.410 hand loading costs

Kvon2 · March 15, 2016, 08:52 PM

I'm considering buying myself a .410 press but I want to make sure it's worth it.

Has anyone calculated what it costs to load .410 shells vs buying a new box?

I'm interested in 00 buck, 000 buck, #4 shot, and #8 shot but any input it still appreciated!

Sure Shot Mc Gee · March 15, 2016, 09:37 PM

My experience. 410s are harder to reload than all the others. I have not as yet reloaded buckshot loads. #6 & 8s yes. Slugs also.
Since I don't own a Taurus 410 Judge I see little need for such double O-O shot-shells for my shooting applications. Although I do hunt small game with a Iver Johnson Champion >allot. {my partridge & Snowshoe Hare get'er gun.}
If your looking for loadings tools and supplies? Check the (site link) provided. Open the (Load of the week Curmudgeon file) and check out those 410 load recipes. Especially those buck-shot recipes you're interested in.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/

Oops: Almost forgot. I have not as yet figured a 410s cost of reloading. As the reloading of Buck Shot isn't cheap. O-O better than average shot (nickel plated) is bought in smaller weights and is kind'a expensive. Anyway check out that site I gave you for those component prices.

T. O'Heir · March 16, 2016, 01:03 PM

Assuming you mean cost being "it's worth it" reloading isn't about that. It's about the quality of the ammo being tailored for your firearm. Also means the endless search for the best price for ammo is swapped for the search for the best price for components.
Don't think buckshot of any size is really worth loading in a .410 though. A 3" shell only hold 5 000 pellets. S&B some how gets 5 00 in a 3".
5 pounds of Hornady 00 or 000 runs $26.99 at Midway. No mention anywhere how many pellets in 5 pounds. However, 9 pellets of 00 supposedly weighs 484.2 grains. Roughly 53.8 grains per pellet. 5 pounds = 35,000 grains. 35,000 / 53.8 = 650.5. Lotta loaded 00 ammo. snicker.

BigJimP · March 16, 2016, 02:33 PM

I've reloaded .410 for quite a while, and I use a MEC 9000 HN ( hydraulic )...and the .410 is pretty easy to load ( 1/2 oz of shot )...so it works out to about $ 2.60 a box with # 9's as an example. On the MEC 9000 HN you have to turn the speed down that it returns back to the top of its cycle to reduce the "wobble" of the hulls in the stations...but the process is the same...resize, reprime, powder, wad, shot ..and crimp.

If you don't want to go Hydraulic ( expense or whatever ) -- then consider the MEC Grabber or 9000 GN - both manually operated progressive machines.

The .410 hulls tend to be a little brittle ( I use Rem STS hulls )...so you will get some cracking ...and they won't last as long as other gagues like 12ga or 20ga. I probably get 5 or 6 loads from one hull...and then just weed them out..shoot them up in practice.

If you load "00" or "000" you just need to figure out how many equal 1/2 oz..I just don't have my notes handy right now...but its easy to weigh them and see...but it depends on how much "00" or "000" you'll shoot on whether you want to fuss with that or not.../ in the last 20 yrs, I've probably only loaded 10 boxes of "00" buck in .410.../ mostly I load 9's or 8 1/2's ...for Skeet and Sporting Clays..and for some of the young grandkids to shoot / but the 28ga is a better gague to teach a young shooter, in my opinion, patterns much better and the sucess rate for shooter is much better...

I reload .410 for a Browning XS Skeet O/U 30" barrels...( I have the same gun in 28ga, 20ga and 12ga )...and the .410 can really frustrate me somedays on Skeet field.../ so I reload way more 28ga ...and 20ga and 12ga ..../ lots of 28ga for the younger teenaged grandkids ...

Reloading for the .410 or 28ga will always save you more money than the other gagues - because retail price on .410 and 28ga are pretty high ---- but its not really about savings...its about producing a better shell..tailored to what I want.
But yes, if you buy a good press...it should not frustrate you ...and it'll save you some money if you shoot enough .410 ( I recommend MEC presses --- and make sure you buy a press that resizes ...some of the cheap ones don't).

Kvon2 · March 16, 2016, 06:11 PM

I have a Lee load all in 12 gauage...theoretically if I bought a resizing ring and something for crimping .410, couldn't I still use it?

Snyper · March 16, 2016, 06:20 PM

You could change all the dies and shell holders to convert it, but it would be a pain to switch back and forth with all the adjustments required.

