Starting Shotshell reloading, few questions

[Skribs]

For my birthday, my parents got me a Lee Load All, as well as some pre-primed shells, a jar of Clays, some target wads, and a bag of #5 birdshot. Unfortunately, I can only use buckshot at my range (I don't do the shotgun games, I just practice at a pistol range), and my Dad thought #5 birdshot was the next step down from #4 Buck, so I'll be taking back the wads and shot and buying those online.

Anyway, I need a good recipe book. Do the standard reloading manuals include shotshell reloading, or do I need a specific book for these?

Second, are there specific recipes for buckshot, or do I just use a birdshot recipe and put the buckshot pellets in?

 

[brickeyee]

Most of the books cover just metallic rifle and pistol.

There are numerous shotgun only books.

 

[USSR]

...are there specific recipes for buckshot, or do I just use a birdshot recipe and put the buckshot pellets in?

Buckshot loads are very specific. They are very different from birdshot loads.

Don

 

[brickeyee]

Almost ALL shotgun loads are very specific.

There is not nearly as much margin as metallic cartridges.

 

[rcmodel]

my Dad thought #5 birdshot was the next step down from #4 Buck

There is no correlation between buckshot sizes and birdshot sizes.

#4 buck is .24" dia, 21 per oz, 336 per pound.
#5 shot is .12 dia, 170 per oz, 2,180 per pound.

Here is a chart of shot sizes.
http://www.shotgunworld.com/amm.html

Your best bet for reloading data is the Lyman "Shotshell Reloading Manual #5".
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/88...loading-handbook-5th-edition-reloading-manual

Also Ballistics Products publishes a little book on buckshot loading.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Buckshot-Loading-Manual-3rd-ed/productinfo/00MBUCK/

rc

 

[Skribs]

There is no correlation between buckshot sizes and birdshot sizes.

#4 buck is .24" dia, 21 per oz, 336 per pound.
#5 shot is .12 dia, 170 per oz, 2,180 per pound.

I know that RC, (hence the word "thought"), and I educated him. I was looking at the Lymans on amazon, you seemed to reconfirm that for me. However, that buckshot specific one would only include what I'm looking at (buckshot) and be about 1/5 the price, which is a big consideration for me.

I'm new to reloading, and man, that bag of birdshot...it felt like I was holding a sack of lead...(my puns are horrible, I know).

 

[Caliper_Mi]

Get something like the Lyman shotshell load manual. It covers everything from birdshot to slugs to buckshot.

 

[rcmodel]

I'd suggest you get both.

The Lyman is a crash course in reloading shotshells of all types.
The Ballistics Products one is more buckshot data specific without much basic instruction.

rc

 

[Darkbob]

The basic introduction in the Lyman manual is good if you're just starting to reload for shotshell. The price difference of $5 isn't that much between the two.

 

[Skribs]

Now that I've looked elsewhere, I see the real price. Someone was trying to steal $50 on Amazon by selling it for $69.95, hence my pricing comment earlier.

 

[rcmodel]

$69.95!!!! Yeoow!

It's $17.99 in the Midway link I linked in post #5.

rc

 

[Skribs]

Oh, another question:

My parents also got me 2 clear boxes that hold 25 shells each. The boxes are for 3.5" shells, but will obviously hold 3" and 2.75" shells. Since I mostly use 2.75" shells (but both my shotguns will handle 3" and one will handle 3.5"), should I get smaller boxes instead, or should I just load the smaller shells into the bigger boxes?

These boxes are like clear tupperware tubs, with 25 squares to hold the shells in place, so it's not like they'd be loose in a cardboard box.

 

[rcmodel]

If they stick out far enough to get hold of the rims to get them out, use them.

If they don't?
Find somebody with a band saw and cut the boxe & lids off an inch.

rc

 

[oneounceload]

Be forewarned that your Lee Loadall most likely will not drop your buckshot - that will need to be dispensed by hand, so a scale or specific number of pellets will be necessary

Seems silly to me that a range will allow the more penetrating buckshot, but not the less penetrating birdshot to be fired there

 

[Skribs]

I think its more for cleanup purposes. Their rule on penetration is 2000 FPS, so buckshot at 1300 doesn't phase them. I already knew ahead of time about the buckshot. But I'd rather not do primers, powder, and crimping by hand

 

[gamestalker]

"One Book, One Caliber" for 12 ga., or what ever your loading, contains a ton of recipes for just about every hull and shot size, and they aren't expensive.

GS

 

[GCBurner]

You should be able to use the same plastic wads. The instructions with my Load-All just say to count the buckshot and load them in by hand, then crimp.

