Shotgun shell reloadng

[earl]

Any body reload shot shells? My son and I are getting started and could use all the help and advice available .
Thanks

 

[rbstern]

Yep. I reload 12ga shells for skeet, as well as some low recoil buckshot with my own cast buckshot.

What type of shooting do you plan to do with the reloads? What kind of press are you going to use? And what components (shot, powder, wads, hulls, primers) do you have on hand?

 

[earl]

We have the Mech . I have primered shells ,shot , and wads. Of course I Bought the wrong powder . It says on their website that it should only be used in !2 ga.
Right now we are reloading 16 s and looking to buy the 20 ga set up.
We do a little bird and squirrel hunting ,but mostly do the sporting clays up in Dawsonville.

 

[rbstern]

If you're just getting started, its generally good to stick to the powder manufacturer's published recipes, but don't be afraid to look for other published loads from valid sources like the Lyman Cast Bullet handbook. As you gain experience, you can tweak a little bit to tailor the loads to your needs. If you aren't loading to max pressures, you can feel a bit more comfortable swapping components. For example, I adjust my 12ga loads to make it comfortable for my wife to shoot clays. If the recoil is too brisk, she loses interest. So the loads are low pressure, and I don't hesitate to swap wads of the same height in a recipe. I'll use a Win 12AA and a Rem 12RXP interchangably in my light 1 1/8 oz. loads, with any maker's primer.

What powder did you buy? Maybe you can work out a swap with someone local who has a powder you need?

If you post exactly what you have on hand (powder, wads, primers, hulls), I can look in the various books here and tell you if I can find a match.