I'd just buy a dedicated MEC 410 loader

Sure Shot Mc Gee · March 16, 2016, 08:08 PM

If you were to buy new primed 410 plastic hulls. (see the Link I provided earlier) You could get by reloading O-O & lead shot. Tools required : small digital scale~pencil~roll crimper and a electric hand drill.
Or buy a box of Magtech 410 Brass hulls and hand load them without the need of a electric hand drill but requires the buying of a tube of glue instead for their opening/mouth sealing.
When in a pinch for 410 shotshells at my cabin. I've used those Magtech brass myself. But Magtech is sold in 2-1/2" hulls only. To get those highly desired 3" brass hulls requires fire forming in chamber 9.3X 74-R rifle brass. Walla >3" 410 brass hulls never again needing to be resized that will give most fellers a life time of unlimited use.

Or for-go the above suggestions altogether not buy anything extra. No tools No powder No shot No primers No wads & hulls. No labor spent in making. And pay the going price of .75 cents ea sold in boxes of 20 at most sporting good stores.

BTW: The (last) comment applies only to those who shoot seldom or only occasionally for fun & giggles.

BigJimP · March 17, 2016, 10:51 AM

How many boxes ( 25 per box assuming) do you shoot a year .....of .410 ..8's. ..and 4's combined - and is it all lead shot ?

How many .410 shells in "00" or in "000" combined do you shoot a year....

Kvon2 · March 17, 2016, 05:42 PM

At this point probably not enough to justify it so thats a fair point.

Im hoping to have a regular skeet and trap group formed this year.

As far as the buck shot goes I just have a lot of fun with it at the range and would like to be able to have more fun.

BigJimP · March 17, 2016, 05:59 PM

As i'm sure you know, noone shoots .410 for trap / you can for fun - but there is no competition for it.

As far as skeet goes ....in my area - you can enter whatever gague event you want / but the 12ga and 20ga are by far the highest attendance / the 28ga is fairly popular but less than half as many shooters as 12 or 20....and .410 is way less.

But if you hang around a skeet club -- there will be a lot of used, reconditioned loaders for sale in sub-gague
-------------
Sporting clays the 28ga and .410 are often only shot at regional or state tournaments ---- rarely at monthly club shoots / even 20ga events are not common except at big shoots.

But sure - talk to some skeet shooters in your area -- find what brand hull they are saving and reloading - and pick up a reconditioned press.

And you might consider a 28ga instead --- it's a heck of a lot more versatile....

FITASC · March 17, 2016, 07:03 PM

410s run $10/ box for skeet loads; buying components in bulk will allow you to get down to Jim's $2.60. @ 1/2oz, lead shot gets you 800 loads per bag of shot.

March 15, 2016, 08:52 PM	#1
Kvon2 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2016 Posts: 757	.410 hand loading costs I'm considering buying myself a .410 press but I want to make sure it's worth it. Has anyone calculated what it costs to load .410 shells vs buying a new box? I'm interested in 00 buck, 000 buck, #4 shot, and #8 shot but any input it still appreciated!

March 15, 2016, 09:37 PM	#2
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	My experience. 410s are harder to reload than all the others. I have not as yet reloaded buckshot loads. #6 & 8s yes. Slugs also. Since I don't own a Taurus 410 Judge I see little need for such double O-O shot-shells for my shooting applications. Although I do hunt small game with a Iver Johnson Champion >allot. {my partridge & Snowshoe Hare get'er gun.} If your looking for loadings tools and supplies? Check the (site link) provided. Open the (Load of the week Curmudgeon file) and check out those 410 load recipes. Especially those buck-shot recipes you're interested in. http://www.ballisticproducts.com/ Oops: Almost forgot. I have not as yet figured a 410s cost of reloading. As the reloading of Buck Shot isn't cheap. O-O better than average shot (nickel plated) is bought in smaller weights and is kind'a expensive. Anyway check out that site I gave you for those component prices. Last edited by Sure Shot Mc Gee; March 15, 2016 at 09:50 PM.

March 16, 2016, 01:03 PM	#3
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Assuming you mean cost being "it's worth it" reloading isn't about that. It's about the quality of the ammo being tailored for your firearm. Also means the endless search for the best price for ammo is swapped for the search for the best price for components. Don't think buckshot of any size is really worth loading in a .410 though. A 3" shell only hold 5 000 pellets. S&B some how gets 5 00 in a 3". 5 pounds of Hornady 00 or 000 runs $26.99 at Midway. No mention anywhere how many pellets in 5 pounds. However, 9 pellets of 00 supposedly weighs 484.2 grains. Roughly 53.8 grains per pellet. 5 pounds = 35,000 grains. 35,000 / 53.8 = 650.5. Lotta loaded 00 ammo. snicker. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

March 17, 2016, 07:03 PM	#11
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,446	410s run $10/ box for skeet loads; buying components in bulk will allow you to get down to Jim's $2.60. @ 1/2oz, lead shot gets you 800 loads per bag of shot. __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

