28 Gauge Reloaders

[roy reali]

This weekend I am going to buy a MEC Jr. in 28 gauge. While I have reloaded metallic cartridges for years, this is my first venture into shotshell reloading. I am also going to buy the various components that I will need to get started. Here is where my question is.

I have looked at some reloading manuals that had data for reloading 28 gauge. The number of different recipes is mind boggling. I just want to know which components I should buy to get started in this hobby.

Does anyone here have a good starting recipe for 28 gauge?

[IHMSA Shooter]

What are you trying to do with the 28 gauge? That would help determine a recipe.

I use the 28 gauge for skeet. I prefer the Remington STS hull. I use Unique to get a 1200 FPS load. I have also used Herco and Blue Dot.

Pick your hull and powder then use a reloading manual to fill in your primer and wad. Stick with published data as written and you should be O.K.

[roy reali]

I will be using it for light, upland game hunting.

You mention picking a hull and powder and go from there. That is good advice, but which hull and powder do you think I should start with. I am going to be starting from blank. I know I will be able to try different combinations as I go along. But where should I start?

[BigJimP]

I've loaded a lot of 28ga shells. I load on a MEC 9000 HN hydraulic / but the press doesn't matter.

In terms of a recipe / I've loaded a bunch of Remington STS hulls in 28ga - but I've been having a problem with some of the REM STS plastic hulls separating from the brass cup after 2 or 3 reloads. I understand Remington has fixed the problem - and that it had something to do with the way they were extruding their plastic hulls - and I'm fighting thru it. The 28ga hulls are not nearly as durable, from any mfg, in 28ga as they are in 20 or 12ga.

Having said that on Rem STS , I still load primarily
3/4 oz shot ( usually 8's most often for everything ) or 8 1/2's or 9's.
Win 209 primer
WAA28 wad ( and I use a Duster Wad equivalent, Red Duster )
Powder I use Hodgdon Universal and 13.8 grains gives you a load right around 1200 fps.
Its a good field or Skeet or sporting clays load. I shoot it a lot.

same recipe is published using a REM PT28 wad, same primer or go to the REM 209P primer and the powder drop stays the same at 13.8 gr of Universal. I like Hodgdon Universal in a 28ga - I think it shoots pretty clean and its a good reliable and consistent powder.

There are published loads using Hodgdon Longshot powder / Win 209 primer / WAA28 wad and loads vary from 14.5gr at 1225 fps / up to 16.2gr at 1300 fps. That's a faster load - and a good load as well - if you like a faster load.
If you're new to this - I would stay away from Hodgdon Longshot as a 1st choice.

If you don't want to use REM STS hulls - then I would go with Winchester hulls. The recipe is very different on the old style Win hulls vs the new style AA HS hulls - but guys are having good luck with the new AA HS hulls. The old style AA's have not been made for several years - so unless you come by an old stock somebody has / you'll have to buy AA HS hulls. When you use AA HS hulls, you have to go to a different wad - WAA28HS or the REM PT28 and your powder drop changes to 14.0 to 14.2 gr of Universal depending on which primer and wad combination you choose.

Pick your hull first.
Then pick powder ( based on what you can easily get locally).
Then pick primer and wad combination that is a published recipe.
( you cannot substitute primers, wads, etc unless you find a published recipe). Shotshell 209 primers are not the same from Win, Rem, Chedite, etc - its not like small pistol primers, where they are basically interchangeable,

After you decide on a hull ( and you can't mix them either ) .... like you might do on brass headstamps on pistol calibers ...... length issues, etc ...

I recommend Hodgdon Universal - and its readily available around the country. Go with a Winchester, Remington or Duster wad - whatever you can buy locally. Then pick your primer accordingly.

Hodgdon website has all the recipes / of course there are a lot of good books out there as well. Good luck with the new press / loading 28ga is pretty easy once you get the press tuned up for your specific hull ( wad pressure, crimp starts are the most critical areas for adjustment ).

[IHMSA Shooter]

Choosing a hull and powder gets a little sticky. It's kind of a personal.

Almost a Ford vs. Chevy kind of thing.

I prefer the Remington STS hull. I get good reloading life out of that hull. On the other hand my dad (also a competitive skeet shooter) swears by the Winchester AA HS hull.

Powder? I like Alliant powders in shotgun shells. Other than the .410 I use the appropriate Alliant powder for the gauge I am loading. I have settled on Unique for my 28 gauge purposes.

My advice would be to choose a hull that is readily available in your area. You really can't go wrong with a hull from one of the Big 3 ammo manufacturers. (Remington, Winchester or Federal). If you pinned me down I would tell you to get the Remington hulls because that is what I like.

Choose a powder that get's the speed you want. I am going to assume 1200-1300 FPS is what you'll be looking for? I am also going to assume you will be using the standard shot charge of 3/4 oz? More shot opens a new can of worms for powder.

You really can't go wrong with Unique or Herco from Alliant. A lot of guys like Hodgdon's Universal Clays.

Get the latest edition of the Lyman Shotshell Handbook if you don't already have it. Check out Alliant's and Hodgdon's web-sites.