 

[Naterater]

FREE stuff from Hodgdon:

Hodgdon's pdf:
http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Hodgdon Basic Manual.pdf

Online:
http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

 

[Uniquedot]

When it comes to loading shotshells you will want every manual available to you and the Lyman is always the best place to start. If you buy any manuals from BPI you will most likely have to buy the wads from them also as the BPI manuals i have call for their specific wads.

As for your question about substituting buckshot for birdshot... yes you can do this, but not the other way around. If you substitute 1 1/4 oz of buckshot in a load intended for birdshot the pressure will actually be lower, but if you do this you won't know the approximate velocity of the load as you would if you followed buckshot specific loads which always call for slow burning powders to get you where you want to be.

You can learn a little more about substituting buck for bird shot in the 5th edition of reloading for shotgunners as well as some other manuals, but i do not recommend the fifth edition of reloading for shotgunners to beginning reloaders for the data unless they have changed the format. The fourth edition of that book is a good one if you can locate one, but the best one to start with is the Lyman.

 

[rfwobbly]

Again, let me reiterate what was said above. Unlike metallic reloading, shotshell loads are precise recipes. You cannot sub primer brands, wad types, or amount of shot. You must use the precise ingredients called for.

Once you are into it, there is a little leeway here and there. But for the novice it's best to adhere strictly to the published loads.

 

[Skribs]

Well, I returned the shot/wads today and got the Lyman 5th Ed and the 12-gauge guide. Then I texted a friend who's into cooking and said "I just got 2 new recipe books".

I'll look through them, gonna order the buckshot/wads tomorrow after looking through some recipes.

 

[Uniquedot]

Well, I returned the shot/wads today and got the Lyman 5th Ed and the 12-gauge guide. Then I texted a friend who's into cooking and said "I just got 2 new recipe books".

I'll look through them, gonna order the buckshot/wads tomorrow after looking through some recipes.

You would have probably came out cheaper in the long run if you had kept that 25 lb sack of shot and purchased a sharpshooter buckshot mold for $35.00 and turned that number five shot into 25 lbs of buckshot. Even if you don't currently cast bullets as you only need a heat source, a pot, and a ladle of some sort.

 

[Skribs]

You would have probably came out cheaper in the long run if you had kept that 25 lb sack of shot and purchased a sharpshooter buckshot mold for $35.00 and turned that number five shot into 25 lbs of buckshot. Even if you don't currently cast bullets as you only need a heat source, a pot, and a ladle of some sort.

For someone with my DIY skills, working with molten metal is about as good an idea as sticking a fork in an electrical socket while keeping the other hand in a full sink.

However, I am now trying to figure out where to buy #1 buckshot from. It seems it isn't too popular (despite several articles saying its the best for HD), which baffles me.

ETA:

I've run into another issue. The pre-primed hulls my Dad got me are not listed in either book I got. He got me 100-pack of Rio Multi-Hull 2A shells with Rio 209 primers. The shells/primers I see loads for are Winchester/Fiocci/Remington/Chetite/Federal. Digging deeper, (the powder is Hodgdon Clays), I'm noticing that Clays doesn't seem to be used in any of the Buckshot loads. Am I just missing those, or is it a birdshot-only powder?

 

[TonyT]

Both Alliant and Hodgdon have lots of data on their website for shotshell.

 

[Uniquedot]

I'm noticing that Clays doesn't seem to be used in any of the Buckshot loads. Am I just missing those, or is it a birdshot-only powder?

Clays is for target and light field loads so you won't find any buckshot specific data for it. You can use it for buckshot loads with speeds around 1150 to 1250 fps max. You will have to use birdshot data though and will need to weigh the buckshot. I just loaded about 400 reduced recoil buckshot loads by using this method as when we get together to shoot handguns we also like to shoot a lot of shotguns and the women are not bothered by the recoil of these loads which are what factory reduced recoil loads are...fast burning powders at low charge weights.

You will not be able to load shot charges heavier than 1 1/8 oz. with clays and you really should have chosen federal wads for those rio hulls. A safe load for those hulls with a 1 1/8 oz. charge of buckshot is 16.5 to 17 grains max of clays with winchester, remington or federal wads and any primer EXCEPT 209M's or 209A's and you would need to weigh several charges of the buck to make sure of the weight before loading and after you are certain that x number of pellets will not exceed 1 1/8 oz. you can then just count them out. The primers in those hulls are Cheddites i believe, but you can check with bpi to be sure, but it makes no difference with the 16.5 to 17 grain charge of clays.