Shotgun Powder Availability

[Farmer]

A little before all this crap started I was picking stuff up as I found it. Didn’t think this crap was going to hang on quite this long and I’m thinking a lot of other guys didn’t either. My favorite gun store was wrapping things up getting ready to close so that threw the screws to everything. Being 75-90 miles from the stores makes it a pita to quickly grab stuff. 

[Chills1994]

On 12/5/2021 at 3:36 PM, Farmer said:

Found my list when I measured them all. The Cheddite’s I have are from about 5 years ago in the yellow pack.  

Fio -     .2433-2443
Ched - .2432-.2440

WW -    .2426-.2430

Rem -   .2398-.2407

Fed -    .2396-.2413

 

Of course none of them are perfectly round and all have different points of largest diameter. Some of the Fio’s actually were the same at the tip as at the base. I do know that if you install a Ched primer in a Fed hull, remove it you can push a Fed primer in with your thumb. I’ve also had WW primers fall out or are pushed out slightly when reloading a hull during crimping that’s had a Ched or Fio primer previously installed. These numbers aren’t written in stone and everyone will get different measurements. It’s just something to keep in mind because a pocket or magazine full of powder isn’t my idea of a good time. 

Thanks for posting those primer sizes.

 

I have had a Mec 9000 sitting on my reloading room floor for about the past 10 years.

 

At the Grand earlier this year, I picked up my first brick of shotgun primers. They were Cheddites.

 

There is kind of a local place near me that deals in reloading supplies.  So about a month and a half ago, I bought another brick of Cheddites.

 

That was $45 ( IIRC ).

 

I also picked up a 25 pound bag of #8’s .

 

(Even though I made my own shotmaker around 2007.  A guy I used to shoot matches with was a mechanic at a Toyota dealership.  He would bring me 100 pounds of wheel weights.  I would bring 50 pounds of my homemade birdshot.)

 

 

[Farmer]

1 hour ago, Chills1994 said:

Thanks for posting those primer sizes.

 

I have had a Mec 9000 sitting on my reloading room floor for about the past 10 years.

 

At the Grand earlier this year, I picked up my first brick of shotgun primers. They were Cheddites.

 

There is kind of a local place near me that deals in reloading supplies.  So about a month and a half ago, I bought another brick of Cheddites.

 

That was $45 ( IIRC ).

 

I also picked up a 25 pound bag of #8’s .

 

(Even though I made my own shotmaker around 2007.  A guy I used to shoot matches with was a mechanic at a Toyota dealership.  He would bring me 100 pounds of wheel weights.  I would bring 50 pounds of my homemade birdshot.)

 

 

I’m lucky that my cousin shoots trap and has connections to components. The last Cheddite’s were $25 and I think the WW’s were $30 and I bought a sleeve of both. I only shoot shotgun for pest control some target and a little hunting so that’ll last me a while. I’d like to see your shot maker. Thought of building one of the tray types but wasn’t sure on nozzle sizes compared to shot size. 

[Chills1994]

1 minute ago, Farmer said:

I’m lucky that my cousin shoots trap and has connections to components. The last Cheddite’s were $25 and I think the WW’s were $30 and I bought a sleeve of both. I only shoot shotgun for pest control some target and a little hunting so that’ll last me a while. I’d like to see your shot maker. Thought of building one of the tray types but wasn’t sure on nozzle sizes compared to shot size. 

My shotmaker throws closer to a #7 .

 

I started out with really big hex headed bolts + Tweeco wire welding tips + channel iron + angle iron + broiler element + ammo can filled with water .

 

I think my Tweeco wire welding tips were meant for 0.023” wire.

 

At some later date I bought the dripper bolts from “Jim Stewart’s Better Shot Maker” in different orifice sizes that should have dropped #7.5’s and #9’s .  But IIRC, they all dropped the same size.

 

 

 

[Farmer]

28 minutes ago, Chills1994 said:

My shotmaker throws closer to a #7 .

 

I started out with really big hex headed bolts + Tweeco wire welding tips + channel iron + angle iron + broiler element + ammo can filled with water .

 

I think my Tweeco wire welding tips were meant for 0.023” wire.

 

At some later date I bought the dripper bolts from “Jim Stewart’s Better Shot Maker” in different orifice sizes that should have dropped #7.5’s and #9’s .  But IIRC, they all dropped the same size.

 

 

 

Thanks, that gives me sort of a starting point. I use mostly #7.5 so that would be perfect. Thought of trying for some #4’s & #6’s, we’ll see. 

[Chills1994]

1 hour ago, Farmer said:

Thanks, that gives me sort of a starting point. I use mostly #7.5 so that would be perfect. Thought of trying for some #4’s & #6’s, we’ll see. 

There is some relationship between the orifice size, the temperature of the melt, the surface tension of the melt (which could mean antimony and/or tin content) and the head pressure of the melt above the orifices which can all have an effect on droplet/shot size.  
 

There is a pretty good thread about shot making in the reloading section of the Shotgun World forum.

 

 

[Farmer]

55 minutes ago, Chills1994 said:

There is some relationship between the orifice size, the temperature of the melt, the surface tension of the melt (which could mean antimony and/or tin content) and the head pressure of the melt above the orifices which can all have an effect on droplet/shot size.  
 

There is a pretty good thread about shot making in the reloading section of the Shotgun World forum.

 

 

I would also imagine that the angle of the nozzles might make a difference too. I’ll check out the SW forum too. 
Thanks

[fraizer15]

Since they banned lead wheel weights, scrap lead is hard to find in my area.