Tell me about Shotshell reloading

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Mark_Mark

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What do I need to get started with Shotshell reloading? I was once a 3-4 times a week Trap shooter and have some lonely Beretta and Remington that need to be feed. But Once I retire and can get back to the trap field I will be needing shells.

I shot tons of Walmart, Estate, and Rio shells. I was at Walmart today, and I usually pick up a 100 pack. But the price is now $30-$34 per 100, before it was $22-$23 /100

So, what do I need to stock up on? Press, powder, hulls, primers, wade… help a brother out!

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I was going to get into shot gun reloading. But when walmart had 100 count boxes for 21-23 bucks. I could have bought a Mec jr and some accessory's cheap too local, It wasn't worth it. Now i see it might be. They has CCI 22 mag last night for 14 and change 50 ct. Before it as 11 something.
 
Shot shell reloading can be rewarding, but the 'guides' are very specific on the combination of components you can use. The rationale here is metallic cartridge reloading is a bit more forgiving, whereas the shotgun is (basically) a small cannon with a very thin barrel.

You can reload very inexpensively (low volume) with a Lee loadall (approx 80.00) but a good choice is a MEC600 (eBay has them for about 200.00 if your lucky). The real challenge will be to find shot for less than 45.00 a 25 lb bag.....
 
It can also be very expensive, if you want to load your own combinations. I would NEVER fire a shell with an unknown combination of components that was not a tested receipe....to the extent that I just sent off 40 test shells to Tom Armbrust (Ballistic Labs) for pressure and safety testing (at the tune of 5.00 a shell).
 
I was going to get into shot gun reloading. But when walmart had 100 count boxes for 21-23 bucks. I could have bought a Mec jr and some accessory's cheap too local, It wasn't worth it. Now i see it might be. They has CCI 22 mag last night for 14 and change 50 ct. Before it as 11 something.
The are the Standard in base price for ammo. So it looks like it’s not going to get cheaper! Sad about the .22 being almost 2x the price of before.

Shotshells reloading Here I come
 
Shot shell reloading can be rewarding, but the 'guides' are very specific on the combination of components you can use. The rationale here is metallic cartridge reloading is a bit more forgiving, whereas the shotgun is (basically) a small cannon with a very thin barrel.

You can reload very inexpensively (low volume) with a Lee loadall (approx 80.00) but a good choice is a MEC600 (eBay has them for about 200.00 if your lucky). The real challenge will be to find shot for less than 45.00 a 25 lb bag.....
how many shell can you load with 25#?
 
I expect more of their ammo prices to increase. Im good for a few years except for 17HMR ammo. I got into it just at the beginning of the plandemic. I still have about 700 rounds on hand.
 
It can also be very expensive, if you want to load your own combinations. I would NEVER fire a shell with an unknown combination of components that was not a tested receipe....to the extent that I just sent off 40 test shells to Tom Armbrust (Ballistic Labs) for pressure and safety testing (at the tune of 5.00 a shell).
that sounds advance, I’m just trying to bust clay
 
If you can find components these days, you will not save any money reloading shells similar the economic “gun club” type shells available at arious big box stores.

You can save money loading shells with loads not readily available on the commercial market (12 ga 3/4 or 7/8 ounce loads). Also you can save loading 28 ga and .410 bore.

I buy quality ammunition, primarily Winchester AA but Remingiton quality hulls are good, to generate hulls to reload. They last more reloads than the economic hulls.

But I enjoy reloading so for me, component cost is irrelevent. On the other hand, I’ve not bought any shot shell loading stuff in almost 2 years as my normal sources have been out if stock when I went shopping.
 
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If you can find components these days, you will not save any money reloading shells similar the economic “gun club” type shells available at barious big box stores.

You can save money loading shells with loads not readily available on the commercial market (12 ga 3/4 or 7/8 ounce loads). Also you can save loading 28 ga and .410 bore.

I buy quality ammunition, primarily Winchester AA but Remingiton quality hulls are good, to generate hulls to reload. They last more reloads than the economic hulls.

But I enjoy reloading so for me, component cost is irrelevent. On the other hand, I’ve not bought any shot shell loading stuff in almost 2 years as my normal sources have been out if stock when I went shopping.
At these prices, I’ll just slowly buy AA and tge good stuff
 
how many shell can you load with 25#?

Most lof the loads I used were1 1/4 ounce so roughly 12 per lb times 25. Roughly 300 shells. Haven't loaded shot shells in a long time, gave all my equipment to my sil. I has a mec 600jr it could load 1 shell start to finish even though it has multiple stations like a progressive. There are progressive presses, capable of loading multiple shells, available for doing massive quantities, which you'd only really need for trap competitions. Even though it's one shell at a time they load fairly quickly.

