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Shotun Shell Reloading Questions Please
sigarmsp226
Member Posts: 2,457 ✭✭✭
Lately I have started shooting skeet and LOVE it - I go out to the club where there are 55 gallon drums FULL of spent shotgun shells. Now I am seeing that the average 25 rd box of 12Ga - 2 3/4" 3 or 3 1/4 Dram Wt of powder under 1oz or 1 1/8 oz # 8 shot is now costing me between $5.50 and $6.00 a box for 25 rds. If I can go out and retrieve 1000 rds of re loadable spent shells(know they need to be brass base units but that is about all I know) can someone give me an idea of the cost per 25 rounds if I were to start reloading. I do not view the cost of the equipment as a per unit cost. I view the equipment a capital expense that I understand I have to pay up front. I have reloaded handgun and rifle cartridges for over 30 years but never considered reloading shotgun shells until now.
Thanks for your support and recommendations - My next question will be to ask what reloading system is recommended by the members here. I am shooting about 400-500 rounds a month right now......
Thanks again, Mark
Thanks for your support and recommendations - My next question will be to ask what reloading system is recommended by the members here. I am shooting about 400-500 rounds a month right now......
Thanks again, Mark
Comments
I would ask some of your fellow shooters in the area to see what they are doing and go from there. I load every single rifle and pistol centerfire round I shoot (except mil-surp 7.62X54R). I have a shot shell reloader, shot and other components. It is still cheaper to buy the factory shells in bulk than it is to load them.
With 25lb bags running better than $40 it makes reloaded costly.
With a 1 1/8 oz load you get 350 rounds (?).
Add powder, wads, and primers and you might as well buy factory.
Many clubs have members that have their own shot makers and will sell some.
I just bought 50 lb for $50 and think I got a good deal.
Also some clubs will get up special orders on shells.
They are usually 100 flats on a skid with total upfront payment.
Get enough people together and you can save a few bucks.
If you want to try it, sort out a supply of "hulls" all the same type. I used to favor Winchester AA but the last I had were not as good as they had been being. Maybe Remington STS.
I can load bulk rifle and pistol ammo for casual shooting in mixed brass, but you are really a lot better off to use the same shotshell all the time.
Get a manual and follow it.
You can depart from rifle and pistol "recipes" and get good results, but shotshell loading is very cookbook.
Buy reclaimed shot over new shot.
Load for 7/8 oz of shot. Use Cheddite primers.
Your hulls will be free so you dont have to worry about that.
Find a good load with TiteWad powder.
Claybuster wads are great and cost less.
A MEC 600 Jr is a great press for a very low cost, it is what I use and I love it.
Doing all of this you might save a few bucks per 100rds, but you will have a load that is custom made to pattern out of your gun.
I must say that I have found a full proof way to save money while loading shotshells. It is actually really easy. Load and shoot nothing but 410 or 28 gauge. I can load a 25rd box of 28ga for $3.25, but it would cost $14.00 to buy it, 410's are only $3.00 for 25 and $13.00 in the store.
You can do it, it all depends on how much you enjoy loading.
Buy reclaimed shot over new shot.
Load for 7/8 oz of shot. Use Cheddite primers.
Your hulls will be free so you dont have to worry about that.
Find a good load with TiteWad powder.
Claybuster wads are great and cost less.
A MEC 600 Jr is a great press for a very low cost, it is what I use and I love it.
Doing all of this you might save a few bucks per 100rds, but you will have a load that is custom made to pattern out of your gun.
I must say that I have found a full proof way to save money while loading shotshells. It is actually really easy. Load and shoot nothing but 410 or 28 gauge. I can load a 25rd box of 28ga for $3.25, but it would cost $14.00 to buy it, 410's are only $3.00 for 25 and $13.00 in the store.
You can do it, it all depends on how much you enjoy loading.
My cost in my area:
25# 7.5 Shot=$37
1000 Win209=#35
1lb Red Dot=$17
500 WT12 wads=$13
Cost per each:
1 1/8oz=$.14/shot
primer= $.035/shot
18gr powder=$.044/shot
wad=$.026/shot
total $.245/per shot. $6.125/box
I can buy Remington Gun Clubs & the Win/Fed 4 box brick's for the same price & cheaper. I don't have to reload them or by the equipment. Until the price of lead goes down, a person that doesn't already have the equipment would loose money reloading 12ga.
10 years ago I was reloading for about $2.50/box
http://www.shootpita.com/reloading-cost.htm
Up until Oct.31st, Fed and Win had their rebate program running. They have been doing this for a few years. Rem used to but stopped this year. You have to talk to the guys in your club and find out who the closest wholesaler is. You can buy top of the line target loads for a little more than the low end shells.
For instance, here in PA, Dunham's was selling Fed Top Guns for $52.95 per flat plus tax. FYI, the price has GONE UP this week, post election, to $56.95.
The remington Gun Clubs were always around the same price. Sometimes you could find them for $49.00 plus tax.
