Getting back into shotgun reloading

[336A]

Anyone here have any recipes to share. Years ago I was given a Lee Load All II along with IMR 700X, windjammer wads, CCI 209 primers and a 25 pound bag of 7 1/2 shot for Christmas. I used the cheap Rem game load hulls to reload as that is what we used on squirrels. Now that I'm getting back into it all of the various combinations are just mind boggling. I'm looking for a good 1oz load for upland game hunting such as rabbit, squirrel, grouse, and target shootng. Anyone have any favorites they would like to share?

[harry]

Maybe, but if we knew what gauge, that would help

[336A]

Soory about that, it is for 12GA

[Mescalero]

You are indeed a brave soul.

[harry]

Get lyman's shot shell reloading book

[harry]

I use these guys for most of my shot shell reloading supplieshttp://www.precisionreloading.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?

[Mescalero]

TALK ABOUT INFORMATION OVERLOAD!

[336A]

Harry I don't have any of those components anymore. I'm looking for some suggestions from others though to see if what else is out there that may work better.

[RIHMFIRE]

i have reloaded well over 100000 12 ga for skeet trap and sporting clays...
and with lead shot at 40 to 45 buck a bag....primer and universal clays cost
it aint worth the time anymore...to me...
but if you reload 410 and 28...its still well worth it...

[Nath]

I don't do much any more due to the lack of savings to be made but a go to load of mine in 12g is 21 -23grains of green dot. Low end for plastic wads and high end charge for fiber.

N.

[Griff]

At the cost of shot, primers & wads today, it's not really cost effective. At Wal-Mart I can buy Winchester AA Target loads for $7.89/box.

You have to know what hull you want a recipe for. Base heights vary and will need different wads to keep pressures under control and within limits. You can't just sub components like you can with brass cartridges, hulls vary too much.

[336A]

Wow tough crowd. Griff actually low brass and high brass has absolutely nothing to due with how much powder you can safely load in a shotgun shell. It is merely a manufacturer gimick that has stuck with us. Most people recognize commercial low brass as target loads and high brass as being heavier loaded shells. When reloading a low brass shell is completely safe to use with buckshot and slug load data. Also according to an e-mail I recieved from Alliant primers may be interchanged except for where the data calls for magnum primers or Federal 209A primers.

[Marlin32]

I load 28, 24, 16, 12 and 10ga (also 20 as my brother has some 20's I don't)

For 12's if I had my preference, I would use Federal Gold Medal hulls.
If not, I buy the Cheddite hulls.
Remington would be the last hull I would load.

I have been using Longshot for sometime now at least in hunting loads. If you are only wanting to push 1oz loads, I really don't have anything, I do have some 1 1/16 and 1 1/8oz loads in 12, I don't load any heavier than that.

I use the Fed 12S3 wad in the fed and cheddite hulls, Fed 209A primers.
Longshot for hunting, and have used Universal esepcially for just shooting clays etc.

I roll crimp many loads, perfer it, hunting loads anyway, no advantage ballistically, just preference ( I think they run through the autos better, and They will NEVER open up)
So with roll crimp, I can use shorter hulls, Cheddites, 2 5/8" or 2 1/2" paper and plastic hulls. Or cut hulls to that length.

[6pt-sika]

At the present I load 10 gauge 2 7/8" , 12 gauge , 16 gauge and 20 gauge .

In the past I loaded all those as well as 10 gauge 3 1/2 , 28 and 410 .


Only reason I load is so I can make a load thats smokeless and compatible with my damascus guns . I have 4 shotguns that are damascus barreled that I regularly shoot .

[JP_TX]

I agree that loading 12 and 20 gauge isn't economical when every sports outlet has wooden flats of 12 and 20 from every mgr for two months before bird season for less then $65.00 a case. My rule of thumb is regardless of gauge if I can buy it for less than $7.50 a box I buy it; more than $8.00 a box, I load it. Considering the cost of components, even using 5 loads per case, I can't load for less than $8.00 @ 25 rounds.

So far lately the only thing I load is 16ga. And if I can catch the annual sale of Rem 16g game loads at Bass Pro for $70.00 a case for #6. I buy a case. My loading components are used only for short run special loads.

speaking of which, You do know that there are more component costs, excepting brass, in a box of shotshells then in a box of rifle ammo and it sells for less cost for more rounds.

It's one of those mysteries of life. Like how Remington sells brass for 25-06, 270, 280, 30-06 and 35 whelen all for different prices when the only difference is the number on the head stamp and the hole in the neck.

But that is another tale.

[Griff]

I wasn't talking about the brass height. I was talking about the base inside the case. There are differences between shells. I can't use the same recipe in a Winchester AA Lite hull that I can in in say a Winchester Super X hulls and reliably get the same result. I certainly wouldn't use the same charge or wads in a Remington hull that I'd use in a Winchester, or a Federal or a Cheddite. While there may be duplications and even overlapping safe combinations... I'd verify that before switching components. It's very easy... Hodgdon's Reloading Data Center has just about all the information one would want, just a few clicks away.

Let's say I'm reloading a Winchester AA target hull, have only Winchester W209 primers, but have four or five wads to choose from and am using Clays powder. Yes, I CAN use Federal, Winchester and Remington wads to obtain the same result... BUT, I have to adjust the powder charge to get there. Let's say I want 1200fps out of the finished shell. I'd use 17.4 grains with the Federal 12SO wad, only need 15.8 with the Rem TGT 12 wad, and 16.9 with the WAA 12SL. The WAA 12L wad only generates 8,300psi with 18.1 grains of Clays yet achieves 1250 fps.

The same applies to use of different primers; as it does with different hulls. With a Remington STS type hull, my Federal 12SO wad needs just 17 grains of Clays to reach 1200fps, the Rem TGT 12 wad uses 16.8 to get there; and the WAA 12L uses 17.1, the WAA12SL uses 15.9.

It ain't rocket science, but... it does need attention paid to your selection of components. Using the same wad in a Winchester AA hull vs a Remington TGT uses a full grain less to achieve the same result.

[Rusty]

I bought the Lyman shotshell reloading manual a while back. I was amazed at all the choices.

There is even a section just for Hevi shot.