Shot shell reloading

[rfwobbly]

No doubt, there are singular loads that allow that. However the point I'm driving at is that unlike metallic reloading, you can't go down to the range, grab the first hundred 12ga hulls you find in the trash, and reload them with whatever wad and powder you have sitting around at home. The reloading recipes are highly defined and much more restrictive.

For instance, the load you mentioned could not be done substituting WAA12L wads, Red Dot powder, and/or Cheddite primers willy-nilly. The OP is coming from a background of picking up and reloading whatever brass he finds and freely substituting any of 4 or 5 primer brands.

 

[oldreloader]

I use a Mec 600JR. I enjoy reloading for rifle, pistol, and shotgun. The quality and special loads are as good in shotgun as metalic. As RF and other have stated, you have to stick very close to published data. You can save money but have to be careful where and what supplies you buy.

 

[aerod1]

I have a MEC Versamec and a MEC Grabber 762 and a Ponsness Warren 375 DuoMatic. I prefer the Ponsness Warren.

 

[Uniquedot]

The payback is much longer on shotshell reloading.

True, but as recent as 8 or so years ago one could get payback on shotshell loading in only one or two loading sessions assuming he/she started with a single stage press. Now it's only worth reloading shotshells if one needs or wants specialized (expensive) hunting loads.

I've owned the same Mec for about 35 years, and I'll tell ya, I don't think anyone makes a better press

I don't know exactly how old my sizemaster is, but it's one of the first run (no patents yet) and it's loaded thousands of rounds. I just don't think it's possible to wear one of these out. The newer versions have plastic on them, but i have heard the only things that seem to wear or break on them is the wad guides and crimp starters. I don't imagine the plastic is too big a deal though as the dies on my load alls are all plastic and one of mine is from the mid seventies and still loading good shells and i have two more from the early eighties that still turn out great ammo. Even the bases on the load all II's i have are plastic and they still seem fine.

 

[oneounceload]

Wow - whole lot of misinformation

To save money you buy in BULK - that means 8# jugs of powder, wads by the case of 5000, primers by the sleeve of 5000, shot by at least the hundredweight, or better yet, by the ton - reclaimed is the cheapest - but sweep it with a magnet for steel

Components, in certain circumstances CAN be easily and safely interchanged
There are two basic types of hulls - straight walled - Federal, Estate, European ones; and tapered - ALL Remington, Winchester, etc. Using Win AA or Rem STS in the same batch is FINE.
Wads - there are clones of the Factory wads that are perfectly safe and fine to use and will cost you half
Primers - many are easily interchangeable in the same recipe - just do not substitute a magnum one for a regular

Typical hulls from promo loads from wally world are not worth saving for reloading - they were designed for one shot and throw away; whereas, the better hulls from Winchester AA, ALL Remington (all the same) are worth buying, shooting and then reloading - you can get 10+ reloads per hull if you aren't trying to load rocket rounds. The better quality hull you start with, the easier the reloading and the better the end product.

Shotshell reloading is NOT rocket science, but it is repetitive - there is any where from 6-8 steps (depending on machine) to reload a hull - size and deprime; insert new primer; load powder; insert wad; drop shot; pre-crimp; and then final crimp.

My progressive works on 8 at a time - that means I am ALWAYS watching out for potential issues - if you do not have that persistence, use a single stage.

You can buy a MEC Jr. used on Craigs List or similar for about $75

 

[drsfmd]

MEC's are not the "Dillon" or "Cadillac" of shotshell presses. They are more like the Lee. Very functional, easy to use, and affordable.

If you want the fancy shotshell presses, look into Ponsness Warren and Spolar.

 

[sellersm]

oneounceload is speaking truth!

I am the 2nd (at least) owner of a MEC Mark V 600 jr for my 12ga, and it's still going strong. Works great for my needs: I don't shoot high volumes and am always working on lightweight loads for my daughters.

Another alternative to the cost of lead is to either cast your own shot or find someone that does.

The cost savings add up faster with gauges other than 12. The ability to fine tune loads is, to me, a great benefit.

Have fun, be safe.

 

[vaskeet]

MEC's are not the "Dillon" or "Cadillac" of shotshell presses. They are more like the Lee. Very functional, easy to use, and affordable.

If you want the fancy shotshell presses, look into Ponsness Warren and Spolar.

I will match my mec 9000g's against a pw any day for speed and ease of use I had lee hornady and pw presses and stayed with the mec 9000g I have 4 12.20,28 and .410. I woul like to try a spolar but 4 mec 9000's cost less than 1 spolar Randy

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

I've got a couple mec 9000's and if I had to do over would get the RCBS machines. The mec's are just too fickle. Also I load the same 1oz trap load into pretty much any low base hull I run across without any issues.

 

[drsfmd]

Va Skeet-- I own both. A properly tuned PW will blow the doors off a 9000g, both in terms of speed and of the quality of shell made.

The MEC is a MUCH easier machine to tune and troubleshoot though.

 

[vaskeet]

drsfmd when I had my pw press it would not stay in tune Randy

 

[drsfmd]

It took me quite a bit of time to get my first PW adjusted properly (as well as some very helpful advice from a PW expert at SGW), but since then it's been absolutely flawless. The other wasn't nearly as out of adjustment, and within 15 minutes I was making perfect shells.

I can do between 500 - 600 shells an hour on a PW, I can do 300 - 350 an hour on a 9000g...

 

[vaskeet]

I do 300 in a little over 30 min. with the 12 20 and 28 the .410 is down around 200 in 30 min The new primer feed make a big differance. The only parts I have had to replace are the hydrolic actuator rods (look like car hatch operners) Randy

 

[blarby]

A few helpful hints on your shotshell reloading adventure : #1 being Remington Nitro 27.

These hulls are easily identified for pickup and sorting by their "brassine" color, and were designed specifically with reloaders in mind.

They also happen to be one of the few hulls commercially available that are both great out of the box, and can be reloaded extensively with either birdshot, buckshot, or slugs.

As for shot : If you shoot at a nominally active club, you should be able to buy reclaimed shot for far less than new. If grading your shot sizes to the "nth" degree is important, shot size sorting colanders can be obtained from most supply houses fairly easily.