Shotshell reloading question

[sdnative13]

Looking for the few shotshell reloader to help me identify the following shells. From what i see even though they are marked differently on the outside they are all the same hull and I should be able to use the same load data correct? Or am wrong?

[Revoman]

You need to look inside and verify if there is a cardboard base in the three steel base hulls. Cardboard will deteriorate and sometimes can get stuck in the barrel, which is never a good thing for a follow up shot.

Those same three with steel bases should also be resized to SAMMI spec as they tend to stretch and stay, the brass is more malleable and normally does not stay stretched, or less so anyway.

Those same three also have a six star crimp while the other two have an eight star crimp. You will need to switch your crimper each time you load one or the other.

The AA Feather Lite and the Gray/Silver hulls are highly reloadable and should last through around 8-10 loadings. The do not have the cardboard inner base and the brass bases are easier to size. I would stick with those hulls and reload them only. You will know when to toss them as they normally will split at the mouth or along the side. Check and make sure that they are not too brittle as then the entire hull will separate just above the base and you will have in essence a slug going down your barrel.

You can load the others, just not as many times, most folks that I know will reload them once and throw them out.

[Goesfaster]

One way I determine the hills and what good loads will be is by using the Lyman reloading book for shotshells. It has cross section views of hulls to verify what is what. A real help, plus it shows buckshot and slug load data too.
My suggestion is to get the book and do your homework. Shotshell reloading is very specific with powder, shot, wad, primer, and hull combinations.

[sdnative13]

You sure?

You need to look inside and verify if there is a cardboard base in the three steel base hulls. Cardboard will deteriorate and sometimes can get stuck in the barrel, which is never a good thing for a follow up shot.

Those same three with steel bases should also be resized to SAMMI spec as they tend to stretch and stay, the brass is more malleable and normally does not stay stretched, or less so anyway.

Those same three also have a six star crimp while the other two have an eight star crimp. You will need to switch your crimper each time you load one or the other.

The AA Feather Lite and the Gray/Silver hulls are highly reloadable and should last through around 8-10 loadings. The do not have the cardboard inner base and the brass bases are easier to size. I would stick with those hulls and reload them only. You will know when to toss them as they normally will split at the mouth or along the side. Check and make sure that they are not too brittle as then the entire hull will separate just above the base and you will have in essence a slug going down your barrel.

You can load the others, just not as many times, most folks that I know will reload them once and throw them out.

You sure those three are 6 star crimp?

[rsrocket1]

They should be 8 point crimps.

As Revoman said, the AA hulls are very good. I believe they will all take the same load data, but the other hulls have very thin walls and while they could be reloaded, if the load column height is not perfect, the crimps will open up in a few hours/days/weeks and will dump out their contents making a mess inside the box (experienced words here). I have had them hold up properly, but the stack height has to be perfect with no compression of the wad.

You'd be better off sorting out the AA hulls and using them, otherwise just use the other hulls as "once and done". There is usually no shortage of finding those hulls on the ground or in the dumpster at shotgun ranges.

[sdnative13]

Ok

They should be 8 point crimps.

As Revoman said, the AA hulls are very good. I believe they will all take the same load data, but the other hulls have very thin walls and while they could be reloaded, if the load column height is not perfect, the crimps will open up in a few hours/days/weeks and will dump out their contents making a mess inside the box (experienced words here). I have had them hold up properly, but the stack height has to be perfect with no compression of the wad.

You'd be better off sorting out the AA hulls and using them, otherwise just use the other hulls as "once and done". There is usually no shortage of finding those hulls on the ground or in the dumpster at shotgun ranges.

That's what I thought but just wanted to be sure

[Revoman]

K, ya got me, it appears that maybe not ALL are six star crimp. It was a little tough to tell exactly in the first photo. It looks like the 'X' and the Heavy are six star crimps, but not certain from the first photo.

The point is it makes a difference if that is the case (no pun there).

[JagerDog]

They should be 8 point crimps.

As Revoman said, the AA hulls are very good. I believe they will all take the same load data, but the other hulls have very thin walls and while they could be reloaded, if the load column height is not perfect, the crimps will open up in a few hours/days/weeks and will dump out their contents making a mess inside the box (experienced words here). I have had them hold up properly, but the stack height has to be perfect with no compression of the wad.

You'd be better off sorting out the AA hulls and using them, otherwise just use the other hulls as "once and done". There is usually no shortage of finding those hulls on the ground or in the dumpster at shotgun ranges.

^^^^this.

The cheapie "universal" hulls are about the worst out there. Better off with eurotrash.

[sdnative13]

Ok

K, ya got me, it appears that maybe not ALL are six star crimp. It was a little tough to tell exactly in the first photo. It looks like the 'X' and the Heavy are six star crimps, but not certain from the first photo.

The point is it makes a difference if that is the case (no pun there).

It's ok and honestly I ask to gain knowledge because this is all new to me.

[sdnative13]

Clarify

So just to clarify the four an the right are 8 star crimp and the one on the left (x) is a 6 star crimp correct? Also the second pic is a cross section of the light hulls. From I can see there is no cardboard base it looks like plastic to me. Is that what you see to? Sorry for the crapy pics.

[sdnative13]

Second pic

Second pic

[Revoman]

Yes, the one of the left is a six star crimp.

Yup, the cut open is what I would expect from both the Feather Light and Grey/Silver hulls. A plastic base wad. The Winchester hulls used to be a singly formed hull without the white plastic wad base. They are now 2-piece hulls as you now know by your cut-away.

Cut open the others and see what they have inside, perhaps they have changed to the plastic base was as well and no longer use the cardboard base.

I would still check each hulls load data to assure that they can be reloaded the same. As stated, shotgun reloading is very specific with respect to components. I would not go out of bounds on any listed loads, unless I had some extremely reliable data from a very trusted source.

[sdnative13]

That was the drive behind my original post. For the three hulls what data do i use. Winchester Universal hull data?

[sdnative13]

Revoman.
The cutout shown are not the feather lite or aa hulls. They are the basic ones

[Revoman]

If you go to the Hodgdon loading data site, you should see some of the hulls that apply to the recipes. I would assume that the 2.75", 'Polyformed' hulls would cover one or two of the hulls that you have as long as they have a plastic base wad.

Be cautioned that there is not much in the way of ounce or powder choice when the data comes up. Again, I would not recommend going anywhere out of bounds when it comes to loading data, stick to that recipe only.

I checked Alliant's site and that only lists AA hulls. You can Google the hulls in question and get a lot of hits, problem is that most are NOT of the manufacturer's data and may not be suitable for any load, DO NOT TRUST JUST ANY SITE FOR LOAD DATA.

A loading data book might be your best bet as they seem to list more hulls that the web does. They are usually free at your local powder supplier.

I have some data books, old and new, that I could possibly scan for you (that way you'll know that it is real data, not made up) if you let me know the exact name on the hull. If they are not listed, I can let you know. Even at that, I cannot be responsible for the data content as I did not test the powder and round.