March 16, 2016, 02:33 PM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I've reloaded .410 for quite a while, and I use a MEC 9000 HN ( hydraulic )...and the .410 is pretty easy to load ( 1/2 oz of shot )...so it works out to about $ 2.60 a box with # 9's as an example. On the MEC 9000 HN you have to turn the speed down that it returns back to the top of its cycle to reduce the "wobble" of the hulls in the stations...but the process is the same...resize, reprime, powder, wad, shot ..and crimp. If you don't want to go Hydraulic ( expense or whatever ) -- then consider the MEC Grabber or 9000 GN - both manually operated progressive machines. The .410 hulls tend to be a little brittle ( I use Rem STS hulls )...so you will get some cracking ...and they won't last as long as other gagues like 12ga or 20ga. I probably get 5 or 6 loads from one hull...and then just weed them out..shoot them up in practice. If you load "00" or "000" you just need to figure out how many equal 1/2 oz..I just don't have my notes handy right now...but its easy to weigh them and see...but it depends on how much "00" or "000" you'll shoot on whether you want to fuss with that or not.../ in the last 20 yrs, I've probably only loaded 10 boxes of "00" buck in .410.../ mostly I load 9's or 8 1/2's ...for Skeet and Sporting Clays..and for some of the young grandkids to shoot / but the 28ga is a better gague to teach a young shooter, in my opinion, patterns much better and the sucess rate for shooter is much better... I reload .410 for a Browning XS Skeet O/U 30" barrels...( I have the same gun in 28ga, 20ga and 12ga )...and the .410 can really frustrate me somedays on Skeet field.../ so I reload way more 28ga ...and 20ga and 12ga ..../ lots of 28ga for the younger teenaged grandkids ... Reloading for the .410 or 28ga will always save you more money than the other gagues - because retail price on .410 and 28ga are pretty high ---- but its not really about savings...its about producing a better shell..tailored to what I want. But yes, if you buy a good press...it should not frustrate you ...and it'll save you some money if you shoot enough .410 ( I recommend MEC presses --- and make sure you buy a press that resizes ...some of the cheap ones don't).

March 16, 2016, 06:11 PM	#5
Kvon2 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2016 Posts: 757	I have a Lee load all in 12 gauage...theoretically if I bought a resizing ring and something for crimping .410, couldn't I still use it?

March 16, 2016, 06:20 PM	#6
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	You could change all the dies and shell holders to convert it, but it would be a pain to switch back and forth with all the adjustments required. I'd just buy a dedicated MEC 410 loader __________________ One shot, one kill

March 16, 2016, 08:08 PM	#7
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	If you were to buy new primed 410 plastic hulls. (see the Link I provided earlier) You could get by reloading O-O & lead shot. Tools required : small digital scale~pencil~roll crimper and a electric hand drill. Or buy a box of Magtech 410 Brass hulls and hand load them without the need of a electric hand drill but requires the buying of a tube of glue instead for their opening/mouth sealing. When in a pinch for 410 shotshells at my cabin. I've used those Magtech brass myself. But Magtech is sold in 2-1/2" hulls only. To get those highly desired 3" brass hulls requires fire forming in chamber 9.3X 74-R rifle brass. Walla >3" 410 brass hulls never again needing to be resized that will give most fellers a life time of unlimited use. Or for-go the above suggestions altogether not buy anything extra. No tools No powder No shot No primers No wads & hulls. No labor spent in making. And pay the going price of .75 cents ea sold in boxes of 20 at most sporting good stores. BTW: The (last) comment applies only to those who shoot seldom or only occasionally for fun & giggles.

March 17, 2016, 10:51 AM	#8
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	How many boxes ( 25 per box assuming) do you shoot a year .....of .410 ..8's. ..and 4's combined - and is it all lead shot ? How many .410 shells in "00" or in "000" combined do you shoot a year....

March 17, 2016, 05:42 PM	#9
Kvon2 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2016 Posts: 757	At this point probably not enough to justify it so thats a fair point. Im hoping to have a regular skeet and trap group formed this year. As far as the buck shot goes I just have a lot of fun with it at the range and would like to be able to have more fun.

March 17, 2016, 05:59 PM	#10
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	As i'm sure you know, noone shoots .410 for trap / you can for fun - but there is no competition for it. As far as skeet goes ....in my area - you can enter whatever gague event you want / but the 12ga and 20ga are by far the highest attendance / the 28ga is fairly popular but less than half as many shooters as 12 or 20....and .410 is way less. But if you hang around a skeet club -- there will be a lot of used, reconditioned loaders for sale in sub-gague ------------- Sporting clays the 28ga and .410 are often only shot at regional or state tournaments ---- rarely at monthly club shoots / even 20ga events are not common except at big shoots. But sure - talk to some skeet shooters in your area -- find what brand hull they are saving and reloading - and pick up a reconditioned press. And you might consider a 28ga instead --- it's a heck of a lot more versatile....