Newbie to reloading shotshells and Estate hulls

[schick]

Hi folks,

I am new to shotshell reloading. I reload for rifle and pistol, but this shotshell business is a mystery to me.

I have purchased new gear like a MEC 650 and an adjustable bar. I even went online and bought a pile or Estate brand hulls.

I looked around the net to see if I could get some recipes, but I haven't had any luck.


Do you have any data on reloading these shells? They are the ones with the wound paper bases inside.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

P.S. Should I just go with another brand?

[Graybeard]

If you're gonna buy once fired hulls you really should get either Winchester AA or Remington hulls. But with them in hand if you'll get the lastest Lyman loading manual you should find plenty of data for them. I generally load them just like a Federal hull. Really any of the staight multi piece hulls load pretty much the same. I'm assuming you're talking 12 ga?

Personally I hate the adjustable bars and refuse to use them. But maybe it will make you happy. I just don't trust them.

[Val]

I agree with Graybeard on the hulls. Once you determine a load you should by the proper Bar for that shot weight and the proper powder cup. You won't have to worry about the load changing from reloading session to session. Readjusting the variable bars every time you want to change loads is a real pain.

[nabob]

Personally, I would go with another brand.

Rem STS shells will give me at least ten reloads before I junk them. I've never found the plastic on the cheaper brands to stand up to that. It makes the per unit cost of the shell pretty low. Win AA's are much the same insofar as the quality of the plastic goes.

I agree with GB on the straightwall hull advice. I've used the Remington straightwall receipes for reloading stuff like Estate. However, I prefer to stick to a known receipe for the hull I'm reloading, so I go with STS's.

[.45 COLT]

Estate hulls are Federals. Same company, same street address even. Federal bought Estate several years ago. Recipes are the same as for Federal Hi-Power Plastic Shells W/Fiber Base Wads. (Hodgdon's terminology). Hodgdon and Alliant both have reloading information for those hulls on-line. Use the hulls you have - then go with something else. That's just my opinion.

The adjustable bar - it might be a somewhat difficult to set up, especially for a beginner, but I have them in about half of my presses and like them. They're great if someone likes to play with a lot of different loads but unnecessary if all you want to do is crank out one type.

DC

[schick]

Wow, you guys are great. One day later and I have all these good replies.

Thanks Gents.

I grabbed an adjustable bar because I had heard that the bars I have (half a dozen) are for lead shot, and plan to use steel.

As well, once I burn through these Estate hulls (over 900 of them), I'll switch to a more common brand.

Thanks again to all.

[.45 COLT]

Steel is different. Don't use data for lead shot when loading Steel. Bad things can happen.

I can't find any Steel data for your hulls. They aren't the same as Federal Gold Medal hulls and none of my books has Steel data for Federal Hi-Power hulls.

DC

[schick]

Good to know.

We have to use steel up here for hunting.

Looks like I have a lot of research to do.


Anybody want to buy some Estate hulls?