How many reload Shotguns here?

[gunnny12]

I was looking ,and press not bad $75.00 wads not bad. shoot not bad. primers not bad.

Plenty of cases to be had all around.

So worth a darn, with the price of shells only $6.00 a box for the smaller shot?

Worth getting into, or am turning into a reloader of all.LOL



Jeff

[TimSr]

I reload 12 and 20 guage, but to be honest, if you are looking at loading #7 1/2 or #8 shot target loads like they sell at Walmart for $6-7, you are better off buying them. If you are loading magnum stuff or hard to find shot sizes, it may can be worthwhile. The problem with shotshells is you can't just "work up a load" and whenever you change one component (shot amount, powder and charge, wad) you often have to change them all, and the quantities you have to buy make stocking multiple shot types, and wad types impractical. Shot is normally sold in 25lb bags, and wads are usually sold in bags of 500, I think, so pretty much need to decide what loads you will be shooting in advance, and buy components for that load. Oh yeah, and each hull has its own load data requirements as well, so you need to collect the hulls that go with the wads, that go with the shot and powder and charge of the load you are going to do.

[Gdawgs]

I reload for 410(Mec Jr) and 20. (Just got a Ponsness Warren reloader for 20 ga and 12 ga) so I'll be adding 12 ga at some point too.

410 is definitely worth reloading for, since the shells are expensive, and they don't use much shot and powder. My son and I calculated that we saved about $.35 per round by reloading. So then he'd tell me "dad, we need to go shooting so we can save more money!"

Like TimSr said, if you are just going to be reloading the same loads that you can get for $5-$6, you won't be saving much. Hunting loads are another story. But the components you have on hand add up in a hurry and they can take up a lot of space.

If you are looking for another hobby, I say go for it! Reloading for shotgun is a lot of fun. It can take quite a bit of playing around(usually fine tuning the crimping stations) to get the shell to come out right. I like that sort of thing, but some could find it extremely frustrating.

[KEYBEAR]

GUNNNY12 Just a short 10 years ago shot was &12.00 a bag and new target shells $3.00 bucks a box . I loaded shot shells for over 40 years and the first bag of shot I bought was $2.75 . So when you say NOT TO BAD I just move on .

[trapper9260]

I reload for 410,20,12,10ga and i use a mec single stage and i load what ever I like in any of them.I also have the lee loader for 410 and 12.I been at shotgun for i do not know for long time. I say depends on what you looking to do and how much you will be shooting.I do because some things I want to have and also because I want to.

[JERRYS.]

midwayusa has "estate" 00 buck 12ga. for $9 per box of 25.

[1100 tac]

Don't forget the shipping...

[JERRYS.]

yeah, I just ordered $72 worth of 12ga. ammo and it costs me $14.59 to ship it (200 rounds of 12ga. 00 buck).

[NINEX19]

I want to get into reloading shotgun. I have done the math on reloading for shotgun many times in the past few years. I can never get the math to come out on my side. At least for basic bird shot. Slugs, buck, more rare shot size might be a bit of a win, but I do not use enough of that to justify. I am a "low volume" shotgun shooter anyway.

When I can buy federal #7 1/2 shot for .20 cents a round at Walmart, why would I want to spend a minimum .25 cents a round to build it myself and that does not even include setup cost. As I understand it, hulls only last about 5 times.

While I get alot of pleasure from reloading and would like to do it, I just can not get the math to cooperate for me. I know it is not all about the math, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

[jaguarxk120]

I'm on blood thinners, so I watch what I shoot and stay away from magnums.

Reloading both 12 and 20 gauge, 12 gauge with a 7/8 ounce shot payload and in 20 gauge 3/4 ounce payload.

I shoot at public ranges and don't care about score. Those loads will break the clays if I do my part. Recoil is less and I can shoot all day and not feel it

I will get 2-3 extra boxes from 25 pounds of shot. BUT the big thing is buying in quanity, that is everything wads, shot, powder, and primers to break even or save some money.

I'm reloading just for the custom loadings I use.

[schmellba99]

I do, mostly for my dove and quail loads in 20 gauge. I have a 12 gauge MEC that i've never used, but if I ever actually get back into duck hunting like I say I am, I'll definitely be using it to load for that application.

My caveat is that I got both of my presses for free and to be honest I've only bought powder, primers and a bag of shot because I was gifted a lot of components. So for me, right now, it makes sense.

I can also load a box of shells in about 10 minutes. Almost no time at all. The great thing about shotshell loading is that once you get your components squared away, there is no measuring, no fussing - just loading. Considering where I live that it takes me at least a half hour to get to the nearest Academy or BPS to buy shells, I can load a case of shells up in about the same amount of time it would take me to go buy a flat. And I don't have to burn gas or interact with people.

I'd agree with most others though - if you are trying to compete with you run of the mill dove or clay loads at home, you'll likely not have a lot of success on the financial front in 12 or 20 gauge. If you are loading something different or loading gauges or bores that are just hard to find, then you are ahead of the game.

I like it for my 20 gauge because I can load shot that I typically don't find in the store (#6 7/8 oz shot), which is what I prefer to hunt dove with over the more common 7-1/2 shot.

[totaldla]

I reload 20 gauge waterfowl loads. But for that I don't need a press. I do have a MEC Sizemaster that I use for my lead shot hunting loads.

As others have pointed out, if you want ammo for the trap range - buy it. If you get to the point where you are burning through a case or two a week then you can consider reloading.

Here is some info you might find helpful - Reloading Modern 20 Gauge

[Economist]

The only reason why I keep reloading for shotgun is that I can make light 1oz loads that the stores never seem to stock. I certainly don't save any money reloading for my 12 ga.

