410 shot gun shell

GONESHOOTING

Has anyone here have any experience reloading 410 shot shells.
I have been reloading for pistol and rifles for sometime.
Any knowledge would be helpful[:)]
Thanks[8D]

PA Shootist

Over the last 30 years I have reloaded many thousands of .410 2-1/2" for skeet. I have used MEC 600 Jr and MEC Grabber and Ponsness-Warren 800B reloading machines. There isn't much difference from reloading any other gauge. Any good shotshell manual will provide the appropriate combinations for your particular case to be reloaded, including selection of primer, wad, powder and quantity, and shot charge. Changeable bushings from the reloading press manufacturer. Currently I'm using Lil Gun in W-W cases with great satisfaction. Only problem, these rounds will occasionally miss some birds!

GONESHOOTING

Thanks pa shootist, are they fairly easy to reload for someone that never loaded shotgun shells. I have a Saiga 410 that needs 3" shells.
Thanks.

PA Shootist

I think they reload fairly easily. I have never reloaded 3" .410's, the correct components and press set-up would be key to success. The reloading press does all the work. If no previous experience, I'd suggest a single-stage press like a MEC 600 Jr., it will turn out lots of shells, and each station does its job separately and one-thing-at-a-time, so you can get everything adjusted just right. A used press should be findable at relatively low cost, but check out the 3" shell issue. Again I have only reloaded the 2-1/2" target variety. I hope someone here can offer experienced advice about the 3" shells...

GONESHOOTING

Thanks for the info.

20gabob

The 410
ga shells are not any harder to load than any other shotshell, however as they are smaller and therefore you have to load a little slower and pay a little more attention. I personally load all gauges on hornaday DL-155's (have one set up for each ga) and find that i get about a quarter less production than with the bigger gauges. However with the cost of 410 shells new (extremely high) and the lower cost of components, especially shot it is well worthwhile. It will take a separate die set or some other changes to load both 2 1/2 and 3" 410 shells. I like the older Remington 3" hulls to reload and reload them with 16.5 win 296, win 209 primer, Remington 410 wads and 3/4 oz of extra hard shot or copper plated shot. Makes them a great shell to shoot as they hold a decent pattern which most factory loads don't seem to do in my guns anyway. Step in and have yourself some fun, you'll probably love it.

GONESHOOTING

[:p]Going to try to get me a list together to get started.[:p]

CHEVELLE427

HARDEST
thing about reloading 410s is getting good fired hulls,

i can get all the 20 and 12ga i want for free but have to hunt and run adds for the 410,

funny thing is i do better with my old 410 sxs then the trap O.U
TRAP GUN I BOUGHT.[:0]

geeguy

You do not share the type machine you are using. "IF" using a Mec 600 Jr. (great little machine), be aware that if you use shot bigger then #8 you may have it hang in the feed tube. If you don't hear it drop, tap the tube and lift the handle slow so you can see if it dropped properly. Otherwise, get a small vacuum to pick up the shot that dropped right after the handle topped out.

Another minor problem with the .410 is the crimp sometimes leaves a little center opening. If this happens some use a drop of candle wax, or I like to use a drop of Elmers glue. On 3" you may also want to assure you hold the shell on the sides when doing the starting crimp since some of the shell walls callapse on certain hulls.

.410 is a little slower, but reasonably easy.

Good luck

20gabob

Have to agree with the previous poster about shot larger then #8 if you do nothing to your drop tube. However i took my drop tube off and poliahed the inside of it and then used motor mica in the next loading with # 7 1/2 shot and it worked great. Then i loaded some copper #6 in 3 " Remingtons for pheasant hunting and never had any hang ups. I have not had a hang up since with any shot size from #9 thru #6. If i start getting any hangups, i will go back and retreat with motor mica and feel that it will be fine again. I load nothing over #6 shot in 410's as there isn't enough of them for a reasonable pattern in my opinion.

Bill Jordan

Love the .410 for all the above reasons BUT ,I would suggest, if you only want to reload 3", leave it set for 3",as ,trying to change a Mec from 21/2 to 3" and back was one of my biggest reloading PITA I ever had. Just a thought.
Bill

GONESHOOTING

Going to be for the saiga 410, how about loading buckshot.
Is there a certain type of wad for certain hulls?

longspur rider

I've been loading 410's for about a year. 2 1\2" & 3". Using a MEC 600Jr. MEC makes a short kit plate that makes going from 3" to 2 1\2" very easy without having to readjust everything. I've found Win AA hulls & Rem STS hulls reload the best. Rio & PMC load fine but seam to get a better crimp on the others. I load mainly 7 1\2 shot & I just have to remember to raise the arm a little after pressing the wad in so the shot drops out of the tube. I've had very good results using Hodgdon H-110 powder with a #12 poder bushing & 11\16 oz of shot in 3" shells.

336marlin

Lots of great information here. There is an internal erosion that occurs with the compression formed hulls that becomes noticeable after several firings (target shooters especially notice this as they try to get as many loads as can be squeezed from each hull). You'll realize while loading one day that there's suddenly more crimp space than before. It will get your attention since it looks as though something is terribly wrong. This is when the opening in the center of the crimp starts showing up and you wind up with shot in the bottom of your shell bag. Usually the cam and crimp depth can be adjusted with the mec loaders to account for this. Eventually the hull will seperate just above the brass. The .410 is lots of fun and economical (cheap).

264fan

quote:Originally posted by Bill Jordan
Love the .410 for all the above reasons BUT ,I would suggest, if you only want to reload 3", leave it set for 3",as ,trying to change a Mec from 21/2 to 3" and back was one of my biggest reloading PITA I ever had. Just a thought.
Bill

Amen to that, I reload 3 inch only because getting the crimp right after switching back and forth drove me nuts. Also, I too have trouble with shot size larger than 7 1/2 and the drop tube on my 600 Jr is plastic!

longspur rider

I shot 100 rounds on Sat. & reloaded them yesterday. Like I stated earlier I raise the press arm a little before I release the shot & have no problem with the shot hanging up in the tube. The one time I didn't do that, the shot hung up in it. Got to chase the little lead balls around my bench.

GONESHOOTING

As soon as I get enough fired hulls I'm going to get a mec 600