The wholesaler price for top of the line Win AA or Federal Gold Medals was $71.00 out the door. The rebate was for $2.00 per box. Limit 50 boxes to any one address. That brings the total to $5.10 a box for the best shells. You can sell the Fed empties, AA not so much any more, for 4 cents a piece. That knocks another dollar off each box. $41.00 a flat for Gold Medals is tough to beat.
That rebate is for 50 boxes FOR ANY ONE ADDRESS. Now if you shoot a LOT you will need to use the address or addresses of fellow shooters so you can buy 300 boxes. Just sayin.
I still load 16 yard line, doubles, and Sporting Clays shells. That is because I have about 1/2 ton left. I shoot the new ones for registered caps. When the shot is gone I'll shoot the new ones at everything.
One loader is for regular 3 dram loads and the other is for Annies and Buddies. Saves time instead of changing bushings and shot.
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AJ100(Tom Vogt)
If you are shooting light loads you are much better off buying them in bulk/on sale. Reloading shotshells becomes financilly viable when loading heavier loads. I suppose if the volume was there you could buy componets in bulk and get the cost down but for the average shooter barring certain exceptions it's much easier and cheaper to buy. The drums full of hulls should tell you something.
I reload 410 & 28 ga. That is all the wife & I shoot on sporting clays. I make my own shot. average is about $20.00 for #100 of ready to use shot, (if you don't count labor making it). The only 12 ga or 20 ga I load are hunting loads or light loads for cowboy shooting.
Another example of where it is benifical, Just as my 3" shells had .25 worth of additional componet cost, they cost $6-8 dollars more per box retail, 410 shells with less shot and powder cost retail at double that of 12 ga light loads locally. I would guess 28 gauge shells suffer the same pricing imbalance but I've never seen 28 gauge ammo or guns stocked for sale.
Shells/hull: I like using the Remingtons because so many of them have the same internal dimensions and very easy to come by.
I have found that the most if not all of their one piece shells are identical internally. These means you can reload using fewer types of wads, with wad size being determined by load weight you want.
The shells I have used are: The old blue max, STS,Nitro, Field and Gun Club shells. Hulls may be black, metallic green or gold, or just plain green. The black or plain green hulls may also be ribbed.
Although costs for reloading has gone up, I still find it cheaper than buying off the shelf unless there is a really good deal available.
Many of the powder companies have load books or websites for info.
Their loads will normally produce good results and have been tested.
Good luck
Now my questions are:
1. Can use reuse spent shells like spent brass, and if so, how many times can each be reused?
2. You need a shell, a primer, powder, a wad, and whatever you want to shoot right? Anything else?
3. Can these be put together without presses or other expensive equipment? By hand? My thinking with these is that I can do these without buying a lot of equipment, but I may be wrong, as I have not even begun to learn anything yet. I'm trying to avoid buying hundreds of dollars of equipment at the moment. I'm not concerned with producing 100s of these at a time, just some as needed since time and money is short right now.
4. Am I missing anything else? Going to find some good books, but I'll still be lost on which powders and primers to use, at least right now.
I am also interested in learning to load for my 12 gauge. I am not concerned with a money savings, just in learning how to do it and be able to make my own, as I do not reload anything right now, and figure shotgun shells will be easier to start with.
Now my questions are:
1. Can use reuse spent shells like spent brass, and if so, how many times can each be reused?
2. You need a shell, a primer, powder, a wad, and whatever you want to shoot right? Anything else?
3. Can these be put together without presses or other expensive equipment? By hand? My thinking with these is that I can do these without buying a lot of equipment, but I may be wrong, as I have not even begun to learn anything yet. I'm trying to avoid buying hundreds of dollars of equipment at the moment. I'm not concerned with producing 100s of these at a time, just some as needed since time and money is short right now.
4. Am I missing anything else? Going to find some good books, but I'll still be lost on which powders and primers to use, at least right now.
1. You can reload the hulls. I find that Remington hulls can be reloaded about 6 to 8 times. Gun Club are their low end target loads and reload well for me on a MEC Jr..
2. You will need lead shot, I can get a 25 lbs. bag of #9 shot for about $35.00. Also get a good scale and a reloading manual.
3. You tube is your friend, just search shotgun shell reloading.
4. Go to a skeet or trap club and pick a few brains. Clay busters are friendly people and like to share their sport.[:)]
Often you can find field 20ga and 12ga loads cheap, but I wouldn't necessarily compare them to Winchester AA trap and skeet loads.
I reloaded originally for the cost savings (at the time I could reload a box of shells using once fired hulls for $2.50 a box vs. $5.00 a box of Winchester AA loads), but also for the ability to adjust pressures, patterns, velocities, and reduction in barrel fouling.
For 12 ga, I currently use Win AA hulls and WAA wads with 700-x and Fiocchi primers and found a nice low pressure load with good velocities and very good patterns that leaves my barrel very clean after shooting. One run through the barrels with a swab with CLP and a TICO tool and the barrel is usually clean.
Lead 37.00/25#
Wads CB 4118 or 0118 8.00/1000
Fiocchi 209's 24.00/1000
Promo powder 88.00/8lbs.
used Mec jr loader for 65 to 80.00
You can also make a load your gun likes and get the same load time after time. Cheap shells may have different components from lot to lot.