Thinking about starting to load shotshells

[38MAN]

I've been reloading my own handgun and rifle ammo for 25 years. I have never done any shotshell loading and don't know much about the equipment but assume it is pretty much the same process as what I'm familar with. Any advice on equipment, reading material or other would be greatly appreciated.

[Val]

MEC makes good equipment and are the most used equipment out there. Look at the prices on websites such as Midway USA and knowing the prices go to E-bay and look for deals on good used equipment.

[milespb]

I've been loading shotshells for 30 yrs.  I use progressive (12,20) and single stage (28, .410) presses. The progressives are much nicer once you get use to them.  The problem I see at this time is the price of components. You would have to have a really cheap source for components to load  a 12ga. 1 1/8 for less than what Wal mart sells them for (about $4.50/box). I still reload but comp. are at least double what they were 2 years ago.

[cjclemens]

I've been reloading shotshells for about 10 years now.  It used to be a good way to save money, but thats not the case these days.  Unless you absolutely can't find the loads you're looking for, it's still cheaper to buy loaded shells(except for 28ga and .410).  At my local gun shop, i can get 12ga Dianas for about $54/case.  I still load my own target/light field loads on occasion(for some reason 1 oz #6 is hard to find on the shelf around here).  The price of lead has gotten out of hand.  Last I checked, it was around $35/bag.  I wont buy any unless its under $27, which is generally where I break even.  If you're still determined to get started, I'd reccommend a MEC 600 or Sizemaster, depending on how much loading you plan on doing, and a copy of the Lyman shotshell reloading manual.

[Graybeard]

The advice you've been given is good. For both 12 and 20 gauge you'll really not save money by reloading at the present price of components over buying the lower cost factory ammo tho you can put together a better shell for the same money even in those gauges. If you'll be shooting .410 or 28 gauge you can load for half or less what you'll pay for factory ammo even the cheapest around.

MEC is all you need. For any but .410 I'd say get a Sizemaster 77 and it's nice even for .410 but in .410 there is no auto primer feed so I just use a 600 JR for it. Personally I've never gone for the progressives. I've tried a couple but never was able to warm up to them.

[38MAN]

Thanks for the feedback. The.410 is what I specifically was looking to do. I took the wife and teenage daughters with me up to the farm a few weeks back for a little shooting and they really liked the .410. Just enough kick to let them know they pulled the trigger and liked the weight of the shotgun. I could get them out more if I could find / afford to accomidate their preference. All of them shot a 12 ga. once, none of them wanted anymore of that.

[Graybeard]

Over my entire career as a skeet shooter starting back in the early to mid 70s the 28 has been my all time favorite for skeet. In fact at the peak of my competition days I often used it for 12 and 20 gauge matches as well as for the 28 gauge. You are allowed to use smaller gauge in competition. My averages with it were at most one target per hundred less than with a 12 and three more than with a 20. Yeah I actually break more with a 28 than a 20.

But my right shoulder got to hurting badly. I need rotator cuff surgery on both but refuse for now at least to have it done. I got to flinching so bad I completely stopped skeet shooting for several years. When I went back the flinch was gone and seemed OK so long as I stayed with the .410 and 28 but then I got back to shooting the 20 and 12 even tho with light loads and the flinch came right back again. I began to again use only 28 and .410 then finally toward the end only the .410 but by then the flinch was so bad it was hopeless.

I've now laid off again for about 18 months and hope to get back at it again when the weather warms. If/when I do I'll shoot only the .410 for skeet likely for the rest of my life. Many of us old farts are now using only the .410 for skeet.

[38MAN]

Graybeard, define old fart. I'm 46 and because of football, motorcycles, atv's in my youth and 60-70 hour work weeks in my prime, I may be an old fart. Time goes by so quickly. I've spent my youth building a good life for my family and hope to do / find things that my girls will enjoy and keep doing long after I'm gone. Maybe even remember "when we use to do this with dad".

[Graybeard]

I'll be 65 in March. Most of the folks shooting skeet at the club I go to are over 60 and many are in their 70s. Very few under 50 folks show up and on an average day there not a heck of a lot of under 60s show up. Around here at least we skeet shooters are a dying breed.

[38MAN]

Graybeard why are you (skeet shooters) a dying breed? For that matter why are we all (shooters) becoming a dying breed. I take my daugthers shooting every chance I get. I have to compete with soccer, dance and other activites that consumes their time. The local gun club is less than a mile from our house but they prefer to shoot at the farm. Why, the active club shooters have this gung-ho mentality. If you watch any TV outdoors shows you can see a trend toward a military mindset. I use to really enjoy watching the outdoor channel on Wednesday night. The program lineup was informative and entertaining. I quit watching when it became mostly about defensive and tactical shooting. We have enough to worry about these days; who wants to (especially a teenager) to see how to defend your home? Maybe the dying breed in us all wants to get back to a simplier time. Just to go shoot at some cans.

[Iowa Fox]

I have been reloading shotshells for sneaking up on 50 years now. You will not save any money at current component prices.

If you would like to enter a very rewarding hobby look for some of the very fine used mec equipment that is out there. Mec is what I use and the loaders and their accesories have given me a lifetime of service. Taken care of my grandkids will be passing them on to their kids.

Here is why I reload when I say you can't save any money. In about 1963 or 64 me and my pals went out duck hunting on a Saturday. We were out at dawn and put a lot of lead in the air and decided we would go back at late afternoon for evening feeding. Between us we shot every last round we had that day.

Being young country boys we decided we were going pheasant hunting the next morning. Back in those days the stores did not stay open like they do now. After supper that night I reloaded about a hundred or so rounds so I was set for the next morning. The next morning I was the only one that showed up with ammo, other guys didn't have a single round becase the stores were closed and their dads didn't have any to loan them. Yea, I fixed them up with reloads.

It was a valueable lesson I will never forget. Shotshell, handgun, or rifle, as long as I manage my components all I have to do is pull the levers and I will be shooting.

Never depend on someone else. 

[tireman]

   Get a book first. Then buy a used 410 reloader. Try to get some wads with the reloader. Mec is what you will see the most of. Have fun finding the stuff you need . Then have fun using it.  Tireman

[hillbill]

componets are high now, there is no doubt, think they are gonna get any cheaper?if yu do then dont buy any. lead does have its ups and downs.dont buy on a up spike.just gradually buy what yu need when its available at a resonable price.get what yu need in the next year or so and then in 5 yrs from now yu will be kikin yur own butt for not buying more.id get a good supply of 1 1/8 oz wads and whatever powder yu like to use.shot may get cheaper but its my experience that wads and powder wont.not sure bout primers.aint bought nun for a year or two.

[Graybeard]

id get a good supply of 1 1/8 oz wads

He won't be needing very many of those for that .410 he's planning to load fer. 

Graybeard why are you (skeet shooters) a dying breed?

Cuz locally we're all old and gray and quite literally dying off. We tend to lose another one or two most every year to death. Just not any new younger shooters coming into the shooting sports it seems. I reckon they are too busy with their cell phones and video games.

[hillbill]

does anyone make a set of dies for a regular reloading press that would load the 410?

[Graybeard]

Not that I'm aware of but you really don't wanna load shotshells that way. Just get a MEC 600 JR and be done with it.

[SHOOTALL]

Lots of good advice already posted , I would add that you should check out Ballistic products on line , They have most anything you could need to get started and one item that might intrest you is the roll crimp set up if you are going to load only a few shells . If you plan to load several boxes then go with a Mec set up ( I have 4 ) I like the progressive ones myself but if you use one its best to stick with one hull and wad.