Shotshell Loading

[hoistfixer]

Been loading metallic cartridges for several years now and want to delve into 12ga shotshell loading also.

Any recommendation, tips, and or advice on a good manual to gain knowledge from?

Additionally, suggestions on single/progressive presses and or other related equipment?

Suggestions on preferred components (eg: lead/steel shot, powder, hulls, and primers)?

I shoot for recreational enjoyment

Any and all assistance shall be greatly appreciated

[BigJimP]

MEC is the dominant mfg in shotshell presses....they have single stages but the minimum level press I'd recommend is the "Grabber" ....it manually indexes, but its a progressive and resizes the hulls. If you want auto indexing the 9000 GN is a good press....and their top of the line is the 9000 HN hydraulic.

Resizing is important ...especially in a pump or semi-auto or you will have feeding issues. Some of the old single stage presses do not resize.
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shotshell presses are gague specific...most do not have a change over kit for other gagues.
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First thing....pick a hull to use ( do not mix and match hulls ) just stick with one ....so you can setup the press for height and crimp quality. Mixing and matching hulls - will drive you nuts ( and not all 12ga hulls are created equal). Remington STS ( dark green or gold) are by far the most durable hull out there....Remington Gun Club is ok ( but hull plastic is thinner and more brittle ). Rem STS hulls - if you don't go too hot ...will easily give you 15 loads per hull.

Pick one length of hull to use ( 2 3/4" is the most common)....some presses will handle 3" shells ...some will not.
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Dominant powder for 12ga is Hodgdon Clays --- but there are others. Hodgdon website has good recipes.
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Wads ....you pick a wad based on the amount of shot you want to load. 1 oz loads in 12ga - and Rem STS hull....call for a Winchester ( WAA12SL wad) but the Green Duster is an equivalent, clay buster CB1100-12, etc...
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Primers....not all 209 primers are the same...so you need a recipe specific for the primer you want to use. Depends on what you can get locally - but Win 209's, Rem 209P's, CCI 209's ... are all pretty good.
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Good book ....I'd look at the online manual from MEC for either the Grabber or the 9000 GN press....but there are others out there ...Gun Digest has some, etc...
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I load lead shot ....for clay targets / I don't fuss with steel or OO Buck or any of that .....you buy shot in 25 lbs bags .....( for clays ....8's are fine ).

I've reloaded for 40 or more years....and I still load 12ga, 20ga, 28ga and .410's....and my presses are all MEC 9000 HN's / but I've had Grabber models for many years too.

[BigD_in_FL]

Lyman has a shotshell manual that would be a good place for a beginner to glean some insight.

You do NOT work up loads, nor do you generally substitute components (more on that in a sec) but you follow the established recipe. Hulls are different, wads are different, primers are different and similar powders are different.

That said, there are generic clone wads that are subbed for the more expensive Win and Rem wads from folks like Claybuster and Downrange. SOME primers can be subbed safely for a few others but will have slightly different characteristics, but are on the safer side. Hulls are unique in that the Win AA hulls and Rem hulls can use the same data and components, but the Win aa and the Win Universals do not.

You will want to look at a used MEC 600 Jr - forget the cheap Lee Load-All; used on Craigs List or gun club bulletin boards should be about $75. Like metallic, the real savings come when you buy components in bulk - but until you decide which load is the right one for you you should buy in smaller lots. Also like metallic, the lead component part is the most expensive, so for general light target use, loading 7/8 or even 3/4 in 12 gauge will get you more loads per bag than 1oz or larger.

I reload 3/4 oz for both 12 and 20 to save money and lessen the recoil so I can enjoy extended shooting sessions

From a cost standpoint, Nobel Sports and Cheddite primers will be the cheapest - being metric sized, once you use them in a hull, the US sized primers might be a little loose, but when I can get Nobel for $120/5000 versus paying $250/5000 for Remington, I'll stick with Nobel.

Powder data is best found on Hodgdon or Alliant websites where you plug in the gauge, load size you want to shoot and what hull.

As for hulls, the best in 12 and 20 are the Remingtons - any of them, as they all use the same data. In 28 and 410, the Winchester AA hulls rule the roost.

Claybuster and Downrange, as mentioned, make the best clone wads for general purposes and are half the cost or OEM Winchester or Remington

HTH

[hoistfixer]

The information you (both) provided is excellent and what I was looking for.

I can now, being more informed, start to research the various equipment and components whislt reading up on procedures/recommendations to safely enjoy "rolling my own".

Thanks again.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Helpful web site you may want to check out. Either to buy product or for load info. {see what their reloading Curmudgeon has to say on site} FWIW I actually met that Curmudgedon fellow once in their parking lot._

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/

[SauerGrapes]

If you do buy a single stage press, the sizemaster has the primer feed and sizing collet.

[pathdoc]

Lyman's shotshell reloading manual is the way to go.

I will stand by the Lee Load-all II for the occasional or low-volume shotgun shooter and reloader - everything you need including a whole range of powder and shot bushings is in the box, ready to go, and assembly is easy. If you already have the components, you can be hot to trot 15 minutes after the thing lobs onto your doorstep. It's simple and easy to learn, with operative steps laid out logically from left to right.

If you aren't absolutely sure you want to be in this game, or you won't be loading more than a couple of boxes at a time or fiddling around with multiple brands of powder or sizes of shot, IMO you should give the Lee a look, especially if (like me) you live somewhere where used MECs don't seem to fall off trees at the local gun club or garage sale or what-have-you.

The only real problem is that they don't make the Load-All II in gauges larger than 12 or smaller than 20. MEC's got that wrapped up.

[myfriendis410]

The rule of thumb when reloading shotgun shells is: you spend less time LOADING than you do SHOOTING. The single stage presses will allow you to load 100 shells in 40 minutes or so. A Mec Grabber will do 100 in 10 minutes.

You got good advice about what to look for in loads and components. Shot will certainly be your bottleneck these days with the high cost of it. Don't waste your time trying to load steel; it simply isn't cost-effective.

[rclark]

Or you can go really cheap : The nail and dowel method .

Nail and dowel Method video

In fact this is the only way I load for my 12G shotguns currently. Obviously I am not a big shotgun shooter, but this still allows me to load a few smokey loads for fun once in awhile!