Shotgun hull question

[danprkr]

I just traded for a new 20 ga Stoeger Coach Gun, and bought a cheapo box of Rio brand shells just for testing purposes. I reload rifle and handgun cartridges, but I'm not a shotgun re-loader. I do keep a table at the gun show a couple of times a year. My question is are these hull re-loadable. If not no biggie, if so I'll take them next time and if nothing else give them away to some shotgun re-loader.

Thanks
Dan

 

[rcmodel]

I haven't loaded Reo, but I'm reasonably sure a lot of people do.

I've never seen a shotgun hull that wasn't reloadable, if you have enough of them to bother figuring out what wad they use.

rc

 

[Duckdog]

Yup.... they reload well and I've had good luck both fold crimping and roll crimping them. RC is right, pretty much every hull can be reloaded, if even for just on time.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have managed to reload about any hull that I have had. Some last longer, or shorter, than others.

The trick will be finding a recipe.

But, it has been a long time. I pretty much stick with Remington and Winchester these days.

 

[danprkr]

Thanks, I just hate to see ANYTHING go to waste. I'm sure someone at the show in October will take them. I primarily sell knives anyway, so it's not like it's my main business.

 

[drsfmd]

Pretty much all shells can be reloaded, but most aren't worth bothering with-- including these.

Stick with Winchester AA's and Remington STS's and you'll be fine.

 

[wolfe]

Set Em out. Somebody will buy them. Lots of guys use them for backup lads, etc. wads are the hardest thing to get right but it can be done.

 

[splattergun]

Ballistic Products sells Rio components and has some Rio data.

 

[cbuttre835]

What about using the available thin shot cards and other appropriate purpose-made filler to fill the cases and get a nice crimp? I have always struggled with that; having a bunch of oddball shell cases with enough difference in the base wad that they don't crimp nicely.

I have a book (Lyman?) with hundreds of loads; they almost never crimp nicely for me though. But as a for instance: I put their recipe for a Federal with paper base wad into a "Diana" (off brand? they are very cheap) or a Rio and they crimp and shoot very nicely.

And I have the worst luck with the gray Win AA hulls, when following published loads exactly. Is it my press? (old Lee Load-All II).

 

[oneounceload]

Is it my press? (old Lee Load-All II).

Yes, because you cannot adjust anything on it. A MEC Jr. would be better.

RIOs are cheap, thin hulls and while they can be reloaded, they were not designed to be reloaded. By the time you get the proper wad and tune your loader, they really aren't worth the trouble - they are a straight-walled hull, not tapered like AA or STS

 

[TonyT]

You can reload virtually any shotshell at least once. The only question is proper wad selection.

 

[Patocazador]

I bought a case of 20 ga. Rio shotshells because they were cheap. I shot them in my Rem. 11-87 autoloader and about 1/4 of the rims were torn off by the ejector. I cleaned the gun and it still did it but only with the Rio shells.
Conclusion: Rio 20 ga. shells have flimsy rims. If you have extractors, it won't matter. If you have ejectors, it might.

 

[hAkron]

I've never seen a shotgun hull that wasn't reloadable

This is my feeling on the subject as well. I snatch up all of the empty hulls I can get my grubby mitts on (that I'm SURE haven't sat out overnight or gotten wet). I sort them by type and put them in big ziplock plastic bags.

 

[hAkron]

And I have the worst luck with the gray Win AA hulls, when following published loads exactly. Is it my press? (old Lee Load-All II).

You have to make sure you are seating the wads deep enough (but not too deep), and eeeeease it into the crimp starter so that it 'finds' the old crimp folds.

Too deep of a wad you'll get some crushing of the hull. Too shallow and your crimp will open up.

There's nothing wrong with the Load-All II, but it does require a lot more finesse than other presses. I used one for a year before getting my MEC 9000.

 

[oneounceload]

There's nothing wrong with the Load-All II, but it does require a lot more finesse than other presses. I used one for a year before getting my MEC 9000.

That's quite a leap! I went through the MEC Jrs. first before the 9000....

 

[XD 45acp]

I've reloaded Rio's before.... They load ok, but after the 2nd or 3rd firing, the plastic in the sidewall gets thin where the powder is from the burn and you'll notice some splits.

 

[cbuttre835]

RIOs are cheap, thin hulls and while they can be reloaded, they were not designed to be reloaded. By the time you get the proper wad and tune your loader, they really aren't worth the trouble - they are a straight-walled hull, not tapered like AA or STS

Interesting. I never studied or noticed that. What is tapered; ID or OD or varying wall thickness to create a taper?

The old, cheap Federals from Walmart crimp the best in the Load-Alls we have. We have all 3 - 12 16 and 20 and I have been through only maybe 4000 rounds total on all 3; mostly the 12 and 16. I'm not a high volume shooter by any means, just don't like throwing empty hulls away.

The issue I've had with the Win AA is the case crinkling - it acts as if the case at the mouth is too thick to re-bend. I'm familiar with the orientation of the fold crimp starter in the Lee, and turn each case so that it's crimping in the old folds and not making new. I've tried varying wad lengths, and even crimping empty cases - they just do not like the crimp starter on this old Lee.

They are all out of the same box of shells, wonder if it's an odd run of plastic?

 

[cbuttre835]

I've reloaded Rio's before.... They load ok, but after the 2nd or 3rd firing, the plastic in the sidewall gets thin where the powder is from the burn and you'll notice some splits.

We got some "cheap" Winchesters once that had what looks like a drill bit just started in the dead center of the crimp to "fur" up the plastic... one shot and that all disappeared, and upon reloading and crimping you'd have a 1/8" or so hole in the end of the shell.

In other words, they were made to split on purpose...