New to Shotgun Reloading - Lee Load All for Buckshot?

[jjohnson]

Hi, Gents!

I've been loading rifle and pistol many years, but never shotgun.... and can pick up a Lee Load All from Midway cheap (on sale this month) and was wondering if I should have a go at it. I don't shoot trap or skeet - just police tactical - so all I'd load would be buck and slug loads for 2 3/4 inch, MAYBE a couple hundred real shot loads a year. I know the slug and buck loads are different from a loading standpoint. So..... good idea or no? I want to get into this cheap, and max would be loading 300-500 a year, so this makes sense to me, but like I said, I've never loaded for shotgun before. Your advice please? Any other stuff I need as a minimum (I have scales, shotgun powder, odds and ends from loading a lot of pistol ammo). Thanks much!

 

[Oldnamvet]

I have loaded lots of 20ga. hulls with shot for skeet using a Lee Load All II. Once you get used to it, it works just fine. Slower than my MEC and made of mostly plastic but I never broke anything on it. When you got to the point where you would add shot, you would have to just count them in manually. I have never loaded buckshot so don't know if there is an overshot wad used or not. Someone else on the board will certainly be able to fill you in on that. For the price, they are a pretty useful item, especially when you aren't going to be loading all that much.

 

[Owen]

Generally buckshot is counted and placed in the shells. It doesn't meter well, and it doesn't stack the way it needs to to it when it is just dropped in. A Load All II won't meter the shot for you, and it cant make the rolled crimp, if that is the style you are looking for.

In addition, you really need to take a look at how much buckshot costs. If you can find Buckshot ammo for less than $3/5 that patterns well in your gun, You may want to skip the reloading all together. It really depends on how much you value your time.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/ has a book specifically about loading buckshot. You should probably read it before buying machinery.

Looking at current prices, your looking at about $.30/round for buckshot handloads: In other words, not a huge savings.

 

[Poodleshooter]

Most buckshot and slug loads are oriented around what for shotguns are very slow powders: HS6 and 7,Blue Dot,etc. They may not be what you have on hand,but they're the only way to boost 1-1.5oz loads to 1450+fps. They usually involve large powder charges,which drives your per shot cost up. Most buckshot and slug loads in manuals are built with expensive felt and cork wads that dwarf the costs of regular plastic 1 piece wad columns. Improvised loads tend to be cheaper but may not perform as well. Reduced speed loads can be built quite cheaply using regular trap/skeet/clays type powders with velocities under 1300fps

That said, the Load All is a decent tool to do it with. It's simple,lends itself well to the single stage process that buckshot and slugs require,and it is inexpensive.