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Old January 13, 2009, 05:53 PM   #1
USA123456789
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.410 Reloader

Which company make a cheap and well built .410 reloader. Something cheap I only shoot .410 for skeet 1 in 2 months.
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Old January 13, 2009, 06:07 PM   #2
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I use a mec 600 jr. it's about $150. very well built, but like any 410 its touchy.
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Old January 13, 2009, 06:18 PM   #3
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MEC makes a good loader / the lowest model I would recommend is the Grabber ( its around $ 400 ) or so.

Whatever loader you buy make sure it has a resizing station in the loader (station 1 ) / some of the lower end machines do not resize the brass - and it'll cause all kinds of feeding issues.

The .410 is not an easy shell to re-load - it does take some patience.
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Old January 13, 2009, 06:34 PM   #4
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$400 is a little to much for a reloader for something im barely going to use. Much cheaper i need
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Old January 13, 2009, 06:52 PM   #5
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If you buy the Grabber, you'll have it for 30 years - or more - so you have to decide what is the best value.

To me its the Grabber - personally I use the 9000 HN hydraulic series for all 4 gagues ( or all 3 gagues and the .410 ).
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Old January 13, 2009, 06:58 PM   #6
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While I once owned one of these YEARS ago, I quickly moved onto something better:

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalog/loadall.html

This is about as cheap as it gets.

Personally, I would buy a used MEC
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Old January 14, 2009, 02:03 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwar410
I use a mec 600 jr. it's about $150. very well built, but like any 410 its touchy.
Yep, "Touchy" is a very nice PC way to describe loading 410s. There are three classes of shotgunners:
• Those who've never reloaded shotshells.
• Those who've reloaded shotshells, but not .410s.
• Real shotshell reloaders.
I've talked with experienced 12-Ga reloaders as they were first venturing into the realm of .410 reloading. Typically, they used stronger words than touchy.

I started loading .410s in the early 70s. A neighbor was packing (and clearing-out) for a move and sold me his 600 Jr. and threw in 8,000 once-fired Federal paper .410 hulls. Later I switched to a Grabber and Federal plastic hulls, then WW AA hulls.

Unlike the fancier MECs, the 600 Jr. could be set up for 3-inch hulls. So, I sold it to someone who loaded a little 3-inch .410 around dove season. As I recall, I broke even in the process.

Unrelated afterthought...
For those who are calculating per box reloading prices: Remember if you're reloading with quality components, don't put your costs up against the cheap promotional loads. Use quality target and field loads as your basis. Of course, if you're using reclaimed wads and shot, it's a different story.
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Old January 14, 2009, 05:15 PM   #8
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I have a 9000 for 20ga. but for .410 I find it alot easier to fix your oops! or o sh... with a single stage. I can do pretty well, if I take it slow, and don't get side tracked.
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Old January 14, 2009, 05:35 PM   #9
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I've never loaded .410 bore, what makes it more of a headache than the larger shells?
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Old January 14, 2009, 06:54 PM   #10
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I think it's the all around size of them. Tougher to handle, smaller dia. makes moving station to station harder, when resizing /depriming the tend to get stuck, so there is a little clamp to hold the shell down, they like to tip, and I think you get the idea. Plus they are not as tough as the larger shells, I only reload them a couple of times, if you're not careful, you can fold them in half.
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Old January 14, 2009, 07:14 PM   #11
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Just about anything can go wrong loading .410s! You have to be much more accurate with a .410 loader. With a 12-ga, if you have the wad a little crooked in the starter, it's no trouble. There's enough slack that it will set down just fine. With a .410, there's a good chance that it will jamb and/or split the case. If you're not careful, a perfectly .410 seated wad will compress air as it's seated and as soon as the shot is dropped and the pressure on the ram released, it will raise up on the air and spill shot all over the place -- a real pain with a progressive loader. Over the years, I've developed a double stroke routine to make sure the wad stays put. Of course, you have to use a light touch and be careful with the second stroke to avoid cycling anything on the loader.
A good crimp may take you some time to obtain. You may find that what seems like a great recipe just won't give a good crimp no matter how many adjustments you make.
With the small drop tubes, you've got to keep your eyes open to make sure they don't get blocked. Larger shot can get hung up in the tube and then dump all over the place.
On the plus side, when loading .410s, you don't have to fill the powder and shot reservoirs nearly as frequently. mwar410 is totally correct when he said, "I can do pretty well, I take it slow, and don't get side tracked."
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Old January 14, 2009, 08:00 PM   #12
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Thanks.
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Old January 14, 2009, 09:19 PM   #13
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Not to be rude to anyone but I do not need advice for the actual loading of the shells yet, I need prices and brands.

