Shot size should be selected based on the size and toughness of the game you are planning on pursuing. Target loads use very small shot such as 7, 8 or 9 to maximize the number of pellets in a load and provide the best chance for a hit. Shot for hunting is matched to the size of the game you are pursuing. There are a number of shot options out there. Lead shot is the lowest cost option and it comes in every size. These types of shot provide a much harder surface on the lead shot and prevent deformation during firing and improved patterning.
They also provide better penetration because they do not deform and flatten on feathers. Both of these types of shot have significantly higher density than lead, and give higher retained energy and shorter time of flight to longer ranges. These types of shot significantly extend the effective range of a shotgun and the terminal performance of the shot. Steel shot is also available in many pellet sizes for those who want to reload for waterfowl.
They are available in standard and magnum output. The same rules apply to primers as to wads. All primers, no matter what they are called, are not created equal. Significant pressure differences can occur with primers that on the surface may appear similar. One last time: Follow the published reloading recipes exactly. A broad and complete offering of equipment and components are available from several manufacturers. Give a Gift Subscriber Services. See All Other Magazines.
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So if you change to a powder with a different size grain or to different size shot, it might not drop the right amount. Finally, if you want to load steel for waterfowl hunting, invest in a machine dedicated to that task that will handle high-brass hulls and the harder steel shot pellets.
For instance, I load 20 and 28 gauge skeet loads with Hodgdon Universal Clays. There are even some safe 12 gauge loads using Universal Clays. This is great for high-volume shooters who shoot multiple gauges, which mostly includes skeet shooters. They can set up a machine dedicated to each gauge, but can keep fewer powders on hand. This reduces the likelihood of accidentally loading the wrong powder.
Mount it Securely Shot-shell loaders have a lot of moving parts and can get squirrely in a hurry. Bolt them to a secure bench when possible. Leave extra room in front of the machine to clamp the board to the bench with a wide-mouth C-clamp.
Listen While You Work A lot of bad shells can be caught before they become real problems just by listening to the machine working. The same goes for how each stroke of the handle feels. Watch for these details. Lee Precision Lee is still selling affordable but well-proven Load All presses. Although largely made from plastic, they continue to get good reviews.
No doubt, they see much good use by weekend tailgate shooters:. These presses are more substantial and geared for larger-scale production. They offer a number of models to meet most needs without busting budgets.
MEC also sells some pricier models with extra features, some of which permit upgrades to their basic presses. The star of this show, my 12 gauge MEC Progressive Press , was purchased at a lawn sale sometime in the early s! This was a great way to get into reloading shotgun shells with minimal investment. Later, I added a 20 gauge MEC which works the same way. Powder and shot are dispensed from two plastic bottles, and metered through a reciprocating charge bar. A series of resizing, charging, and crimping dies below are aligned with a six-position, rotating shell plate or holder.
Each press of the handle forces the die assembly downward over the shells to perform the various steps while activating the charge bar though a linkage. An empty shell is manually inserted from the slot, advancing as the shell-plate is indexed manually counter-clockwise. Once everything is working properly the choreographed steps will result in a machine full of shells in various stages of completion — including one finished shell per handle-stroke.
And, even veteran reloaders can experience an annoying deluge of stray powder or scattered pellets caused by operator error.
That said, once a rhythm is established, shells can be cranked out in large quantities. Because I shoot fewer. Each is reloaded one at a time and manually repositioned to undergo each step. Of course, the production rate is slower, but a Jr. To better illustrate the reloading process, I manually fed shells through my progressive 12 gauge MEC in a manner similar to the simpler MEC Jr.
The steps are pretty much the same though regardless of your method. Step 1 The fired primer is punched out on the downstroke. Upon full downstroke, the charge bar shuttles to the right, dropping a charge of powder into the shell.
Step 3 A new wad is seated positioned manually above the shell. At full downstroke, the charge-bar will shuttle left again, depositing a load of shot into the wad. The loaded shell is removed when it reappears at so the process can continue. My simpler. I use it for pheasants as the first shot. At around fps, recoil is mild and improved-cylinder patterns are excellent.
Any misses will permit a quick recovery for a more potent following load from the tighter-choked barrel. Trouble is, this mild load of 6s is pretty much non-existent in factory form. Since a couple boxes will cover two seasons, I used them to illustrate the various reloading steps. This load could see further use in a semiauto, so I added an additional step. This tool is a separate press of sorts with powerful steel fingers, designed to squeeze metal shotshell bases back to factory specs.
Although unnecessary with most double-guns or pumps, it can improve semiauto function. Well, at this point, I view the acquisition of components more like buying silver and keep a watchful eye for any items of value. A stash of fired shells makes a good start, so save what you shoot. Primers of all kinds are scarce and expensive. Wads are sketchy. Shot is hard to find, although I did recently find 10 lbs. The cost for primers and wads is fairly consistent regardless of the gauge.
Because shot is the most expensive component, with claybirds on the horizon, I switched my 12 gauge charge bars to build a lighter 1 oz. This shot is cheaper, and sold in 25 lb. Assuming my math is correct, per-shell shot cost will decrease by 10 cents. Actually, I was shocked to see a price this high. The above Winchester AA-equivalent reloads cost a third less — without a mask.
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