Is this all i need to start reloading shotgun shells?

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dbrown

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- Winchester Once-Fired AA 12-Ga. Shotshell Hulls
-Lee Load-All 2 Shotshell Press
-Federal Primers #209A Shotshell
-Shot of my choice( either 00 buckshot or 7 1/2 shot)
- Powder ( i looking for some powder for shooting 00 buckshot and 7 1/2 shot. anyone have any recommendations)
-Winchester Shotshell Wads 12 Gauge WAA12
 
Pretty much covers it :)

Something to mount the press to, like a board, helps.

2 clamps to hold that board to another surface is good....its gonna need a lip...the mounting screws some out the bottom.
 
I'm looking to find some powder but cant find witch one i want.

http://www.hodgdon.com/

Not sure whatcha wanna load, so thats the best I can do.

If its shot, with those hulls, I'd use Universal.

Some else will chime in shortly with something else....followed by more recommendations.

your equipment is fine.

FWIW- you will find a lot more Remington STS/Gunclub hulls lying around than you will winchester AA....just a thought. ( I collect them weekly...I find so few AA that I just pitch them...I have bags and bags of Remington Gunclub type hulls as they use the STS/Gunclub hull for many types of shells.)
 
http://www.hodgdon.com/

Not sure whatcha wanna load, so thats the best I can do.

If its shot, with those hulls, I'd use Universal.

Some else will chime in shortly with something else....followed by more recommendations.

your equipment is fine.

FWIW- you will find a lot more Remington STS/Gunclub hulls lying around than you will winchester AA....just a thought. ( I collect them weekly...I find so few AA that I just pitch them...I have bags and bags of Remington Gunclub type hulls as they use the STS/Gunclub hull for many types of shells.)

I either want to reload 00 buckshot or 1 1/8 oz. 7 1/2 shot
 
Quick side question on shotshell reloading. What's the average number of times a shotshell can be reloaded? I always assumed it would be only a couple times or so, but never knew for sure.
 
If you have the press now, OK, but if you have to buy one then look for a MEC 600Jr. They can be found used for a good price and will last forever.
 
Lee Load All II is a decent press for a beginner who needs only a few boxes at a time

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/default.aspx

Alliant website for shotshell recipes.

You will need to know how much shot your wad's shot cup will hold. You will need to find a recipe which matches exactly the components you intend to use to optimize your crimp and to avoid excessive pressures. For example using your components 2 3/4 Winchester AA hulls with a Federal 209A primer and a Winchester AA wad (1 1/8 ounce shotcup) can use 17 grains of RedDot giving approx 1150 fps and 10,600 barrel psi.

I use a Lee Load All II and you need to know a couple things.
1) Read the manual, get one if you dont have one.
2) The powder bushings will drop consistently as long as you keep the powder reservoir full beyond the staging funnel.
3) The powder bushings will NOT drop the exact amount of powder referenced in the table. Mine drops light. Use a scale to figure out which bushing you really need, dont assume the table is correct. (different powders, because of their size and shape drop differently)
4) Looking down on the shell at the crimp, the fold pointing toward the center of the shell must be pointing away from you when you pre-crimp the shell as explained in the manual. It is the only way to get a good crimp. Also notice there are two pre crimp dies, one for 6 point and one for 8 point.

This is a good set up to start with, I can get between 3 and 4 boxes per hour with my set up and I haven't been doing it for very long.
 
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Should you want to upgrade or not like loading shotshells and want to sell the loadall, you will play hell selling it. There are only a few people that want that lind of loading machine. The MEC has a proven track record and there are thousands of MEC loaders out in service today. Selling a used MEC loader is very easy.
 
Your right Jaguar, but Lee Load Alls are inexpensive

New ones at Midway are about $50. Mine was free so I went with it and will use it till it breaks which might be soon because it is old.

They are an inexpensive way to see if you really want to reload shotshells. In 12 gauge the components are costly enough that it might not compete much with the $5 box target loads at Sportsman Warehouse. But if your doing it for the fun, then price is nothing.

Use it for a while to decide if you like it enough to upgrade to a MEC loader which are very nice BTW. Then dump your used Lee Load All on EBAY for $30, or on the classifieds this forum for that matter. Your out $20 max and you get to practice on a machine that shows you exactly the process/steps of loading a shotshell by hand.

Cant beat it IMO.
 
- Winchester Once-Fired AA 12-Ga. Shotshell Hulls
-Lee Load-All 2 Shotshell Press
-Federal Primers #209A Shotshell
-Shot of my choice( either 00 buckshot or 7 1/2 shot)
- Powder ( i looking for some powder for shooting 00 buckshot and 7 1/2 shot. anyone have any recommendations)
-Winchester Shotshell Wads 12 Gauge WAA12

The most important thing you need BEFORE choosing a powder is a couple of shotshell loading manuals. Lyman's 5th edition is the best place to start. Be aware that you are using high pressure hulls, wads, and primers. As far as the press you have, it's a good press regardless of what some will tell you. It loads new hulls better than the mec is capable of regardless of whether you have the newer mec plastic starters or the brass starters. I use a mec sizemaster and several load alls and have used all of them for years.