Also, since you reload metallic cartridges you probably have a powder scale. Use it to check your bushings. MEC bushings tend not to drop what they publish they should drop.

Short answer: Remington hull, Unique, Red Duster wad, Remington 209 primer.

Alliant's web-site will give you the specifics for a 1200 FPS load. Probably an 1150 FPS load to. (Sorry, I can't access Alliant's site at work. Dang filters.)

[BigJimP]

Before you buy a MEC Jr at around $ 150 I think / at least look at their other offerings - and maybe look more long term.

http://www.mecreloaders.com/ProductLine/Product.asp

I've owned a variety of MEC loaders - and I like them all - but they each do some things differently ( primer tray options, the way they resize, the way they start crimp, etc.) I would seriously recommend you consider the Grabber, at the start of the progressive lineup of machines - its a good value at about $ $ 350 -400 and while you rotate the base manually it will easily turn out 10 boxes an hour with a very consistent shell. I would at least look at the manually operated 9000 GN at about $ 450 - $ 500 but its very similar to the Grabber - with the only real difference being a little faster - maybe 15 boxes an hour.

The 9000 HN is hydraulic - and I wouldn't go there unless you really think you'll get into loading 12, 20 and .410 as well. The 9000GN and the 9000HN are almost identical / but the HN does come with some extra bracing that does make a difference. The hydraulics turn out an easy 20 boxes an hour in my experience / and they make a very consistent shell - but you need a permanent place to set the pump and motor on the floor / they aren't very portable if that's an issue for you.

Besides the hydraulic there is an electric base you can put on a Grabber or 9000 GN but the hydraulic system works much better, in my opinion, if you want to go that route.

But before you buy - at least look at the Grabber as an option. I used a Grabber for years - mounted it to a 2" X 18" plank - clamped it to a work bench, loaded my shells, then dumped out powder and shot, put a pillow case over it and put it on a shelf in my garage. The new MEC primer trays - with a plunger that slides back and forth vs the older chain lever action - is a big improvement as well. If you find an older loader with the chain system - they can be retrofit for the new primer system.

Unfortunately options cost money - but over 20 years - if you're happier with a press long term - its not that big a deal.

[IHMSA Shooter]

If volume is not an issue I think the Sizemaster is the best bang for your buck in the MEC line.

[roy reali]

What is wad pressure?

Boy, this is starting to sound complicated. I reload rifle and handgun without a hitch, is shotshell reloading that much more complicated?

[IHMSA Shooter]

Wad pressure is nothing to get nervous about.

I would refer you to the Lyman shotshell manual for an indepth explanation.

I am sure the MEC instructions cover this as well.

I'll dig thru my resources this evening and see what I can come up with for you.

Shotshell loading is not that complicated. My dad had me running a Sizemaster when I was 10 years old. Inital set up can take some trial and error.

If you were local I would invite you over for an afternoon of getting your feet wet.

[BigJimP]

Wad pressure - is the amount of pressure / and the depth that you seat the wad into the case.

It's not that big a deal but loading shotshells is different than loading metallic in some ways / and in some ways its basically the same. Your manual will give you indications of how much wad pressure or how deep to seat the wad into the case above the powder Its an adjustment of the spring pressure on a MEC loader - not a big deal.

Like all reloading you have to pay attention to the details, get your components and your recipe set up, adjust the press when it comes out of the box so it resizes correctly, deprimes, seats a new primer, seats the wad properly, drops the right amount of powder and shot, and then starts and finishes the crim properly. Every press has to be setup for the type of hulls you choose to use / if you change hulls you will have to re-adjust many if not all stations on the press. Just like if you change calibers on metallic - you have to adjust the bell of a case, the powder drop, bullet seating, final crimp.

On my MEC 9000 HN there are 6 stations on the press / once the press has all 6 stations full / every time the press cycles you get a finished shell off the back from station 6. It will take some time to get proficient with a shotshell press - just like it probably took you on metallic. You will save some money relaoding 28ga and .410 especially over buying shells retail .

I calculate my cost of reloading 28ga at $ 3.89 a box even with shot at $ 40 for a 25 lb bag right now. Retail cost on 28ga shells is easily over $ 10 a box almost everywhere in the country.

[oneounceload]

Hoping someone has an idea - my little MEC Jr. loads my older AA's just fine. I also have the newer HS hulls and am having major crimping issues. Using the HS wad from claybuster, the first crimp station starts the crimp, but not as deep as the older AA's. The final crimp station however, is almost trying to put a roll crimp on the new hulls. I have adjusted the seater plugg up, down, back to original - nothing is working right. What am I missing here? I have 1500 of these.

Thanks in advance for the help and ideas!

[olddrum1]

If your shooting an o/u or a sxs this is a good plan. If your using an auto or pump and do not have a bunch of old hulls to lose you may want to find a source of cheap Estate brand shells to hunt with. I shoot my 28, 410 and twentys until they are ragged and then they become hunting hulls.You will lose a lot of hulls in the brush. Thats the way it is here in Mo. You will find that your still looking for those high priced hulls while your dogs could be working up singles. I am guessing that those Estate hulls are still cheaper than AA or STS.

[olddrum1]

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