've found that the cost to reload a box of 25 is mostly compared to the cheapest factory target loads. My understanding is a cheap factory load has poor quality components and a reload usually has better quality components depending on what your trying to achieve.

This is what i found, numbers may be off.

Lets say we already have Remington Gun Club Hulls or AA's and so on
Win209 Primers 100 for $5.99 $0.06
Hodgdon Clays 14 oz $26.99 $0.09 for 20 grain load (just for easy numbers)
WAA12SL Wads 250 for $11.99 $0.05
#8 magnum Shot 25 LBS. for about $85.00 $0.21 for 1 ounce load
which equals out to $0.41 per shell and $10.25 per 25

Components from retailers, thats why not in bulk if your wondering.

Correct me if i'm wrong on this, factory Rem. Gun Clubs and Win. AA's are around the $10.00 a box

Would a person get a lower, equal or better quality shell reloading compared to the factory Gun Clubs or AA's

Just want to see what everyones thoughts are on this
Click to expand...

The problem is you are paying way too much for your components. People in Ontario have an advantage as we can drive to Hummason's to get really good prices. I am not sure if there is a place like that in Saskatchewan.

Anyways using Hummason's prices and your example weights...

Win209 = $45 per 1000 = $0.045
Hogdon Clays = $140 for 8 lbs (56,000 grains) = $0.05 for 20 gr load
CB1100-12 wads (WAA12SL clones) = $17.94 per 1000 = $0.018
25 lbs. #8 shot = $40.00 = 400 oz = $0.1 per load (1 oz load)

0.045 + 0.05 + 0.018 + 0.1 = $0.213 per round.

You can save more by loading less powder, using a cheaper powder and loading less shot. You can also save $0.01 per hull using Cheddite primers ($35 per 1000).
 
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I live 45 mins from Saskatoon, I have not found a place to get any reloading supplies in bulk, still looking though. For me to go buy Fed Top Gun it is 6.99 a box, 69.90 a case, to get Win. AA's it is (i just called wholesale sports) 12.99 a box, 129.90 a case and 10.99 a box, 109.90 a case for Rem. Gun clubs.

I get my lead from Bass Pro in Calgary when my brother comes out to visit. For 25 LBS of chilled its about $75 and $85 for magnum with tax. I may have found another supplier in Saskatchewan, i am awaiting his reply.

beretta boy, reloading for me as well is a hobby too, it is a nice pass time and i like the fact i am shooting one of my own.

In my original post i was just using an example for a price on a box to reload, thats not the recipe i use.

So back to my original question, What is the QUALITY of the reloaded shell compared to a cheap factory load. Are you getting what you pay for. The pros of using certain components in your shells to get what your trying to achieve, wether its cleaner burning powder, less recoil, the best pattern for your gun, etc etc.. If it costs you x amount of dollars to reload a shell, is that shell worth that x amount of dollars or is it worth more or less.

Im not looking on ways to save $$ or recipes to save $$

Im looking for your opinions on your own reloads compared to a cheap factory load or even a factory AA or Gun Club. Say if it costs you $8.00 a box to reload your shells, do you believe you are getting that much better of a load for yourself than a cheap factory for less.

Quote from beretta boy "FGR's as a buddy calls them ( F---ing Great Reloads ) are as good IMHO as factory AA's, GM's or STS's ... but that only applies to the first 2 or 3
reloadings of a quality hull."

Thanks beretta boy, this is what im looking for.
 
I must be very lucky, where I live a flat of Remington Gun Clubs is $62-70 depending on where I buy it. In fact, most of the local vendors sell flats of Challenger, Federal and Remington around those prices. I've never bought Winchesters so I can't comment on that. The one store sells Federal, Remington and Challenger for $7.99 a box or $65-70 a flat. They used to sell them for $60 a flat but I guess everything is going up in price these days. :/

In your case, it seems very expensive to reload. I have shot reloads and factory side by side and never seen much of a difference. For the price you quoted on a flat of Federals, I'd shoot those. I've always had good results breaking clays using Federal anyways.
 