[Nathan]

It is another twist. Reloading slugs and hunting ammo saves money. Target ammo, not so much.

[Sevens]

I was loading a lot of 20ga skeet in the late 80's and I was shooting 6-8 boxes a week. IIRC, lead was around $10 a bag for 25lbs.

Back then, primers were around $10/k, powder was around $10/lb. I don't recall wad costs, but powder is roughly double in cost and primers are roughly triple but the cost of #8 or #9 shot is catastrophic... and I don't really EVER shoot shotgun anymore.

[RaySendero]

I reload 12 and 28 gauge with MEC grabbers.

Have charge bars for 1&1/8, 1, 7/8 and 3/4 oz and they are all interchangeable between the 2 presses.
Mostly use 1 oz in 12 gauge and 3/4 oz in 28 gauge. But have used the 7/8 oz in both.

Basically, 2 shot loads for both:
1) a soft lead shot #9 skeet load and
2) a magnum hard #7&1/2 for bird hunting.

These 2 different shot hardness' shoot about 1 choke different (i.e. the hard shot is 1 choke tighter patterns than that real soft shot).

So I have:
Skeet covered with the soft #9s,
Bird hunting covered with the hard #7&1/2s and
Sporting clays covered mixing both depending on the range without having to change chokes in either gun.

Like NINEX19 said - I can't get the math to come out on my side reloading the 12 gauge for targets and birds,
BUT it does work out in my favor for the 28 gauge.

[gunnny12]

Good answers, thanks.
Now the thinking has to start.





Jeff

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

410 3" shot-shell and slugs via >Mec 600 Jr.
12 ga. Upland game hunting loads via>Mec Sizemaster.

Both Mec's have been collecting dust for a couple years.

If your a dedicated shotgun shooter.> League Trap, water foul hunter. It pays to reload.

Occasional shooter. No. Better to store purchase.

[FITASC]

If you only shoot a few boxes a year, buy the stuff in the store; if you intend to shoot a lot, then buy in bulk and save a lot, even for basic ammo. I can reload 12 and 20 for about $3.50/box which is half of store bought with tax. But then, I buy in bulk.

[rg1]

Low volume shooter but I have a Mec Sizemaster and load 12 and 20 gauge shotshells. I have a small amount of lead shot from back before lead shot got so expensive. Haven't bought any lead shot since it went to $40-$50 per 25lb. bag. I still reload the rounds we shoot when throwing some clay targets for me and family members. I have a good quantity of loaded shotshells but I like having the ability to load shotshells should they ever become unavailable on store shelves or prices spike higher. I like being able to load #2 and lead BB loads which are more expensive or not in stock. Don't shoot enough slugs so I buy them and buckshot loading is not for me. Too tedious and getting the right combination of hull, wad, and powder and getting a decent crimp makes it easier to buy 00 Buck. Just bought a case of Estate 00 Buck cheaper than you can load and the Estate buckshot gets good reviews. Like mentioned, I like having the ability and equipment to load shotshells.

[FrankenMauser]

In a "big" year, I might go through 8-10 boxes of 12 ga and 2-4 boxes of 20 ga.
Given the cost of shot (shot is the killer), it really isn't worth it for me to reload for target or small game loads.

But...
I do some really 'stupid' things with shot shells - mainly "shorties". I worked up 12 ga loads to get every last bit of use out of my shells, as they're cut down to remove melted crimps or cracks. I can go as short as 1-5/8" (maybe 1-1/2"), and I recorded load data for everything between that and 2-3/4" in 1/8" increments.
You can't, exactly, go buy those 1-5/8-inchers in a store.
And, I use cleaned, screened, washed, and re-graphited reclaimed shot for those loads. So my shot only costs 30% of what new stuff runs.

It's a novelty, for sure. But they do still perform well in my shotguns.


If all I did was shoot your average "small game" load (7/8 to 1 ounce #7 to #9 at ~1,300 fps) and average target load (nearly the same thing), I wouldn't even bother keeping the press and components around.

If you buy in bulk [major emphasis on bulk]; and/or you want to tailor the loads to help a specific shotgun pattern better; and/or shoot a lot of buckshot, slug, or sabot loads; then it can be worthwhile.

But the average guy like me, that never patterns his guns, almost never shoots slugs or buckshot, and never shoots enough for it to be worthwhile anyway... we can't compete with the 'bargain' brand ammo. ...And sometimes even decent Winchester, Remington, and Federal loads. The other day, I picked up Winchester AA and Super-X loads for $5.95 / box. It would cost me $0.72 more per box to load it myself, and that doesn't include the cost of hulls!


A related sidebar:
I even put together custom shot shells for my .444 Marlins. But, even then, it isn't worthwhile to buy the components separately (I've done it, but it isn't worth it). I buy loaded .410 shells, pull them apart, and repackage what I need in the .444 cases. It's cheaper and easier.

[gunnny12]

I guess a hold on the shotgun reloading then, just thinking in case something happens I can still make them up.



Jeff

[evtSmtx]

oh, you mean loading shells .... never mind

[FITASC]

You can't, exactly, go buy those 1-5/8-inchers in a store.

Sure you can; they're called Aguila Minis

I reload a hull until it splits; until then, even with cracked or missing petals, I can get the hull to close. These are good enough for fun practice.

To clarify, bulk buying is a minimum of 2 8# jugs of powder, wads by the case of 5000, primers by the sleeve of 5000 and shot by the hundredweight or ton.
Hulls are either mine form factory ammo or picked for free at the club. Reclaimed shot, while a mix of sizes, will drop your cost even further, but for trap/skeet 5-stand, it will break targets.

[T. O'Heir]

Don't shoot mine enough to bother, but it's far less expensive than rifle or handgun to start.