Armory Sponsor
Posted: 3/17/2014 7:56:57 PM EDT
|
Hi everyone,
I have been wanting to start reloading for a while. I have been thinking of starting with 12ga shot shells. I found a Lee Load All II press, I know it might not be the best press but it wont break the bank right now. I think for me starting out it is the best choice. My questions are - What reloading manual should I look for? Where is the best place to look for hulls? Best place for pellets and wads? What kind of powder do I look for? I keep seeing handgun/shotgun and then I see made just for 12ga shotgun powder. What are the best hulls to get for a pump shotgun? I would like to get brand new hulls to use and then later on go for the once fired used hulls. Is reloading 12ga worth it? I want to stock up on it and go into the 1000 round count and more. I'm just not sure where to look for reloading supplies. My local area about the only place I can think of would be Wal-mart and maybe one other place and I'm sure very high. Thanks everyone and give me any and all info you can and I appreciate it all. |
|
I started reloading doing 12g shotshells. I load 00 buckshot using Alliant Herco recipe. Best place to tell you what wads to use is from the powder manufactures and it also depends on what hulls you use. I use Remington STS and Nitro 27 hulls, DRA 12 wads (yellow) and nine 00 buckshot. With this load I do have to trim the petals off the wad so I don't get bulges in the shell. Hodgdon is the only place that gives the exact recipe for 00 buckshot using their HS6 powder. Shotshell reloading all depends on what weight you plan on shooting. Check out:
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/ http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=210027 http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=316256 http://www.precisionreloading.com/ http://www.handloadersbench.com/forum26/11621.html |
|
Thanks I will check out all of those links.
I want to load 00 buck and other defensive loads. I'm thinking of re-loading as much as I can in 12ga. I like to have 1000-5000 and once I feel good about loading shot shells I want to move on to 9mm, 45acp and 38spl. I will also re-load .223. I dont think 7.62x39 is cost effective but might be. |
|
Quoted:
Thanks I will check out all of those links. I want to load 00 buck and other defensive loads. I'm thinking of re-loading as much as I can in 12ga. I like to have 1000-5000 and once I feel good about loading shot shells I want to move on to 9mm, 45acp and 38spl. I will also re-load .223. I dont think 7.62x39 is cost effective but might be. You won't find much commonality in the processes used for load shotgun and metallic ammunition. There are a zillion gunpowders that work great in 12 gauge ammunition. I'm using Titewad nowadays, but I've used half a dozen others in the past. I use Claybuster wads; they are economical and work great. I've used Downrange wads but I don't care for them because they are just a little bit longer than the Claybusters and sometimes they hang up on the wad fingers in my Grand. I don't recall ever loading them on my Grabber. I have used several other types of wads, too, from a giant haul I bought at an estate sale, including wads for straight wall cases in AA hulls. http://www.gamaliel.com/ Gamaliel is a very good source for supplies. So is Ballistic Products, but their prices are a little high. On the other hand, they have supplies that are hard to find elsewhere. Hulls can be bought at the nearest trap and skeet field or Sporting Clays facility. They might give you more than you can haul home. I shoot AA's and Remington Premiers; the AA's are cheap and plentiful here due to the proximity of Olin. If you were close, I'd give you a thousand or two. To find local supplies, check at the commercial and private clubs. They will help get you going. |
|
Thanks everyone for the info and links.
