Shotshell Reloading question, Winchester AA hulls.

[shoebox56]

Last couple of years, I saved different Winchester AA hulls from different factory loads. Half are red, half are gray. When I start reloading shotgun, can I use both colors interchangeably, treating them as equal? Or are they different between the color and factory loads and I have to group them accordingly? Thanks.

[BigBronco]

I have always treated them the same. You may need to adjust the crimp betwee the diffetent lots. I like the older ones the best. The ones with the AA in a square.

[beetle]

In theory you should be able to load them the same. Winchester made a big deal about the pressure capabilities of the old (AACF) and the new (AAHS) being the same.

However, the newer AAHS has less volume then the old which means that depending on the components (powder, wad) you may see issues with stack height or crimping.

Basically you can load the old and new with the same recipe safely. but the shell may or may not look or crimp the same.

[Revoman]

You should use the HS wads with the HS hulls, the older wads get stuck in the HS hull otherwise. At least that is my experience with 28 gauge anyway.
The old hulls are a one piece design, the newer and HS are two piece design. The same recipes should apply to either, but just watch the wads going into the wrong hulls.
I have heard, but can't verify, that using the HS wads in the old hulls can cause the powder to 'travel' upward between the hull and wad, producing some very low power/velocity rounds.
Since I don't cross over the wads, I have never experienced this.

[JagerDog]

You should use the HS wads with the HS hulls, the older wads get stuck in the HS hull otherwise. At least that is my experience with 28 gauge anyway.
The old hulls are a one piece design, the newer and HS are two piece design. The same recipes should apply to either, but just watch the wads going into the wrong hulls.
I have heard, but can't verify, that using the HS wads in the old hulls can cause the powder to 'travel' upward between the hull and wad, producing some very low power/velocity rounds.
Since I don't cross over the wads, I have never experienced this.

No special AS wads in 12g.

Any new shells in the last dozen or so (maybe 20) years is the AAHS. The current ones are headstamped such. Red, grey, silver...all the same.

Personally, I have various loads and color-code them.

[jericho89]

The different colors are great if you want to have different load types, easy to identify. But you can treat them the same and interchange them.

[shoebox56]

Really appreciate all the responses! I couldn't find any color info in the Lyman book or around the Internet. Great idea organizing load types by color!