12 Gauge reloading

[09cs]

Hi folks

Looking to get into reloading 12 gauge with the amount of skeet me and my dad do. Been watching videos and have a pretty good idea of the equipment I need.

The question I have is:
Does any one have a recipe for 12 ga 9 shot? The hulls would most likely be Estate or Remington. I'm open to any help you gurus have!

Thank you!

[epic1856]

If you are looking to save $ by reloading 12 g you're going to find out that you're not going to be saving as much as you think you will.

I recommend you buy Lyman Shotshell Handbook 5Th Edition book.

To figure out your cost use this: http://www.trapshooters.com/rlcalcadv.htm

To find recipes, use the powder mfg sites:

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/

[JagerDog]

If you are looking to save $ by reloading 12 g you're going to find out that you're not going to be saving as much as you think you will.

I recommend you buy Lyman Shotshell Handbook 5Th Edition book.

To figure out your cost use this: http://www.trapshooters.com/rlcalcadv.htm

To find recipes, use the powder mfg sites:

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/

^^^^^^^^this. Hard to save much on 12g target rounds (basically due to cost of shot). IMHO, you can create a better round for the same $ though. Save a lot on more high performance hunting rounds.

Still a worthwhile hobby. And if I have components in stock, it feels like I'm shooting for free. ;-)

[09cs]

Thank you for the responses,

1 more question:

would magnum shot be ok to use? Such as: http://www.amazon.com/Magnum-Lead-Sh.../dp/B001QV1A2O

[kentactic]

I use to cast my own 00 buck pellets and load them. It ended up costing me $0.19 a round with high-end new high brass hulls. Not bad for a premuim 2.75" 00 buck load that patterned perfectly in my cylinder bore. Casting and trimming the pellets was very time consuming though. But at 1/5 the cost it was worth it. Plus saying I poured the pellets myself was always cool.

The hassle of loading target loads isn't worth saving almost no money. You'll need to shoot tens of thousands of rounds to pay off the equipment

[AAShooter]

Thank you for the responses,

1 more question:

would magnum shot be ok to use? Such as: http://www.amazon.com/Magnum-Lead-Sh.../dp/B001QV1A2O

That would work fine but total cost is high.

[rsrocket1]

I shoot a lot of 12 ga skeet too (and fool around on the 16 yard trap line) and have been able to load at about $3.40/box which is a bit cheaper than commercial stuff. Your biggest savings comes from using reclaimed shot and using 3/4 or 7/8 oz of it. You will break the birds on all stations and smoke 'em on the end stations so long as you do your part. You can shoot 2 ounces of lead and you won't break the birds if your lead/follow through is bad.

Remington Gun Clubs/STS/Nitro/Black hunting hulls all load with the same recipes. Estates load like Federal Plastics and require more powder than the Remingtons to get the same pressure. At 3/4 oz, your biggest enemy is too little pressure which results in bloopers and erratic velocities.

Your load should be based on payload weight, not size of shot. To begin with, follow recipes (hull, payload weight, powder, wad, primer) exactly as shown in the manuals/websites and don't substitute. Unlike metallic loading, you don't "work up" a load and you don't carelessly substitute wads/powder/primer.

[nothing4u]

If you buy reclaimed shot from the internet, 1-1/8 oz loads, use after market wads, and get free hulls its about $5.20 a box vs $6-$7 stuff. You can break even in 2500 rounds with the Mech 600 Jr mark 5. You would have to get enough components to make 2500 rounds right now to lock in those rates. If you're using virgin shot you're paying about the same price to make better quality shot for your gun.

[09cs]

I found this recipe online for Fiocchi Shells, which I found for pretty cheap

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/RecipePrint.aspx?shotype=&weight=1&weightdis=1&shellid=496&gtypeid=3&gauge=12&lid=1545

[AAShooter]

If you are happy with the inexpensive promotional loads available at Walmart and other places, you will have a tough time saving money reloading if you are shooting 12 gauge.

If on the other hand, you want higher quality loads or loads that differ from the commonly available promotional loads, reloading may save you some money. For example, loading light loads with 1 oz, 7/8 oz or less can save significant costs in shot.

Now if we start talking 16, 28, or .410, significant savings can be had.

That said, reloading is a hobby on its own. If you are simply doing it to save money, it is just a low-paying, tedious job in many cases.

[09cs]

Not just to save money, but have some friends that do it as well and looks like a fun hobby too.

[AAShooter]

Not just to save money, but have some friends that do it as well and looks like a fun hobby too.

It is . . . almost enjoy it as much as shooting. Enjoy.

[Revoman]

[mjsweims]

+1
Remember to buy in bulk. 8lb of powder, 5000 primers, 5000 wads. Try to buy the primers and powder at the same time to save on HazMat. Use reclaimed lead - it doesn't pattern as well as new but does just fine for short yardages at trap and should be just fine for skeet. Find a powder you are able to get and order primers to match the recipe. Then get the wads and hulls - they are much easier to find. If you load in the 10,000 psi or less range you can substitute some primers. I use Cheddite, which are generally interchangeable with Winchester. I would stay away from Rio and Nobel - they are quite large and you can't always go back to a smaller primer. I use AA hulls but Gun Clubs, STS, and some of the other low base Remingtons give good results. Stay away from high base - they can be harder to resize. Wads depend on the amount of lead, and the type of hull - Remington and AA are tapered hulls, Estates and most Euro hulls are mostly straight wall. I would try to get your hulls at a trap or skeet club from the garbage bins - you'll find a lot of Gun Clubs usually.
Have fun

[stilly]

Hi folks

Looking to get into reloading 12 gauge with the amount of skeet me and my dad do. Been watching videos and have a pretty good idea of the equipment I need.

The question I have is:
Does any one have a recipe for 12 ga 9 shot? The hulls would most likely be Estate or Remington. I'm open to any help you gurus have!

Thank you!

Not for this forum.

It seems that we are all wrapped up in metallic cartridge loading. Does anyone here even know HOW to reload for shotgun? I dunno (yes they do) but if I had to guess, I would think that the amount of flexibility with loading for shotty vs the metallic reloading is very slim to none. I would even wager that it might only save you a buck a box seeing as how lead has gone up and shot is so damn expensive.

Keep on it, I am sure we can get someone that knows a lot fo cool things. I have a AP633 or something like that but I have not pulled it down and used it yet. I am having too much fun with handgun bullets...