I just thought about the rang here for clays I might give them a call and see if they have hulls or what they do with them. I think reloading 12ga will be a good starting point into reloading for me. I see it as less complex than maybe doing pistol or rifle cals. I might be wrong in thinking that but I see it as being more simple. I also think I will go with the Lee Load ALL II as my first press. |
|
Just a suggestion:
If you're making (blasting/plinking) buckshot loads with 00 buckshot (.330") then you'll find many common 1-1/8oz wads designed for bird shot will work well if you stack your pellets in 4 stacks of 2. You'll have a lot of trouble stacking 3 layers of 3 using .330 buckshot if you use most standard petals in regular 2.75" hulls. I like using .32" buckshot (single buck) or stacking 4 layers of 2 00 buck in most of my blasting buckshot ammo. |
|
Quoted:
Is reloading 12ga worth it? I want to stock up on it and go into the 1000 round count and more. . Even with free once fired hulls, loading 12 gauge will cost more than buying the discount dove/quail/target loads at your local Walmart. Buckshot is worth it, but you either need to find a decent source of buckshot or cast your own. They guys who cast their own buckshot can save a bundle. As for manuals, the best to start with is probably the Lyman Shotshell manual. |
|
Quoted:
Thanks everyone for the info and links. I just thought about the rang here for clays I might give them a call and see if they have hulls or what they do with them. I think reloading 12ga will be a good starting point into reloading for me. I see it as less complex than maybe doing pistol or rifle cals. I might be wrong in thinking that but I see it as being more simple. I also think I will go with the Lee Load ALL II as my first press. Here's the deal with that press; it's cost will be added to the press you buy as a replacement. Look for a used MEC in your area. They're all over and you should be able to pick one up for less $40 to $100 depending on the model. Shotgun loading is not simpler than metallic cartridges and has traps that are more frustrating. |
|
I want to reload 00 buck.
I was just thinking shotgun reloading looked a tad easier to understand and get the hang of before moving into pistol and rifle cals. I will look around and see what I can find in the area. I may need to call the guy who was going to teach me reloading. He may have some used presses. I know he does for pistol and rifle. Full setups. He was getting out of it after 30 plus years, just cutting back. |
|
Quoted:
I was just thinking shotgun reloading looked a tad easier to understand and get the hang of before moving into pistol and rifle cals. . Shotgun is way more complicated. In metallic reloading which case you use and which brand of primer essentially don't matter. This is the reason you start at 10% under max and work your way up. In Shotgun, every little thing can have a big effect on pressure, so you have to match the primer, wad, case to a known load. |
|
Loading shotshells is not worth it, unless you have special needs that cannot be met with factory rounds.
If you're a member in good standing at Ben Avery, or Rio Solado, they sell reclaimed shot -- but, only to members. For hulls, you really have to buy the commercial shells you want to use. STS Remington is the gold standard for reloading. So, buy a case, or two, at Sportsmans' Warehouse -- which gives a 5% discount on case quantities. Most shotshell information is available on the web from component manufacturers. The instructions that come with Mec loaders are thorough and dependable. If you insist on having a paper manual, the Lyman is the only good one I know of. My pump guns run smoothly on Remington and Winchester AA hulls. In my opinion, you really ought to consider a Mec Sizemaster, or 600 jr. with an outboard sizer. Shells need to be dimensionally correct to work consistently in slide action and automatic shotguns. The Lee tool won't get you there. |
|
Quoted:
......................... In Shotgun, every little thing can have a big effect on pressure, so you have to match the primer, wad, case to a known load. That. Shotgun reloading is an even bigger juggling act than handgun reloading. Check out the pressure differences with different wads and different powders for the same velocity with the same shot weight. |
|
I loaded on a friends MEC jr when I was a teenager. As I started to get trap cards punched regularly, I got the Lee. I then went to the MEC jr. and then got the MEC 9000. The smaller presses would not keep up with my needs. I say this, because you see what you are in for.
I like the thicker Remington hulls. Winchester AA hulls don't last as long. For a while the AA hulls went entirely to shit. They would split on the first firing, not reloadable at all. I always tried to get bulk Cheddite wads and primers and used WST. I haven't pulled the press arm for years, but a new trap range opened close to my house. Once I go over there, the press will get back into production. Now that I got this needed inspiration, I put some trap shooting on my calendar for this weekend.  
|
|
Quoted:
Loading shotshells is not worth it, unless you have special needs that cannot be met with factory rounds. <snip>. If you want to shoot high quality AA loads for trap and skeet, do a price check. You can make these loads much cheaper. Shooting several rounds at the Wednesday night and Sunday trap shoots will eat into the bank very quickly. The key is to find a good shot supplier so you don't have to eat it on freight. |
Armory Sponsor