To answer your question directly - if you are an average recreational shooter, you wont notice the difference between target shell A and reload shell B. In fact, you are more likely to have malfunctions based upon reloads than factory loads.
 
I've come to regard my reloads as very consistent, but then I'm more than a little fussy about my reloads, especially sizing & crimping.
"Good enough" just isn't part of my vocabulary ! Everything else being equal, a great crimp alleviates a lot of problems.
And getting a bum shell or two in a couple of flats of factory loads isn't unheard of.

I do agree however that the average recreational shooter can get by quite nicely with factory "promo" loads like
Remington's "Gun Club" or Federal's "Top Gun". A buddy shot very well for years with the K-Mart 100 shell value packs of Federal.

If you only shoot a few flats a year, reloading probably isn't for you ... but if you're going through a flat or two (or more) a month
you may well wish to consider it. A MEC 600Jr. is a very serviceable single stage press for a couple of hundred bucks and will do
the casual shooter nicely. Easy enough to load a flat of shells in a little over an hour. Higher volume reloading is better accomplished
on a progressive machine like the MEC 9000G or a Ponsness-Warren. If money is no object, the Spolar progressive is a beauty !

I've spent (probably a couple of hundred) hours patterning both factory loads and reloads through various guns & chokes over the
years, both to determine P.O.I., gun fit and choke/load performance.... so I have a high degree of confidence in my reloads.
I enjoy reloading and don't consider it a waste of time, but rather an investment in one of the sports I love.
I also reload for (currently) four centre fire rifles on single stage R.C.B.S. equipment. Sort of like decoy carving or
fly-tying. Just adds a little more to your sport of choice.

Every now & then I'll splurge on a case of Federal papers or Gamebore Blue Diamonds or such, and occasionally pick up
a case or two of STS's or AA's, but for the most part it's reloads unless a tournament mandates factory shells only.
 
I've always reloaded for everything I shoot...HG, Rifle, S Gun. It started out 35 yrs ago as an accuracy thing, JUST for my rifles...yaa-right !!...lol
Cheaper and better ammo HAD to be better right ??
Cheaper means you can shoot for less....sooooo, when you can shoot for less, you shoot more....annnnd, when you can shoot more, it becomes more expensive !! See where this is going. ;)
Used to be...I could produce better for less...which translated into greater satisfaction for me and my friends. A... feel good kind of thingy. Esp at the range....where every now and then you'd over hear the ones beside you exclaim...WOW...that gun is some accurate,,,orrrr...man, he can shoot !
Now that I'm addicted and the costs have sky rocketed...I think..eff it....what odds, soooo..I still do it ! I still grab a flat or two when the big sales come on...or supplies get low, but for the most part....it's all reloads for me.


Besides the lil wifey and my youngest shoot now so I keep them happy too.
Remember..." a happy wife "....means .." a happy life "

....annnd it still works like a damn !!
 
I reload for my .410 and some special/oddball 20 gauge only. Its not worth my time and effort compared to bulk purchases of 12G target loads. I can spend all night saving ten bucks on target loads? .... No Thanks.
 
I have a series of MEC presses for all gauges. Enough green dot to choke a Clydesdale and primers to support a small army.

I'll shoot 5000+ rounds a year trying to crush as many clays as possible. I stopped reloading a while ago because the price of shot is way too high and made the margins/cost savings not worth my time.

Although I did maintain a near zero failure while reloading. But with the same breath in a 10 year span I can count on one hand how many federals or winchester a failed to fire..... Although I do feel some of the shells didn't have shot in them. Lol.
 
Same boat. Figure in about $75/bag down here right now. This is the first year since I started reloading in 1994 that I can't justify the cost to myself to load target loads for Skeet and Trap. I will continue for Grouse hunting loads and if I come accross inexpensive shot I'll certainly returning to reloading for the skeet field.
 
Same here, in Southern Alberta. I'm not buying shot at close to $80 a bag to load trap shells. More than worth it for .410, or a handful of black powder shells for my coach gun. I can load my own slugs and buckshot for pennies, but unless I buy a shotmaker I'm buying my trap shells wherever is cheapest(Canadian tire money!)
 
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