Any shot shell reloader out there?

[castnblast]

I put this on the reloading forum too, but I didn't know if I might catch a shotty reloader...W/ the prices of shells doubling since september, I'm ready to pull the trigger on the shotshell side. Would any of you have an approx. cost breakdown of a 25 ct box of handloaded shotshells - 1 1/8 oz 12 ga, 2 3/4" 1250-1300 fps. Thanks!

[.45 COLT]

Shot prices vary considerable. Right now my dealer is getting $35 a bag, and that's fairly low compared to what others are getting.

I don't load that exact load, but if I did, it would cost me $5.01 per box, plus any sales tax on components.

A berakdown:
Shot @ $35 a bag.
Primers - Fiocchi 616 @ $22 per 1000.
Powder - Green Dot @ $18 per pound.
Wads - Downrange @ $9.59 per 500.

Shopping around, the primers can be had for a little less and using Claybuster wads instead of Downrange would also lower the price by a little.

DC

[olddrum1]

35 dollars a bag sounds kind of cheap but I have not bought any in a while. Last I priced was 40.

[BigJimP]

I reload 12, 20, 28ga and .410 - and at $ 35 a bag for shot I calculate my cost to load 1 1/8 oz of 8's at $ 4.50 per box.

For 12ga I use Hodgdon International, Winchester 209 primers, Remington STS or Nitro hulls and Blue Duster Wads for your load. I load it at about 1250 fps.

A better load, in my opinion for almost all 12ga shooting is 1 oz of 8's at about 1225 fps. I'd recommend the MEC line of loaders - the Grabber as an intro but good quality machine, 9000GN as an upgrade - or the hydraulic 9000 HN if you really want to get into shotgun loading. I use the hydraulic 9000 HN for all 4 gagues that I load.

[tube_ee]

what you get is a premium shell at a promo price.

My scores at clays and my kill rate in the field both went up noticeably when I switched from 1 oz promo shells to 1 1/8 oz handloads.

Don't compare the cost of your handloaded shotshells to the Cinco Grande cheapies. Compare to the premium loadings, because that's what they are.

Oh, and shotshell loading is a lot of fun. In some ways, I enjoy it more than metallic reloading.

--Shannon