Shotgun reloading

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Never cleaned hulls in any gauge.

Did pick up used 12 ga trap type wads, wash them, and reload. Worked back in the day when most all used AA wads. To many different wads now.
 
I've heard of folks washing them in the dish washer. Not really an activity that gets you points with the wife. Probably not the safest from a toxic point of view.

Anyway, like the others, I've never washed a shotshell. When I was shooting competitively, I tended to generate enough hulls to reload. I'd shoot factory in matches and reloads in practice. So, I never picked up many hulls lying in the field.

I'd reload and shoot the hulls until the crimps would split and not crimp well.
 
Not sure I’d want to put Federal hulls in the dishwasher too. It’d be rough on the paper basewad.

I brush them out with a nylon brush. Mostly to get the inevitable bit of grass or dove feathers out. If they’re dirty in the outside a wipe with a dry cloth seems to work fine.
 
Generally just load them. No need for air or brushes, if there is something inside the hull tap it over the garbage can to knock it out.

I did get 1000 20 ga hulls with plastic base wad once that were just gritty and dirty. I put the hulls in a mesh laundry bag and put the bag in the washer for a light cycle. Hulls came out nice and clean. I did run a couple heavy cycles through the washer a couple times to clean it out before any clothes were washed. After the hulls were clean I spread them on a towel to dry overnight then deprimed the lot to avoid rusty primer pockets.
 
Most stuff does fall out with a tap, but I think brushing is part of the counting and inspection ritual. Shine a light in them and look for debris.

They sometimes get small spiders living inside the hulls too. Those are where a brush helps. Maybe I should stop picking up feral shotgun hulls...
 
Most I've done is inspect them when separating hulls. Usually the ones I get have just been shot, either by me, or a few friends from my Trap league that give me their hulls.

If you are starting shotgun loading, get the Lyman's 5th Edition of their reloading manual. It has tons of info, and load data to get you started. I recommend starting with a MEC single stage (600 or 650) loader, they are simple, there are tons of how-to videos on You Tube, and they are about the least expensive. They are so easy a 9 year old can do it, and that's when I started back in 1972.
 
As has been mentioned, shotgun hulls do not get cleaned like metallic brass.

Also, unlike metallic brass, you do not mix hull brands. There are specific recipes that I strongly suggest you follow closely. While subbing clone wads of OEM wads is safe and OK, until you get more experienced, do not go subbing other components. You also do not "work up a load" like metallic. If the recipe calls for 17.3 grains, you try to drop as close to that as possible. You don't start at 16.7, 16.9., 17.1, etc....
Larger shot sizes, especially buckshot need to be stacked properly

The powder maker websites like Hodgdon and Alliant have excellent up-to-date data
 
George P is spot on with his advice. Never mix and match load data with different hulls and wads. Each manufacturer seems to use a different base cup on their hulls which can lead to problems if load data is NOT followed.
 
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