shotgun reloading questions

[jglenn]

my comment includes primers. get a Lyman manual and read through it..


check the Lyman book you may simply find a combination with the components you currently have.

they offer quiet a few options

 

[Old_School]

I agree. I haven't reloading pistol ammo in a while with the exception of 44mag and some JHP stuff. I do have 16, 28, and 410 (and a Lee shotgun reloader for the 16) but just don't shoot any of them enough. As you said, it's hard to beat a bunch of shells at walmart for $22. My plan was to load up some buckshot and slugs (got a buckshot mould recently, hence the curiosity to load some buckshot loads) and just see where it goes.

Plus I just like to learn how to do things. I had reloaded shotgun shells with my dad when I was a kid (on a 20 gauge VersaMec that I still have) but have forgotten how to do it. Dusted off the MEC but also wanted something to load 12 gauge with, so I bought an MEC9000. I'll get some basic principles down on the VersaMec and then move to the 9000 once I get things figured out. I have read that there are some conversions out there for the VersaMec for 28 and 410 maybe? or even 16 since I doubt I'll play with the Lee shotgun loader. 28 is the one where the prices are kinda crazy, it's like 218 bee or 348 winchester in my rifles as far as prices go.

thanks for the feedback, I'll continue my quest.

Well, for loading buckshot & slugs, I WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN THE MEC9000! Too many variables and although I have 2 MEC9000s and love them, they are a bit too finicky to be changing around settings like crimp depth to load specialty loads. Yes, you can get conversion kits to change your Versamec to different gauges. No, I would not do it on a regular basis because of setup times. Easier to just buy a couple of used Versamecs off eBay, ODT, or CL. And no, even with the gas piston disconnected, the 9000 is not as easy to use as a single stage press when loading small batches. You'll end up spilling shot and powder all over your bench when you forget to put empty hulls under those stations while loading single shells...

That said, I started loading on a MEC 600 Jr (predecessor to the Versamec) nearly 50 years ago. My dad and I loaded many thousands of 16ga hulls on that machine and I still have it. It works well for specialty and custom, small-batch loads. Save the MEC9000 for loading lots of rounds with one recipe. Mine gets used for Sporting Clays/hunting loads, and I'll usually load a flat or more of shells at one sitting.

As for 209 primers and following published recipes...yes, it is advisable to do so, as they have been pressure-tested. Sometimes one component change can change shotgun pressures dramatically. However, when you get to loading rare birds like the 16ga or 28ga, things get more difficult. There are published loads for each, but you'll find them scattered throughout different publications. In the case of the 16ga, you may not find them at all. I find myself referencing 20-30 year old manuals and old manufacturers' guides for some of my loads. It's not practical for me to keep 5-6 different primers on hand, so yes, I use whatever 209 primer I have on hand (most recently it's been WW209s, as I bought 5000 when I got a deal on them). Keep in mind, my loads are moderate and I hardly ever exceed 10K-11K psi loads, so slight component changes should never exceed maximum for the gauge.

It's hard to find good hulls to load in either of these gauges, although the Winchester AA is considered the Gold Standard for 28ga. I've been fortunate, having had good luck loading Fiocchi, Rem STS, Rem Express, and even Rio (gasp!) hulls for my 28ga, using my MEC9000. But it's kind of tedious finding a setting that works acceptably for 3-4 different hulls, without readjusting several of the stations. Once I wear out all of my range pickup hulls, I'll probably standardize on the AA hulls.

For 16ga, there aren't any current hulls that last (I'm still loading old hulls from the 1980s), although a lot of folks are using the black Rem Game Loads for reloading (only 3-4 loads before the hulls split). The trick is finding components that work together, as there just isn't a lot of data out there. Some folks on the 16ga.com group have had their loads commercially pressure-tested and shared the info with the forum. If you haven't joined it yet, there is a wealth of info posted there, along with a compiled spreadsheet of historical load data, along with modern data. http://16ga.com/forum/

Also check out the 28ga Society for load data. Great bunch of guys and lots of information on there as well. http://28gasociety.forumer.com/

 

[gh1950]

I've loaded 10's of thousand of 12ga. loads. If you are loading "normal" loads, it doesn't make a bit of difference what primer you use. The primers have differences, some are hotter, some are softer, some are harder, but for "normal" shells in a "normal" shotgun it doesn't make a bit of difference. For years and years, I bought the cheapest "standard" primer at the time.

And I'm not an outlier. Most high volume shooters do the same.

The catch is loads on the extremes of pressure curves - very low pressure shells, and very high pressure shells. If you are loading specialty shells, you are better off sticking with the primers suggested by the manuals.

Just me, but I wouldn't load buckshot according to the specs for target or game loads. Buckshot is what I consider a "specialty" load, and I would load it by the book (Lyman).