Thanks
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Old January 15, 2009, 12:05 AM   #14
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Dale
You're most welcome.
If you get into loading .410s, hopfully mwar410 and I have made you aware of some of the typical .410 surprises and differences.

USA123...
If you wanted only prices and brands, then perhaps you'd have been better served using search engines, and shopping bots, instead of a forum. Dale Cooper's question was well within the scope of your thread and deserved an answer.
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Old January 15, 2009, 12:43 AM   #15
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USA, I would go with the cheapest mec made if I were you. You probably should get some of the cheapest steel hulls such as estate or something like it and this would make for a good base to learn about loading 410s.

With that said Zippy 13, with the shotguns you use and the amount that I would guess that you shoot, why are you using Mecs instead of something like a Ponsness Warren or forbid, a Dillion?
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Old January 15, 2009, 12:46 AM   #16
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And I meant to put in, Zippy, have you ever done any 24 or 32 gauge. I was looking at getting a 24 gauge shotgun and checking into getting a reloader of the same gauge.
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Old January 15, 2009, 11:13 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by olddrum1
With that said Zippy 13, with the shotguns you use and the amount that I would guess that you shoot, why are you using Mecs instead of something like a Ponsness Warren or forbid, a Dillion?
I got my first MEC some time ago based on the recommendations of others. There were fewer options back then. As I recall, no one suggested a PW nor a Dillon. Dillon shotshell reloaders weren't around back then, I'm not sure about PWs.
My first shotshell loader was a MEC, it suited my needs, so I stayed with the brand. If I had a family full of shooters, I might condiser higher volume machines. FYI: I load metallics on an old Dillon and will probably get another Dillion should it ever wear out (highly unlikely).
Quote:
And I meant to put in, Zippy, have you ever done any 24 or 32 gauge. I was looking at getting a 24 gauge shotgun and checking into getting a reloader of the same gauge.
You're drifiting off-topic; but, no, I've never considered a 24 nor 32-ga. With .410-bore, 28-ga and 20-ga I've think I've got them pretty well bracketed. Other than shooting a non-standard size, will a 24 or 32-ga do something I can't do with what I've got? If you're really interested, why not start a 24 and 32-gauge thread?
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Old January 15, 2009, 12:37 PM   #18
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In my view, every shotshell mfg's loaders have their plusses and minuses ... its almost like all the machines kind of have their own personalities.

PW is not a bad machine / but you'll hear often that one of its weaknesses is the primer system.

RCBS has a reputation for being tempermental and difficult to adjust.

Dillon does not have a toolhead for the .410 / so if you go that way you'll need something different for the .410 ( most Skeet and Sporting Clays shooters reload 12, 20, 28 and .410 ) because that's the 4 competitive gagues. Most of us wouldn't want a different machine in .410 than we use for the other gagues.

MEC - has been making machines for a long time. Traditionally, they've owned the market. On the negative side - you need a different machine for each gague. On the plus side - all their machines are built about the same and they're pretty simple and straight forward / parts are easy to get / machines are affordable. MEC has a very smooth cam operated system - that means the base operates quickly and smoothly - so you're not spilling shot and powder all over. Their hydraulic machines - where you operate them with a foot pedal / allow you to use one hand to pull a new hull on the machine / your other hand to load a wad - and it really speeds things up.

I think all of the mfg's better progressive machines can load 15 - 20 boxes an hour / so speed isn't really a factor on the higher end machines. Sometimes picking a machine comes down to what do all your buddies have / which means you can get a lot of help with tuning / setting up a new machine.

I like the MEC 9000HN hydraulics in all 4 gagues. I have one motor and pump on the floor / I keep 2 loaders fully set up on my bench at one time, with a cutoff valve on the top of the pump sending fluid to just one machine at a time. My 12 ga stays in its place / then I swap out the 2nd machine ( disconnect the hose / bleeder tube ) and put the new machine in place for a different gague. You need a permanent place to set up a hydraulic machine ( can't be moving it around too much, pump and motor are heavy ). The motor and pump are a little noisy / but you can put a box over them / insulate it / dampen it a little - or wear ear muffs.

