Is it worth it?

[mbradst]

Most of the guys that I have talked to about reloading for shotguns have told me that it is not a money saver. Someone has offered me a press set up for 12 ga. I was wondering if it would be worth it to reload. I hunt rabbit, squirrel, doves, ducks, geese, and pretty much everything else that you can shoot and eat with a shotgun. I would have no need for slugs, since I no longer hunt for deer with a shotgun.(bowhunt only)

[freakshow10mm]

The biggest cost of loading shotgun is the shot. Grafs has it for $50/25lbs. I load for 20ga but just for hunting. I might only load 100 or so rounds and be good for a whole season of different game.

If you decide to do it, buy all you can when you have extra money. It will only go up.

[xtimberman]

Yes and No.

I won't hunt anything with the cheap promotional loads offered up by the big ammo makers. It's often advertized as Dove and Quail loads, but I won't use them for that. The really cheap stuff is OK for casual clay target shooting with a Trius spring-loaded thrower, and at discounted prices, it's cost effective.

For any and all shotgun hunting, I prefer to use premium components - hard or plated shot, special hunting shotcups, and clean progressive powders. Price premium hunting ammo to make your cost comparisons - it doesn't matter what gauge - and you'll save money. If you like to shoot 10ga., 16ga., 28ga. or .410, savings can be incredible - not as much for 12 & 20ga.

Even in 12ga., sometimes you just can't find shells in the shot size and payload you want. If you have a sack of that favored size on hand, you can load up as much as you want.

You didn't say what type of loader was offered. I think that the MEC loaders are a good value. I have 4 of their various models. The Sizemaster with the collet-type resizer is an excellent single stage loader, and the one to try to spring for if possible when starting out. (MEC makes a specialized Sizemaster for both Steel and Lead shot called the Steelmaster.) I have a couple of the less expensive models, too, and they are fine loaders - just take a little more effort on the first station.

xtm

[mbradst]

Thanks for the replies. What you said about calibers does seem to be about right. I can buy 12 ga loads when they are on sale, they are always having specials on steel and lead.

Maybe I should get into reloading shotshells just so I have the reason to buy a new 10 ga for taking geese. After all, reloading for 10 ga will save me money. Wonder if the wife will go for that one.

[xtimberman]

I've had one of the Ithaca Mag-10 autoloaders for ~30 years. Bluedot, W-571 (HS-7), SR-4756, and AL-8 all work great in the big 10 for geese and sandhill cranes. Ballistics Products has lots of good products and data specifically for 10ga. Mag.

Not only is 10 ga. ammo expensive, it's nearly impossible to find in the shot size and payload you want - excellent reasons to handload your own.

Don't believe any of the BS that the 12ga. 3 1/2" mag. is just as good on geese as the big 10. That's what it is - BS.

xtm

[Kastiron]

Nuts about the 3.5 mag's.. I have been wanting to try some for a while, but didn't want to pay the prices they were asking.

Yesterday, I picked up 4 boxes of 3.5 Win Expert Steel in #2 for 5 bucks a box though. Maybe will have to just use them for pheasant next year.

I keep thinking that I will start reloading shotshells, but the price of the low end stuff I use (and don't shoot much shotty) makes it hard to justify.

[xtimberman]

One of my good friends uses one of the Lee SS loaders that you bolt to the bench, and says that it is very servicable and fairly fast. Like almost everything else of the Lee brand, it comes ready-to-load. If you have empty hulls, all you need are primers, powder, shot, and shotcups to get going. Many gunpowders we use for pistols and revolvers were originally designed for shotshells, and if you're careful, you can choose one for both guns - Unique, WSF, HS-6, 2400 and many others work well as double-duty gunpowders.

He says that he'd rather have a MEC, but he's used this one for several years and 1000+ shells. MECs cost more, but the Lee is an OK way to start.

Many of the basic shotshell loaders are called single-stage, but they are really more like a turret. Instead of moving the turret around, you move the shell around to the various stations. once you get going, they're very fast to operate.

xtm

[freakshow10mm]

I load on an MEC 600JR. Fine press.

[918v]

I have reloaded 12 ga on my rockchucker, and have found the endevor worthwhile. I was able to assemble mo deadly crow killin' ammo at a time when tungsten loads were unavailable. Ballistic Products is a great company.

On a side note, whatcha think about a balsa wood .70 caliber slug doing 3500 FPS? I think that would make for one hell of a home defense slug. Think it's possible?

[freakshow10mm]

Put some Mop & Glo down the barrel first and should do it easy.

[918v]

I'm playing with the figures on Quick Load, using a .700 Nitro Express as a substitute, and the most I'm seeing is 3000 FPS with a 100 grain projectile. Maybe a hollowed-out balsa wood slug?

[MONTEGOD7SS]

Gonna gas-check that?

[xtimberman]

918v, I had no idea that anyone made shotgun dies for a metallic reloading press like a Rockchucker!

xtm

[nitesite]

My 12-ga reloads use Remington STS hard shot, premium wads and Win/Fed primers.

They're as good as the Nitro 27's that are $7.67 +tax at Wal-Mart.

I don't know if I'd jump into it now with the present lead prices, unless you shoot 28-ga or .410 or need something pretty hard to find.

Oh, and as for steel reloading it's TOTALLY different than cranking out lead loads in rapid succession.

[918v]

918v, I had no idea that anyone made shotgun dies for a metallic reloading press like a Rockchucker!

xtm

RCBS does.

[xtimberman]

Gad! $83 for 12gauge RCBS dies! A MEC 600 isn't much more.

https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/,DanaInfo=shop.rcbs.com+MainServlet?storeId=webcon nect&catalogId=webconnect&langId=en_US&screenlabel=index&action=CategoryDisplay&categoryId=COWBOY+SHOTSHELL&route=C09.C09J050