I started shotshell reloading in 1978, there are many more possible combinations of components available now than there was then but I never had an issue with anything that I'd ever loaded including .177 caliber bb's.
 
Most lof the loads I used were1 1/4 ounce so roughly 12 per lb times 25. Roughly 300 shells. Haven't loaded shot shells in a long time, gave all my equipment to my sil. I has a mec 600jr it could load 1 shell start to finish even though it has multiple stations like a progressive. There are progressive presses, capable of loading multiple shells, available for doing massive quantities, which you'd only really need for trap competitions. Even though it's one shell at a time they load fairly quickly.

I started shotshell reloading in 1978, there are many more possible combinations of components available now than there was then but I never had an issue with anything that I'd ever loaded including .177 caliber bb's.
25# get 300+ shells! l!!! alright! time to start collecting shotsshell components! excited!!
 
I love loading for my shotguns. Get the Lyman shotshell reloading manual and read up. Mec600jr is a great press, look for used ones on Craigslist and other such market places. Ive found 4 of them that way, highest I paid was $75 for one.
 
Today the problem is lack of primers and inexpensive shot. I was finding before this mess I could not buy the shot alone for what I would pay for the promo ammo all made up. Buck and slugs were a different matter though I found savings making them all along. I am nursing my 3K of WIN primers along just making Buck ammo presently.
 
Powder, shot and primers are expensive. Last time I checked shot was $2/lb. That was probably 5 years ago. Primers and powder, like metallic reloading, is tough to find even at inflated prices. Shot, I wouldn't even know where to buy that these days as it's all imported and overseas shipping is a log jam. I got out of shot shell reloading about 10 years ago because a flat at my dealer was less than the components to build it. Not sure anything has changed except availability of components or commercially loaded ammo. I sold my MEC's and gave my components away to a buddy. I hardly ever see anyone on the traps at my range these days. I was a causality. Used to shoot for money every week. Sad, but the times, they are a changin.
 
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Powder, shot and primers are expensive. Last time I checked shot was $2/lb. That was probably 5 years ago. Primers and powder, like metallic reloading, is tough to find even at inflated prices. Shot, I wouldn't even know where to buy that these days as it's all imported and overseas shipping is a log jam. I got out of shot shell reloading about 10 years ago because a flat at my dealer was less than the components to build it. Not sure anything has changed except availability of components or commercially loaded ammo. I sold my MEC's and gave my components away to a buddy. I hardly ever see anyone on the traps at my range these days. I was a causality. Used to shoot for money every week. Sad, but the times, they are a changin.
I remember buying flats at Cabelas on sale for $80-ish if I remember correctly. Estate is one of my favorite shells
 
If you shoot a 1-2 hundred rounds a week you probably want a MEC progressive, unless you're retired. ;)
at once point I was shooting 4-7 hundred a week. That’s when my wife worked 16 hour days, and no kids, and I was self-employed.

Loved shooting trap that much.

I’going to start buying anything I can find. Don’t thing it’s ever going to get better in price
 
what do you guy think about this? how would this translate in the metallic ammo reloading world… what press would you compare this to?

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Shot shell reloading can be rewarding, but the 'guides' are very specific on the combination of components you can use. The rationale here is metallic cartridge reloading is a bit more forgiving, whereas the shotgun is (basically) a small cannon with a very thin barrel.

You can reload very inexpensively (low volume) with a Lee loadall (approx 80.00) but a good choice is a MEC600 (eBay has them for about 200.00 if your lucky). The real challenge will be to find shot for less than 45.00 a 25 lb bag.....

I found shotgun to be easier and safer to reload than metal because the pressures are much less than most rifle cartridges. 12K PSI vs 50K PSI. I've never loaded any steel so that's just lead I have experience with. Modern shotgun barrels can withstand 2x to 3x the pressure of published loads. I've seen double charged ammo fired in a shotgun and nothing came apart. I would not want to be around a metal rifle cartridge that was double charged. Something is going to break. Maybe your head.
 
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In my time as a firearms instructor, I have seen excessive loads and other problems in Glocks - mainly blows the ejector and spring assembly out the side and scares the bejesus outa the operator. I've seen the top strap blow out of a 686 'cause the officer wanted "just a little bit more outa that 357 +P". I've seen the effects of barrel obstructions and overcharges on the Remington 870 pump that have been way more exciting and dramatic....and I'd take a excessive load metallic cartridge over an excessive load shot shell any day. While it *is* true shotgun barrels have been torture tested up to 55,000 PSI before failure, there is no guarantee your barrel can hold that line.

That being said, If you are gonna load shot shells......get a Lyman shot shell reloading manual and follow the recipes, or get your test loads pressure tested before taking the chance.
 
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