[w296]

I HAVE GOTTEN INTO SPORTING CLAYS AND LOVE IT. THINK I WOULD SHOOT EVERY DAY IF I COULD AFFORD IT. I'VE BEEN GETTING WHAT EVER IS ON SALE AT WALLEY WORLD. ON AVERAGE ABOUT 4.00 A BOX. WINCHESTER , FEDERAL ETC. AA CLAYS RUNS ABOUT 6 OR 7 BUCKS A BOX. IS IT WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY. IS THERE ANY BRAND THAT WOULD BE BETTER ON AVERAGE THAN ANOTHER? I KNOW I SHOULD PATTERN THE SHOT BUT I HAVEN'T DONE SO YET.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHOOT MUCH MORE THAN I AM RIGHT NOW. AS YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME YOU SHOOT A HUNDRED ROUND COURSE, THE COST FOR THE COURSE AND SHELLS ADDS UP PRETTY QUICK. I HAVE CONSIDERED BUYING A RELOADER TO HELP KEEP THE COST DOWN. I HAVE RELOADED RIFLE AND PISTOL FOR YEARS NOW. THE COMBINATION OF COMPONENTS ARE ENDLESS. GUESS IT WOULD BE THE SAME FOR SHOTGUN. HULLS,WADS,PRIMER ETC. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE PRESS. I HAVE LOOKED AT THE MEC 9000 ALSO THE DILLON . THE DILLON WOULD BE VERY NICE TO HAVE BUT I THINK IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME TO PAY FOR ITSELF. HOEVER, I HAVE HAD A DILLON RIFLE AND PISTOL RELOADER FOR OVER 20 YRS AND IT HAS SERVED ME WELL. ANY ADVISE WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.

THANKS,
RON

[Bacchus]

Typing in all caps is akin to SHOUTING.

I've found that the Remington loads in 7 1/2 to be fine for most shotgunning purposes. Wally World had cases (10 boxes) on sale about 2 weeks ago for $30.

[w296]

Thanks for the information. I'll try and keep my voice down :)

[mtnbkr]

I buy the 100rnd value packs at wal-mart. They can be winchester, federal, etc. Price is usually $14.88 (less than $4/box). Unless I was shooting 100+rnds a week, I don't think I could reload enough to justify the equipment and time.

Chris

[kudu]

A lot of guys buy in bulk by the case, if you can find a club that carries Estate shotgun shells you can sometimes get them for about $3 a box if you buy a flar of 10 or 20. There is also Remington gun club shells, a cheaper version to compete with other makers of shot shells. Neither of these type of shells reloads well but if you don't reload they would be fine.
AA's at our local wally world are $4.96 a box as well as Rem premiers. I occasionaly buy a few boxes but I reload.
Have fun at the clays coarse.:)

[ysr_racer]

I use the WalMart value pack of 100 also. They have Remingtons where I shop and that's what I buy.

Here's a link to another site where I asked the same question:

http://shotgunsports.com/cgi-bin/webchat.cgi?category=Clay_Talk&num=7050&startnum=41

[45auto]

Reloading will be cheaper, but it does depend on how much shooting you do as to whether it's worth it.

If you buy in bulk, you can find good deals on new ammo. If you buy AA of STS, you might be able to sell the empties to futher reduce your costs.
There are a lot of cheaper promo loads available with soft shot, for example. That's fine for shots under 25 yards, but it's not fine for 40 yard shots.


IF you reload rifle and pistol now, then shotshell is a piece of cake.

I would buy a MEC 650 or Grabber for @$200-250. They are great reloaders and you can load about 500 rounds an hour- with practice.
The Grabber has a resizer and the 650 does not. If you shoot an O/U, for example, and only reload shells shot out of your gun, you don't need to resize.

Reloading insures that high quality componants are used.
I just follow the books for whatever load I want. I don't deviate and don't second guess them. I don't think I can load a better or more "accurate" load then the factory. I'm just duplicating for a cheaper price.

Set your reloader for one hull, AA or STS which you can load about 10-15 times and then crank them out.

[HSMITH]

Buy a MEC 9000G if you can't afford the Dillon SL900, any of the lower priced MEC reloaders are slower and not that much less money. The 9000G is the cheapest decent shotshell loader for serious shooting on the market. The Grabbers and the like are fine if you don't shoot much or have plenty of time to reload.

[TrapperReady]

Don't forget looking at used reloaders. I got a MEC 9000G that looks a little rough, but functions flawlessly for $150. I've used it to crank out about 5000 shells so far.

In fact, that reminds me that I've got to go down to the basement and churn out a few boxes of 12ga 7/8oz loads this afternoon.

[another okie]

Sometimes you can get a good deal at a gun show.
You should also scan these sites for prices:

www.cheaperthandirt.com
www.natchezss.com
www.ammoman.com

[Kingcreek]

I buy thru the club where I shoot. This year shooting RIO for $32 a flat (10 boxes) last year shot Fiocci for $33.
I don't bother to reload shotshells for the pennies saved.

[Selfdfenz]

I don't disagree with anything that has been said. All good advice.

I reload shotshells. I don't care much for the current AA hull. In the past they were excellent but now I find the STS a much better case. It loads and lasts longer in my hands at least.

If you are going to a range that often, ask them to sell you 500 or 1000 STS/Premier once fired cases. You'll have to throw away a few the first time you run'em but it gets you going faster than buying a box or two at a time as they are pretty expensive.
They will last you an amazingly long time.

Most of the econo shells there days have steel bases which I'm not too keen on for a couple of reasons from a reloading POV. I do shoot them alot at the range however. It's also hard to find reloading data for a shell that was supposed to be tossed after use #1.

JMHO
S-

[blue86buick]

At the Scheels by my house, they sell (and buy) empty AA and STS shells, but that's it (for used shells). I wouldn't be suprised if there's no market for them at the price you can buy new loaded shells, but can the hulls you get from the 100pk's at Wal-Mart (winchester and federal) be reloaded well? Or are they built too weak/cheap to be reloaded?

If they can't be reloaded, what should be done with them? Throw them in the trash?

[Dave McCracken]

Current cost on making a 1 oz top quality reload here runs about $2.80. Current time to load two boxes in the commercial time of a 30 minute TV show.

Moreover, one can tweak a load for a particular situation. For instance, adding a little speed (Stay within the data in the manuals and proceed carefully) opens up a pattern for a little more spread, dropping the velocity tightens it up.

The used MEC 600 Jr I have paid for itself inside a month.

[kudu]

bue86
The 100 packs of federals reload well for about 2-3 times in my experience, but the Win brand didn't do well as the crimps would open back up after about a day and leave all the loose shot rolling around everywhere.

[Dave McCracken]

A coupla things...

One way I've increased my enjoyment of various outdoor hobbies has been making my stuff as much as possible. Black Powder shooting had me making possibles bags, short starters, patch knives, bullet blocks, ad nauseam. Fly fishing had me not only tying flies for myself, but there's a picture here someplace of a friend kneeling in an Alaskn river holding up a King Salmon the size of a railroad tie (66 lbs) with an ugly purple thing I tied in its jaw. I also rebuilt some old family bamboo rods and so on.

Rolling my own shotgun ammo is more of the same. One step closer to self- sufficiency, save some money (or more realistically, shoot more for the same cash outlay)nad get some personal satisfaction of busting those clays or grassing a bird with home made ammo.

More involvement in this sport pays off, IMO. Reloading is more involvement.

[blue86buick]

kudu:

that must be why they're melted together in the center of the crimp when you buy them.