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Shotgun Shell
Reloading How To |
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| Where do you start? As with any project. A cost analysis should be done. It has been my experience that if you are EXTREMELY diligent in locating components. Then buy in bulk. You will only be able to cut the cost of a box of 25 #7,8,9 target loads by half. Say a box of 25 is now $15. The most you will save is $7.5. If the cost of a reloader is $75 to $4000. That’s 10 to 533 boxes just to break even. (250 to 13,333 shells). That does not include your time or manufacturer defects. Plus, I have never purchased components that were consumed equally. There is always a little left-over powder, primers, wads, and shot in a batch. |
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How much time are you going to spend at the range? Are you going every weekend and shooting your obligatory 100? When I started trap and skeet shooting it was $3.00 for a round of 25. $12 for your obligatory 100. A box of shells another $3.50. $26 for the day. Today, I pay $90 for a practice ten card. That gives me 11 rounds at $8.19 each. Some places have a debt card where you purchase individual clays for automated pullers. That’s .30 to .40 cents a clay. |
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| Now that we have jumped over the rational thought process. What type of reloader do you need? A single shell, multi shell or progressive power house. I purchased a LEE LOAD-FAST in the late eighties. It's was my extreme diligence that allowed me to pick it up on sale for less the $80 new. I never looked to replace it, in the 34 years of use. I have produced over 40,000 rounds with it. 15,000 in the last two years. Of course, it’s been maintained with diligence and has a few replacement parts. I don’t know why they discontinued it. Most of the problems I've had with it. Were self-induced because I pushed the machine to fast. |
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| What components should you purchase? You need to pick a Hull. Then a recipe for a load. You CAN NOT MIX AND MATCH HERE. Once you pick a recipe. Go look for components. You’ll find nowadays that you cannot get the components needed. You will have to compromise. Find something that works. Up until 2014 I built AA hulls and Remington hulls 1.125oz with 17.5 grains of Red Dot. I can’t find the Red Dot to keep it cost effective. I transitioned to Federal hulls with a 1oz load and off-name powder. |
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To keep your shot off the floor. I would suggest modifying the poor-quality spray bottles supplied from a local home improvement store. I repurposed these three defective ones. I cut the spray head off. Installed yellow vinyl tape to create a plug. Then cut one to make a funnel that fits inside the mouth of the bottle. Notice the cut out, it lets the shot bag fit down in the funnel. Two bottles will hold a 25# bag of 7,8,9 size shot. |
If you ever noticed excess smoke from the barrels of guns at the range, they reload. It’s my opinion the powder is holding excess water. In order to dry the powder. I use a homemade desiccant bag and desiccant cap. The glass preval paint bottle unscrewed, is then placed in the oven to regenerate. If the moisture indicator lays in the powder, it will turn gray. Another homemade tool is a cap that is cut out to slow the rate of powder being dispensed. |
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| Now that we have all the components needed. I hope you bought a reloader. Set the reloader to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set the powder and shot dispenser for the recipe. The powder will compact in the hopper as the machine is operated. Run a few empty hulls. Measure the powder drop until the powder charge becomes consistent. Dump the powder back into the hopper. |
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| It is better to inspect all your hulls at once before starting to reload. Distractions during the process will lead to more defective shells. If you're shooting an auto, you will pick up ground debris. Wipe them down with a dry rag. Especially look for cracks and debris inside the tube. I tried cleaning the hulls in a corn media vibrator. It just left more dust on the hulls and dulled the tube finish. You can be real retentive here by measuring and trimming the hulls to length. I’ve never measured or trim hulls. I set the crimp height on the Load-Fast to an average crimp. Then just ran with it. |
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The sequence for reloading: De-prime: Push the primer out of the primer pocket.
Some machines de-prime and resize the brass at the same time.
Reprime: Press a new primer into the primer pocket.
Add the powder charge, press in the wad, add the payload.
Pre-crimp, crimp. |
| Perform visual inspection, Disassemble any defectives. |
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You'll immediately know if you did not pay attention while reloading when you get a squib load. For lack of powder. The shot will leave the barrel but the wad will stay. Most ranges have a squib rod handy. Usually a long wooden dowel. The best way to remove the wad is from the muzzle end, pushing it back to the breach.
MAKE SURE THE GUN IS UNLOADED FIRST. |
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| REMEMBER YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS! |
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