12 Gauge Reloading question

[shellslinger]

Hey guys,

I have a quick question. I'm planning on reloading my own my 12 gauge shells soon. But I had an idea where I'm planning on buying the 12 gauge Lee Load All and some cheap low-brass walmart Field/Target loads. I would be taking the birdshot loads out of the 12 gauge shells and putting in buckshot and using the Lee Load All to crimp the shells.

Any problems or is this too outrageous and dangerous?

Sorry, I'm a noob to reloading.

[Southpaw45]

Not advised! Y

[Southpaw45]

Woops! Didn't finish the post. Your not going to pry apart a shell and reclose it without screwing it up. Totally unsafe because your changing the weight of the load also. It's Micky Mouse reloading at it's finest!

[shellslinger]

Thank you for your response, I will give this a second thought now. I will more than likely abandon this idea.

Thanks for the heads up

[eightmd]

You can always buy hulls (new or once shot) like the Winchester AA trap loads and reload them. There is a lot of data on loading some of the hulls just pick a hull that has data for reloading what you want to use. But you have to do the whole thing that is. Get the right powder, wad, and shot. You can't be sure what powder is in the manufacturer's shells.

[sargenv]

It's not entirely unsafe.. if you pry apart the 1 1/8 ounce loads and re-fill them with 9 pellets of 00 buck, you are pretty much replacing about the same amt of lead back into the shell.. personally, I'd think that it's more trouble than it's worth and you may as well go "whole hog" and do things the right way.. I say purchase the Lyman shotshell loading manual first and read it a few times to familiarize yourself with the process.. then go from there.. the Load all is an ok press. I had one and I dislike them due to needing to take them completely apart to change any of the bushings.. if the load isn't coming out right, you tend to dump powder and shot all over.

One of the MEC machines can be had for a bit more money, and you needn't dump powder and shot all over to make adjustments.. and you can get an optional adjustable shot/powder bar to drop pretty much exactly what you want if the bushings are not up to snuff.

[kmca]

By the time you buy the shells, loader and 00 buck, it would be cheaper waiting for a Big 5 sale and get low recoil buckshot from them.

[shellslinger]

Thanks for the input guys. I will definitely take these suggestions in mind.

[Southpaw45]

It's not entirely unsafe.. if you pry apart the 1 1/8 ounce loads and re-fill them with 9 pellets of 00 buck, you are pretty much replacing about the same amt of lead back into the shell.. personally, I'd think that it's more trouble than it's worth and you may as well go "whole hog" and do things the right way.. I say purchase the Lyman shotshell loading manual first and read it a few times to familiarize yourself with the process.. then go from there.. the Load all is an ok press. I had one and I dislike them due to needing to take them completely apart to change any of the bushings.. if the load isn't coming out right, you tend to dump powder and shot all over.

One of the MEC machines can be had for a bit more money, and you needn't dump powder and shot all over to make adjustments.. and you can get an optional adjustable shot/powder bar to drop pretty much exactly what you want if the bushings are not up to snuff.

Just a couple of things about this. If you dump the shot out of a wad cup thats sized to hold 1 1/8 oz of lead, you wont be fitting 9 00 buckshot in it. 00 buckshot is .33 caliber and there about 53.8 grns a piece. It takes about 8 to make 1oz. Buckshot loads have large shot cups to hold the pellets and buffer material. When you change shot sizes, density is changed. Think about the air space between lets say comparing #8 shot to #4 shot. More air space will be around the #4 shot. Less dense for sure. I to think I would go for the Mec 600 JR for a few bucks more. You can get a new one for about 150 bucks but stay with the Load All if your short on funds.

[bumpo628]

There's nothing wrong with starting out on the Load All. Upgrade if needed.
After you read the Lyman manual, pick up a load manual for buckshot from BPI.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Buckshot-Loading-Manual-3rd-ed/productinfo/00MBUCK/

[cgates]

I will preface this with some advise: do not trust what some internet dudes tell you on a forum. Its your face and your gun so you really need to do some of your own research and use some good published data from various sources to do that. Pick up some reloading manuals for free from some of the popular powder manufacturers. You would be better off loading from start to finish and learn some basics about conventional reloading before you start the more unconventional stuff. Its the knowledge about the conventional stuff that will help you when you want to think outside the box a little bit.


What you are wanting to do is not entirely unsafe, and not impossible either.

You can indeed pry open the crimps and not destroy the hull. Anyone who thinks it cannot be done can come sit and watch me do it. It is not the easiest thing in the world to do but you need to have more manual dexterity than the average monkey.

When changing out the birdshot for the buckshot there is no way you will be able to get the same weight of lead in that same wad - it will always be less. So everything else being the same, your operating pressures wouldn't be going up - in fact, they would be less. Pick up a loading manual and scour it good - there are usually a few different loads for the same components. When comparing these, the trend you will see is that the lower shot weights will operate at lower pressures, higher velocities, and use more powder than shot weights that are 1/8oz more. (same powder, hull, wad, and primer)

So - as far as safety - I think there are much worse things you can do with shotgun shells (like making cut shells).

Now, whether or not it will be a good load is a totally different question. You would be putting buckshot in a wad designed for birdshot. This situation is not good at all for patterns. Some field loads don't have a plastic cup and may give better results but in the end you are always going to have a makeshift load.

As far as the loader goes - if all you are doing is re-crimping then the load all will be your cheapest route. You will not regret stepping it up to a mec though.

[CSACANNONEER]

I would NEVER recommend that a new reloader experiments with anything. Published loads are safe and anything else is your neck, face, hands, etc. as well as the safety of those around you. But, if you are really going to do this and all you need a press for is crimping, either step up to a MEC and have a decent press or get a Lee Loadall Jr. This is not the Loadall II. It is a very different press. I've found a few on ebay at times. You should be able to pick one up for $10 or so. I started out on one back in the '80s and still have it somewhere.