16 gauge

[brasskeeper]

I want to start loading for my 16 gauge 1100. I'm thinking about using a lee load all II. I need sources for wads, hulls and load  info.

[jlchucker]

A few years ago I was bitten by the same bug that has infected you.  I ended up with a Baikal side-by side that I still have and it still works fine.  I went out and bought a Lee Load-all and found that first, the Remington wads available would fit nothing--not even Remmie hulls.  I'm glad I only bought one bag of those.  In the end, I got a Mec 600 that does the job.  Your other problem will be wads. The ones sold by Ballistic Products (they have every wad for every imaginable guage and hull, it seems), the SPG16 and another the number of which I can't recall at the moment work on plenty of hulls, and are affordable.  Ballistic Products also has its own publications about loading the 16.  Buy one.  You'll find it to be well worth it. I hope I've saved you a lot of the effort I went through when I first started out on 16 ga reloading.

[.45 COLT]

Wads - Claybuster 0100-16. A clone of the long gone WAA16. The best I've seen for 16 Gauge. You can also buy Guiliandi wads from the various supply houses, or from Ballistic Products with their own name and an inflated price.

DC

[brasskeeper]

Thanks for the information guys. What kind of powder you guys use?

[jlchucker]

Thanks for the information guys. What kind of powder you guys use?

I use Red Dot.  There are plenty of loads listed in the Lyman Shotshell Manual and the BPI publication entitled The Sixteen Guage Manual.  The Lyman book that I have shows a bunch of loads calling for the Winchester AA wad. Unless I'm missing something lately, those have not been on the market for quite a few years now. I haven't tried the Claybusters or Guiliandi wads that 45Colt names, but that may be because I got a bunch of wads from Ballistic Products (on sale) a few years ago and still haven't shot them all up. Still, maybe I have tried them--I've used both BPI wads-just didn't know who the real maker was.  They are the ones to use if you don't want to pull your hair out trying to come up with a load that ends up with a decent crimp.  You can get the old-fashioned fiber and cardboard wads still--but it takes more dedication than I have to come up with loads using that method.  45, where can one get Claybusters or Guiliandi wads?  I'd like to try a bag of each.

[.45 COLT]

Powder - I've used Green Dot, Unique, Herco and Blue Dot in the 16. If I was to buy just one (for 16), I'd get Unique. That's just my preference, a lot of powders work well.

Wads - Midway and MidSouth (along with others) carry Claybusters. I got Guiliandi wads from Midway. If you've used BPI's 16 wads, you've used Guiliandis. If you want to just try the WAA16 clone before buying in quantity, an e-mail to Claybuster might get you a sample pack. Good outfit, great customer service. (No, I got no stake in the company). You're right about the unavailability of the WAA16 wads. That's why it was good for 16 shooters whan Claybuster came out with their clone. I've heard rumors of Downrange coming out with a 16 Gauge wad too, but I haven't seen any yet.

DC

[jlchucker]

Thanks, 45Colt.  Next time I'm in the market for wads I'll follow your advice and shop your sources.  Saving a buck is a necessary thing these days.  One thing for sure is that the Remington wad must fit something--but I've never been able to find out what, and don't want to adjust my Mec 600 all out of kilter to find out.  With the 16 an adjustable press is pretty much a necessity, I've found.  I've also had good luck using those primed Fiochhi hulls.  Good crimps, and I've got quite a few reloads out of them shooting trap at my club. We mostly shoot informally, trap and skeet.  The 16 works pretty well, and the handling is noticeably nicer than when using a 12.  It's a great guage. If the Claybuster wad is a clone of the WAA16, it will save Brasskeeper a lot of searching for loading data--Lyman Shotshell book (at least the one I'm using) shows lots of loads for WAA16 in various hulls.

[.45 COLT]

You might find this interesting if you do business with BP. I obviously didn’y compile this list – the guy who did knew how to spell “Gualandi”.


The Gualandi range of wads oftentimes renamed by BP are as follows:

G/BP Dispersor – X
Original Brush wad
Light Brush wad
Spitfire
Short Range crusher
Super spark
Rex
Compact Euro target
Ultra short Euro target
Piston skeet
STS/MG42
LBC range
Competition special
Obturator Seal
And several of their Steel/MMS/TPS wads

If you want to see all these wads go to http://www.gualandi.it/

The Bascheri & Pellagri range of wads used by BP are as follows:

Trap Commander
The CSD range
Lightning
Helix brush wad

Go to http://www.baschieri-pellagri.com/uk/main.html to see more

Vagner/Helarco:
BP use the Helarco VP series wads

http://www.vagnerplast.com/

Their Multi-Hulls are Cheddite, etc.