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Posted: 5/8/2013 6:03:07 AM EDT
| i have been pricing .410 ammo and OMG ... like gold. so i am thinking about reloading it. anyone else do this ? if so, any ideas would be helpful - i know i'll need a shotgun press i guess and stuff ... |
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If I had a .410 I would load for it, before loading for 12 or 20 gauge, just for pure economics. I don't have a .410, but I do have a 12 that I load for. I bought my MEC 600 Jr. for $35 brand new. the LGS was getting out of the shotgun reloading stuff, so I bought it and put it in the closet for a couple of years. Here is what you will need to load for shotgun. The most popular press of all time is the MEC 600 Jr., you move the shell from one station to the next manually on it. You can buy gauge conversions for the press, but it much simpler and easier to buy another press if you are going to be loading multiple gauges.
You'll also need charge bars, and powder bushings. There is an aftermarket "universal charge bar" that is adjustable for both powder and shot charges. I have one and it's okay, You'll also need primers 209 to be exact, all shotshell primers fit all gauges. 209M are for magnum charges and won't be needed until you start loading 12 gauge using 3" or 3 1/2" loads, or just about anything in 10 gauge. If you are loading the same gauge, but different length shells, you'll need another machine. You'll also need powder, wads and shot. I can about 400 loads of 1oz shot out of a 25lb bag. You deprime/size, reprime, slide the charge bar and drop powder, set your wad, slide the charge bar over and drop your shot charge, start your crimp, finish your crimp. If your crimp isn't perfect and is let shot fall out of a finished shell, I take a drop of wax and seal the hole. I usually deprime and size all of my shells, and then prime all of them. I find that if I do all of that first I can charge about 200 shells an hour, if the planets are aligned perfectly. Most of all be safe, get a good manual follow the proper recipes. |
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MEC has a strong line up of presses from too simple to almost too complicated. My preference runs to the Grabber, but I recently sold a 8620 Versamec that I think is a good option for a low volume loader.
You may need a hull conditioner for .410 hulls to get a good crimp after the second reload; I don't know for sure, but that's my experience with 28 gauge ammunition. I made a condition from a piece of hardwood dowel that I drilled through the center, tapered so it can be fed into the hull, and then mounted on a long screw so it can be used in a drill press or hand drill. The conditioner smooths and opens a worn crimp slightly so the wad is easier to install, and the crimp works out a little better. |
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My suggestion is to start with at least a MEC Sizemaster to get a press with a collet sizer. Check fleabay, Gunbroker, and Craigslist.
If you plan on loading buckshot then you will have to count and load the shot by hand. For other gauges you would be happier with a rolled crimp than a folded crimp for buckshot, no experience with 410. |
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