Like Zippy, I've been a MEC guy since the early 60's when I was helping my grandfather reload 12ga. When I was buying my own loaders in the early 70's - I went to MEC as well ( started with the Grabber models ) - then moved to hydraulics about 10 years ago. They've just never let me down / good people back there at their shop / good technical help when an issue pops up - or they retrofit something once in a while.
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Old January 15, 2009, 01:23 PM   #19
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bigjim, you already answered my first question about one motor for all gauges. does the hn operate smoothly all the time? on my 9000, it sometimes flips primers, or doesn't drop powder, Not a 100% sure if it was a "jerky" pull or stray shot getting into the collet? The only one I saw running was in San Antonio, when mec just came out with the new primer trays, it was flawless.
sorry for getting off the topic again.
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Old January 15, 2009, 02:09 PM   #20
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The new MEC primer tray is a big plus. I'd recommend it. The trick to not getting any fllipped primers - is to adjust the outfeed tube so its pretty close to the indent on the shell holder when it drops the primer. You might need a washer on the press or something where it connects - to move that feeding tube up or down a little (depending on the age of your press). On the newer hydraulics - the new primer system is dead on.

There is a lot less bounce on the hydraulic machines / I don't even bolt them down to my bench. I do put them on a non-skid mat. But because the cyclinder operates more straight up and down / vs rocking forward as you pull a handle / they operate a lot smoother. The hydraulic press also has an extra stabilizer from the base to the top of the press - that even the 9000 G model does not have. It helps reduce any flex in the machines support column - so they added it to the hydraulic 9000 H models a few years back.

The shell holder turns slower and more consistently - because you can adjust the needle value in the hydraulic ram so it doesn't slam back up on the return stroke. It isn't a factor on 12 or 20ga so much / but it makes a big difference on 28ga and the .410 because you don't want the shells wobbling as it rotates.

I'll try to attach a photo of my presses and my bench if I can ( not too good at it ). Hope that helps a little.

Attachment 41077

Last edited by BigJimP; December 14, 2016 at 07:31 PM.
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Old January 15, 2009, 02:17 PM   #21
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Not dropping powder / is a function of the charge bar not doing its job / maybe something stuck in it, needs a little lube or cleaning - or something.

I've seen stray shot get into the resizing collet and break fingers in the collet - but that doesn't change the way the charge bar moves fully left and right at the top of the machine.

You may have something mis-adjusted or something loose... its really hard to tell.

The only problem I've had with a hydraulic 9000 HN is if I put a hull on station one ( and I don't get it quite in the middle, or I hit it with my finger and it wobbles as I move my hand out) and I'm a little to quick with my foot on the pedal, as the press comes down, it will crush the daylights out of the hull in staion 1. You can get off the pedal, when its about half way thru its stroke, and it'll usually return to the top of its cycle - but it may rotate the base anyway - and you'll have to reset everything ( including the last shell that dropped, because its finishing on station 6 was not complete ( wad won't be all the way down on station 3, etc ...

In the photo above - the primer trays are in their " loading " position / not in position to drop a primer.
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Old January 15, 2009, 04:35 PM   #22
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thanks alot, now I'm going to have to get one of those. I think I can convert my 20ga over to hydro, and I'll definitely need a 28ga.
I think that the problem with the drop is me. probably didn't reset everything/ or reset too much and dumped the powder out of one too many shells. Who knows what happens when you dump 2 loads of shot into one shell, my mind freaks out.
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Old January 15, 2009, 04:44 PM   #23
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I wouldn't recommend trying to convert a 9000 G to a 9000 H - and I don't think MEC will even sell you the parts. You would be better off selling it / or getting one of the electric auto-mate devices - but they're about $550 - and I don't think they work that well.

Long term - buy a 9000 HN with a pump / then order just the press for a
2nd gague. MEC doesn't sell direct / some of the big box sports places carry MEC / on the internet I've used Recob's Target shop for loaders and cases of wads, etc ( like Duster Wads ). Recob runs a nice family operation - and they try and keep MEC loaders in stock - in most any gague.
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Old January 15, 2009, 08:52 PM   #24
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Quote:
Yep, "Touchy" is a very nice PC way to describe loading 410s. There are three classes of shotgunners:
• Those who've never reloaded shotshells.
• Those who've reloaded shotshells, but not .410s.
• Real shotshell reloaders.
I've talked with experienced 12-Ga reloaders as they were first venturing into the realm of .410 reloading. Typically, they used stronger words than touchy.
You really hit the nail on the head with that post. It is not easy to reload .410.
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Old January 16, 2009, 05:29 PM   #25
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bigjim, thanks for the info, I already looked into the electric convertor, but I also think it is best just to go with the hydro unit, I use Gamamiel for my reloaders, funny, they have the identical prices as your supplier, makes you think. I lucked out on components, I shoot with the distributor, an email and all your components are at the next shoot.
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