Does anyone Reload Shotgun Shells?

[2004 F150 4x4]

I have crunched the numbers forwards, backwards and sideways and if you can buy shells on sale at 3-4 bucks a box(good enough for skeet shooting) I don't see how it pays to reload.
This is assuming the following aprox pricing.
Powder 18/lb, Shot 25/25 lbs, 10/500 wads, primers 25/1000.
This is reusing hulls and does'nt even factor in the cost of the equipment.

This is for a 12 gauge. I am sure if you shot a 16 or 28gauge it might work out as the shells are harder to find and therefore more expensive.

My buddy wants to get into this and split the equipment cost but I think it is a poor investment. I already reload for rifle and pistol and this still pays for itself.

Am I missing something?

 

[Slick 55]

Years ago target loads were anywhere from $4.50 to $5.50/box, depending on quantity purchased. In recent years there have been tons of imported shotshells of decent quality hitting the market, driving down prices. This has forced Winchester, Federal, Remington and Estate all to bring out a lower quality line such as the Super Target, Top Gun, Gun Club and Super Sport. The only problem with the cheaper shells is the shot is not as hard as premium shells. That said, I still enjoy reloading since I already have the equipment.

 

[MolaKule]

Philosophically, I have always reloaded because I can get better ballistic performance by brewing my own, and not because I can necessarily do it cheaper.

In my own case, my dad won't shoot anything through his 20 ga. shotguns that was not reloaded by me because he says they perform better on Upland game birds than any factory load he has shot.

Addendum - Still using a Versamec 700.

 

[2004 F150 4x4]

I guess the main thing is #1 Shot and #2 powder.
What are you guys using and where do you buy it?
How much do you pay for supplies?
1lb of powder
25lbs of #9 shot
500 wads
1000 primers

Also is the MEC line any good? Which model would you recommend?
Thanks

 

[Slick 55]

I buy powder by the 8lb keg, 10+ bags of shot, 5,000 wads(case) and 5,000 primers. I use Clays powder, any brand of magnum shot, Duster Wads and Winchester or Federal primers. It's the only way to economically do it. And like Mola I like loading my own ammo. I have shot my best sporting clays rounds with my own ammo.

I'm loading with a Mec 9000 hydraulic.

 

[White 03]

The cheap shells will probably shoot better than I can but I reload to get the load that I want. It is hard to find the cheapies in 1 oz and 1145 FPS. You can get 1 oz but they are the fast 3 1/4 dram ones and you can find the slower 2 3/4 dram ones but they are 1 1/8 oz loads.

I use a MEC 9000 (not hydraulic) it is a good reliable machine. Parts are easy to get at the club where I shoot. Service from factory is also very good. The 9000 hydraulic would be a little faster and the grabber would be a little slower. You probably want a faster machine if you do a lot of shooting.

Some people really enjoy reloading, I don't seem too, you may like it. I think I would do even less reloading if it was not setting upstairs in my garage ready for me to show up. If I had to go someones house to do my reloading I would probably do even less.

Because I am to be getting busy or maybe it is lazy I do have been buying the cheap shells lately; recoil is a little more but they will break the targets.

 

[mechtech]

I used to be a member of the Palos Skeet Club, and reloaded.
The option was Winchester AAs [$$$].
Now, I would just buy new - an off brand.

 

[Slick 55]

White03 hit the nail on the head. I like a 1oz load at around 1180 which until very recently was only availabe in premium shells. Remington does have a 1oz 2 3/4 dram in their Gun Club line. I have shot a flat and liked them very much. The Gun Club hulls load very well as an added bonus.

 

[oil pan 4]

I have not reloaded shot gun shells for a long time but when I get back to the states I have found some loads I want to try.
There was one load I found that used my WSL powder and orange winchester wads to throw 1oz of shot over 1700fps.
Reloading weak target shells dosen't save much money, but if you can reload high power stuff that is where the savings are.
But it seams like my low cost, low power shells are more deadly to up land game then the dirt cheap ammo.
The high power shells that come in a box of 20 and there about $15-$20. Those are much cheaper to reload then buy.
You can pack them with what ever you want, hard premium #2 shot (if you can find any) or soft smaller #6.

 

[Slick 55]

Ballistic Products has alot of hard to find supplies.

 

[MolaKule]

Does anyone reload plain or saboted slugs for 20 or 12 ga??

Looking for some reloading/component suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Addendum: Am using rifled barrels for game at 125 yards.

 

[Cycle Freak]

Molakule go to www.lightfieldslugs.com they sell their slugs as a relaoding component, I have been using their factory loaded ammo since 1998 and they are the most accurate and deadly slugs I have shot out of my rifled and ported Mossberg shotgun.

 

[Slick 55]

Mola,

Ballistic Products has what you need. New hulls, slugs, roll crimping tools, load data, etc.

 

[oil pan 4]

Reload Slugs?
nice.
And I thought reloading buck shot shells was cool.

 

[WDP]

Mola, I load the 12 ga. Lyman Sabot mould 525gr. hollow base flat nose slug. Looks like a HUGE air gun pellet. Only load 2 3/4 inch, the deer don't know the difference and the 3 inchers really hurt. Lyman load data uses a Win AA hull and a WAA12F114 wad with 45.5 grains of Blue Dot powder. A tad too much so I load about 42 grains. The slow burning powder really helps on the ported barrel to reduce recoil and the muzzle/ port flash is real impressive when the light is low. Some of my customers use them for 3 gun competition because they shoot well out of a smooth bore. PM me if you want some, deer season is coming and I am cranking them out.
WDP
DiamondHard Bullets & Wilbur’s Guns, licensed Pa. Gunsmith and Firearms sales.

 

[Slick 55]

WDP, have you ever chronographed that load?

 

[WDP]

Just for you Brett. 1425 fps ave. 3 shots. That is on a 20 inch rifled barrel.

WDP

 

[Slick 55]

That's pretty lively. How is the recoil?

 

[WDP]

That is from a Mossberg 9200 gas operated semi auto with a ported barrel and a decent recoil pad. Not too bad for a few shots. On par with the usual store boughts. I am "recoil sensitive" nice term for wimp, with a rifle or shotgun but when you are shooting at game your concentration is elsewhere and you don't feel the thump or hear the boom.

WDP