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Posted: 10/13/2013 7:46:51 PM EDT
| I recently got into clay pigeon shooting and am wondering if shotshell reloading is as cost-effective as metallic cartridge reloading (I currently reload .308, .223, and 9mm). I have been buying 12 gauge target loads at walmart for $25 per 100 shells and I shoot about 250 each weekend. A friend of mine is willing to give me his Lee Load-All for free, so really my only cost would be the components. I haven't priced out primers, wads, powder, or shot yet but is there any reason to start reloading or am I better off buying the shells? |
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Even free a lee load all isn't worth the price.
The only feasible way to save money loading 12 or 20 gauge ammo is to do things in bulk. 5000 primers, 5000 wads (clones - like claybuster or downrange), 8 lbs powder. Buy quality ammo and save the hulls (Rem STS are the best 12/20 hulls. Gun clubs are ok - steel bases though) If you have to mail order supplies it gets worse as the shipping is hard to justify. If you have to buy shot at cabelas or sportsmans or bass pro - it's really bad. I think they are at about $45/bag now. When you get done with all that you might save about $1 /box for reloads vs the economy shells (Rios, estates, etc) Unless you shoot a lot it's going to be hard to realize any savings. The big savings is subgauge - .410 and 28. ETA: loading with a single stage loader (MEC 600 jr, MEC sizemaster, PW 375) You should be able to load 4-5 boxes an hour. Progressive loaders like the PW 800+, Spolar Gold, Mec 9000, Hornady 366, Dillon, or RCBS Grand you should be able to load 20+ boxes an hour. |
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I have a progressive 12 gauge shotshell reloader, but haven't used it in years. The cost of shot is the biggest block for me. I haven't found any local source for less than about $40 per 25 lb bag. I assume you have a stockpile of descent hulls. The Wallyworld shells (Win, Rem or Fed) aren't very useful for reloading. Even buying all the other components in bulk, I figure my per shell cost at just under $.20. With the Wallyworld 100-pack 12 gauge shells costing under $.25, reloading just doesn't add up for me. Basically, if you can find a source for cheap shot, you can make it worthwhile. If not, you can't. YMMV.
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Check with your club, range and see if they offer deals on components. Shotshell reload makes sense for specialized loads and slugs, assuming that you have or get lead, slugs Yah from what I've gathered that is about it. I already cast and probably will start shooting some 3 gun next year + some tactical shotgun matches, I plan on loading up slugs for matches / practice but not even thinking about regular shot loads. Calculated slugs out to 25 cents a piece...not too shabby :) |
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I have a progressive 12 gauge shotshell reloader, but haven't used it in years. The cost of shot is the biggest block for me. I haven't found any local source for less than about $40 per 25 lb bag. I assume you have a stockpile of descent hulls. The Wallyworld shells (Win, Rem or Fed) aren't very useful for reloading. Even buying all the other components in bulk, I figure my per shell cost at just under $.20. With the Wallyworld 100-pack 12 gauge shells costing under $.25, reloading just doesn't add up for me. Basically, if you can find a source for cheap shot, you can make it worthwhile. If not, you can't. YMMV. +1 this why i stopped and sold my stuff. With the big push to dump lead you might see it feasible years down the road or if your going to load slugs. Even with loading 20ga i couldn't justify the cost it was still close to what you would pay at wally world for standard clay /bird shot. |
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I have a progressive 12 gauge shotshell reloader, but haven't used it in years. The cost of shot is the biggest block for me. I haven't found any local source for less than about $40 per 25 lb bag. I assume you have a stockpile of descent hulls. The Wallyworld shells (Win, Rem or Fed) aren't very useful for reloading. Even buying all the other components in bulk, I figure my per shell cost at just under $.20. With the Wallyworld 100-pack 12 gauge shells costing under $.25, reloading just doesn't add up for me. Basically, if you can find a source for cheap shot, you can make it worthwhile. If not, you can't. YMMV. This is right on. The ONLY reason my old man reloads shot shells is becuase he makes his own lead shot. If he didn't it simply wouldn't be cost effective enough. |
| If you shoot the bulk target shells, you will break-even (at best) by reloading unless you have a cheap source for shot. The only reason that I reload shotshell is because my wife likes the low recoil stuff (Win Low Recoil, Low Noise) which is about $10/box. Otherwise, I'd just shoot the Wally World bulk stuff. |
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If you load buckshot and cast your own slugs from scrap lead, it's like printing money. It's a savings of as much as $1 a shell. There's no way I could afford to feed my Saiga 12 for my club which requires slugs on the rifle range otherwise.
