Easier to reload shotshells or brass?

[Mr.Caliber]

is it easier to reload shotshells or brass? what do you have to go through to reload a shotshell?

Thanks,

Mr.caliber

 

[snuffy]

brass what?

If you mean metalic cartridges, it's about a horse apiece! Totally different machines, different powders, multiple projectiles, the need for a wad, and lower pressures.

There's those that will tell you that you won't save much loading shotshells, well I don't buy into that. The el-cheapo "game" loads you can get aren't the same as a quality handloaded shotshell, especially when hard magnum shot is used for your loads. The game loads use soft chilled shot, cheap wads and hulls so they don't pattern as well as premium loads. And most of the hulls cannot be reloaded!

Then "they" will say with the price of shot in excess of $30.00 a bag, you will spend more for your reloads, Yeah until the factories raise their prices to reflect what they have to pay for their shot!

 

[Winger Ed.]

With any of the decent loaders, its simpler, and faster to reload shotgun shells than using a single stage press, but slower than a well tuned progressive.

Basically to load a shotgun shell:

size the shell & deprime.
reprime
trip the charge bar to dump powder
put wad into guide & seat it
trip the charge bar back to dump the shot
start crimp
finish crimp

Each step requires the handle to be pulled one time, and you end up sliding the case over for 2 steps/stations, and taking it out of one station and moving it to another 3 times.

In the time it takes to tell someone this, you could load about 2-3 good quality 12 guage shells.

I never timed myself, but doing 150 or so shotshells- start to finish in a hour is very realistic.
Its slower for the average person than loading pre-cleaned brass on a progressive, but not by much.

.

 

[berettashotgun]

Harder? Well, screw up a shotgun shell- the crimp will usually give it away. Screw up a rifle round, the barrel will possibily give it away. Not really that extreme, but, reloading #7.5 steelshot on a progressive gave me FITS for a few boxes until I got my act together. I reload mostly magnum rifle rounds, so it goes very slow and deliberate. Pistol?, piece of cake once you get your inspection technique down pat. I lube everything with one shot (metallic) or mica dust ( shotgun hulls) and keep a magnet handy for the dropped steelshot. A B&D handy-vac takes care of any other mistakes;has not popped a primer like the kirby did. Almost got to sleep in the doghouse for that one.To bad SHE found it

 

[nitesite]

I load shotgun on a MEC 650.

I have a cadence, a rhythm that in my head goes like this:

Turn-Primer-Turn-In-Up-PULL!

turn = move the first shell out of the start station
primer = visually check that a new primer has dropped and is staged to move to the primer ram
turn = watch the primer set in the ram, and continue to turn the first (now deprimed) hull over the priming ram
in = place another hull into the start station
up = push a new wad up
PULL = down firmly at a moderate speed and hold until the new primer drops

"Turn-Primer-Turn-In-Up-PULL!" Almost as fast as you can say it a new shell is ready to stack in a box!

I'd say that is pretty fast. When loading centerfire rifle I go much more slowly, and centerfire pistol I take my time as well.

 

[cloudcroft]

I find little difference between the shotshell reloading and metallic reloading...both are pretty easy.

-- John D.

 

[Steve C]

is it easier to reload shotshells or brass?

The mechanics of loading one is no more dificult than the other but developing loads for metalic cartridges is a more involved process. Shotshell loading is strictly cook book, deviation from the manual can get you into trouble and is non productive.

 

[Wwalstrom]

IMHO

It's easier to reload shotshells. My record (on a single stage press) is 8 boxes in one hour. Normally, as I now weigh the charges on every 10th shell, I can load 4 or 5 boxes in an hour.

 

[Starter52]

Shotshells are definitely easier, and safer (as berettashotgun said). I would trust a 12-yr-old to load shotshells on a Lee Loadall press, because the Loadall is so foolproof that nothing will go wrong. LOTS can go wrong when reloading brass.

 

[halfmile]

Shotgun is more forgiving.

Unless you are at the upper end for pressure, a half grain won't make much difference in a 12 guage.

I use a Mec 9000, and and adjustable charge bar. My shells are better than any of the new cheapies. I duplicate Remington STS and Nitro perfectly for about 60 % of the cost. And it is soothing to pump em out.

A tenth of a grain in rifle is a big deviation, and all the different loads require a lot of adjusting, etc.

Yes, Shotgun is easier.

HM