If you want a stronger press in the future you can sell the load all on ebay for more than a new one cost. Ponsness Warren makes the best single stage loaders, but they don't resize as well as a mec sizemaster or stand alone supersizer.

If you intend to use all the hull, primer, wad combinations you listed using a charge table make sure you use the bushing called for even though 99% of the time it will throw lighter than stated.
 
Does anyone like the hodgdon universal for reloading shotgun?

Universal is hodgdon's answer to unique. I like it and it meters well, but i prefer unique. Get a manual first and then you'll know what powder to buy for the loads you want. For buckshot loads reloading for shotgunners 5th edition is a good book to have, but the shot data is hard to follow in that edition unless it's been reformatted.

Quick side question on shotshell reloading. What's the average number of times a shotshell can be reloaded? I always assumed it would be only a couple times or so, but never knew for sure.

With hulls designed for reloading like the AA's (old style) or sts expect 10 to 12 loads, but it does depend on the load.
 
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Shotshell loading is very specific to the componets used. I suggest getting a Lyman Shotshell manual as it offers numerous loads with a large number of componet combinations. Also, websites of powder manufactures will give you a number of options. You just have to decide on what componets you want to use and follow the load instructions.
 
Unique & Universal are used in heavy field loads like 1 1/4 oz & 1 3/8 oz.

Both are too slow to use for 1 1/8 oz or less.

rc
 
Unique & Universal are used in heavy field loads like 1 1/4 oz & 1 3/8 oz.

Both are too slow to use for 1 1/8 oz or less.

Unique and universal shine with 1 1/8 oz Field loads. For target loads of up to 1 1/8 oz red dot, green dot, clays etc is the way to go.

Unique and universal can't do better than standard velocities in 1 1/4 to 1 3/8 loads. For faster loads in this range you need a slower powder like 800x, herco, blue dot etc.
 
Agree with rcmodel, you are generally looking for faster powders for normal 1-1/8 ounce 12 gauge loads than you will use for buckshot loads.

Don

If you are after loads in the 1145 fps range for target loads you use a faster powder, but unique and universal are standard field load powders for 1 1/8 oz loads in the 1310 fps range. They can do no better than standard factory velocities with heavier loads such as 1 1/4 oz at 1220 fps. (sure there are some exceptions) If he want's heavier charges then he will need a slower powder. If he wants target loads he needs a faster powder it's as simple as that.
 
The one piece of equipment I don't see on your list is a scale. You need to verify that the bushing you choose is actually dropping what you want.
 
You need a scale
You will not be able to use any reloader for dropping buckshot - they need to be placed into the hull by hand
The LLA II is crap, a used MEC jr. is 100X better
Alliant and Hodgdon both have recipes plug in your wad and hull style - you should be able to find a powder charge that will work for 1-1/8 oz loads
 
Quick side question on shotshell reloading. What's the average number of times a shotshell can be reloaded? I always assumed it would be only a couple times or so, but never knew for sure.

Win AA or Remington STS/Gun Club hulls can easily be reloaded 10 times or more if loading basic target loads. If you are loading uber-hot loads, about 2-5

Euro-trash hulls like Cheddite, RIO, or cheap Federal hulls - with the right components - maybe 1-2 times
 
Dont knock the old Loadall to harshly yes it is a rough sloppy ill conceived machine but mine has loaded untold thousands of perfectly acceptable shells since 1979 or so and is still going.
As for MEC I really like the ability to fine tune the crimp on my 600 Jr and it is a fine machine but I havent loaded a fraction of what was loaded on the old Loadall yet so the jury is still out.
Use what you have and you will learn to use it well just dont forget to have fun doing it.
A shotshell loading manual will be the better investment as opposed to another press since you can only run one at a time.
T
 
You need a scale
absolutely true with any loader.

"The LLA II is crap, a used MEC jr. is 100X better"
Absolutely not true. Take any blanket statement like this with a grain of salt. Shells loaded on my LLA II 'crapped' the geese in my freezer. I don't load a case of shells each week. If you plan to load for competition, then you may want to upgrade. My LLA II works quite well for my needs. Read the instructions, you'll be fine.

Alliant and Hodgdon both have recipes plug in your wad and hull style - you should be able to find a powder charge that will work for 1-1/8 oz loads
Quite right.

I like Unique or Universal for smaller shot, Longshot for bigger stuff.
 
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