As noted, with #8 birdshot or whatever you're saving $1 a box if that. However the Federal bulk packs do not pattern nearly as nicely as Winchester AA, so if you can duplicate that performance, it might go up to saving $2 per box. |
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First post nails it, however if you can find some reclaimed shot for your 12 and keep the cost
under a buck a lb for lead you save money. Load one ounce loads. The cost of shot is what has killed it. I load all gauges but I primarily shoot 28 for my skeet. Love them little guns. |
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Yes if you buy bulk as mentioned above.
Right now in off the street price direct from Dawson you can load 1oz. loads for $4.23 a box new lead and if you hunt up reclaimed $3.65 or cheaper. If you shop hard and buy in on club quantity deals (better price, no tax, no shipping or HAZ MAT) you can do it cheaper. Right now with what I think is the best reclaimed in the US and you do have to be fussy on its quality, it needs to be clean, polished,graphited and no steel or stones. I am loading for $3.36 a box. Kind of boils down to how much you shoot if you only shoot a couple 100 shells a year probably not. If you shoot shotgun like I do over 10,000 shells a year between skeet in all gauges and sporting for cost and performance, got to. |
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Just quickly using some average numbers - 5,000 primers about $125 (win and rem will be closer to 150), 5000 clone wads at about $90 (rem has gotten proud of their wads and may be closer to $160 if you can even find them), 18 grains of powder at $120 for 8lbs, your loading costs will run from $3.91/box if you can find $25/bag lead (reclaimed - maybe), to $4.85 if you have to buy shot at $45/bag at Cabelas.
This does not include hull costs. If you go buy Rem STS hulls papcharlies hulls sells them at 5-1/2 c. ea. You should get 8 or so reloads out of them. Hazmat fees of course add up if you mail order powder and primers. $27.50 per order - you can order 4 - 8lb jugs of powder or 4 - 5000 bricks of primers or a combo of primers/powder under one hazmat. You could order an 8 lb jug of promo and 5000 fio primers under one hazmat - if you cn find anyone that has them both in stock at the same time :-( Lead is the biggest issue though. Best thing to do is hang out at the trap club and find out where people are getting their lead. We mine our club about every 4 years and send our share of the lead off to have it re-dropped (they actually melt it down and re-drop it) so the only thing different between it and new stuff is you don't know the antimony content. We sell the re-dropped shot back to the membership at pretty reasonable rates. Reclaimed shot is shot that has been mined, cleaned, graphited, packaged and then sold, it's a mix of sizes and the pellets may be deformed. Not all miners have the same cleaning processes - some reclaimed shot might be pretty good - some may have small rocks and other contaminants in it. |
Dad left us his Belgium made Browning Sweet 16 and we picked up the Lee 2 for that and the ability to reload 16 and 12 if it ever come down to it.... We can still find 16 gauge stuff on line and save the hulls. But for under 50 bucks we got the set up...A really nice gun ....
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I reload 12, 20, 28, & 410. The biggest savings comes with reloading 28 & 410 as the cheapest factory loads in my area are $10 a box. I load 12 & 20 because I can get the same performance as a AA or
STS for the price of the cheap Wally world bulk packs. I do this because neither the Federal or Winchester bulk loads pattern worth a dam in my gun. My averages in Skeet go up an average of 4 birds when using my reloads versus the Wally world bulk. |
It used to, it doesn't now unless you are making speciality loads that retail from 10-20$/bx.25, or target shooter shooting 4-6k/mo. In the 70s we bitched when shot went from 6$ to 10$/25lb bag. I can still load 11/4 of 5s@ 1330fps, for about 1.35/bx.25 using old components,WW540. Great load for waterfowl but NOW must use STEEL. I can load steel, the most complicated, for 6$/bx25. I have sold all my lead and steel shot and packed-up my equpment .
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It used to, it doesn't now unless you are making speciality loads that retail from 10-20$/bx.25, or target shooter shooting 4-6k/mo. In the 70s we bitched when shot went from 6$ to 10$/25lb bag. I can still load 11/4 of 5s@ 1330fps, for about 1.35/bx.25 using old components,WW540. Great load for waterfowl but NOW must use STEEL. I can load steel, the most complicated, for 6$/bx25. I have sold all my lead and steel shot and packed-up my equpment .I have a old lb. of WW540 and will use it as a pistol load when I can not find any thing else. Not much data left on it. |
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