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How much do i save by reloading shotshells?


JPT

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I am new to trap and clays, but i can tell i'll be doing it for a while. I can buy Remington Gun Club shells at Dick's on sale for 5 dollars per box. I can get Nitro shells for 8 bucks or so. How much $$$ am i going to save if I get a MEC single-stage press and reload all my shells.

I am figuring on going through maybe 300-400 shells a week.

BTW, if I can afford a MEC 9000 i would get one, I suppose. But the extra 350 dollars is a lot.

John

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I thought about this same question when I started out shooting trap.

I fiugred I couldn't load 100 shells for less or equal to the 21.00 Walmart specials.

I might be able to get close or actually beat that price (not sure)

I figured for that price I'll save my time and not bother.

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You will not enjoy reloading shotshells on a single state press any more than pistol shooters enjoy reloading on a single stage press. I suggest you look for a used progressive shotgun reloading press. I have a MEC single stage press I use for 28 gauge - I used a MEC 9000 for my 12 gauge loads when I reloaded.

I quit reloading 12 gauge shotshells about 5 years ago. I shoot what ever promotional load is available from Academy Sports, Dicks Sporting Goods, etc. I usually end up with Remington or Winchester 1 oz loads in 7.5s or 8s. I caught some on sale before Dove season at 3.99 per box of 25 - I bought 20 cases.

Reloading components cost rose so fast that I would have to order a trailer load to get the price down to a "reasonable" level. If you have a club or large group of shooters, it may make sense to reload if you can get shot, primers, wads, and powder at a "reasonable" cost. Most of my shooting partners quit reloading 12 and 20 and only reload 28 gauge or 410 now.

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Get the 9000G, it is really painful to load 300 rounds a week on a single stage. The money spent is WELL worth the time saved and frustration saved.

If shot comes back down to $15 per bag I would start reloading shotshells again, but until it does my shotshell presses will collect dust. If I can't save at least $25 per hour I won't touch it with a 10 foot pole and it needs to be $50 to get my attention. Time is the one thing I just cannot spare.

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guys i have been doing a lot playing around with loads as i did with pistol. I have found that the the cheap ammo is alright to shoot but, it doesn't pattern well in any of my guns. I have also found it beats you to death when you are doing a 300 bird day! The one major thing found was 1oz and 7/8 are a hell of a lot better to shoot! 7/8 loads pattern the best in my browning! Which is a major saving over a 1 1/8 load. I have to shoot 10000 rounds before my reloader pays for it self. 3 months and at 4000 already between 3 of us. Also have a load tailored to our guns. Haven't given it a second thought about not reloading!

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That calculator is a great tool.

You need to find out what reloading supplies will cost you locally, or how(mail) your going to buy them.

At 3-400 shells per week, price out wads and primers at the 5,000 level(case price), powder in the 8 lb jug and hulls you can buy($.04-$.05 for STS or AA) or buy a case and use them. Shot, your using a "bag" a week depending on what load. So, whatever "deals" if any can be explored.

You can reload AA or STS hulls at least 10 times.

Then pick an average load from the Alliant link, or Hodgdon and use the calculator. 1oz is plenty IMO.

I don't think you can find a new 9000 for $350, but you can buy a new Grabber for that. I don't see how the 9000 would reload any faster than a Grabber, but I've only "worked it" at the store.

I wouldn't buy a single stage press for 300-400 shells per week. You'll spend two hours a week reloading, if you are "proficient" with it.

Used Grabber would be the best buy IMHO. And the "steal" is a used 650, same machine but it doesn't resize.

If you shoot a new shell out of your gun, you don't need to resize it if it's going back in your gun.

If you pick up every one's shells on the ground, you'll need to resize at least once.

Shotshell reloading is easy, you do save money, better loads, and you no longer have to "search" around for the "best sale/price" and shoot all varieties of different makes.

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I have both Grabbers and 9000G's in 12 and 20. The 9000 is a lot faster, and resizing is something I won't do without for shotshells that may not go through the same gun. I have shotguns in 12 and 20 that I reload for, and my reloads need to be compatible with all of them including the autoloaders. For a double the resizing isn't an issue but in a pump or an auto I require it.

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The 9000 is a lot faster

I don't own one, but my only "observation" at the store was when the handle is raised up, there "appeared" to be a delay as to when the turret moved.

My impression was, by the time the turret moved, I would have already had the turret turned manually, and the shell just about being removed..and then into the MEC EZ pack...since I box mine.

Again, that was my impression...could be wrong!

On the Grabber, 500 rounds an hour, boxed, is a comfortable rate. That's with the "big bottles" also and I remove the "bolt" in back when not resizing... much smoother/easier cycle.

Agreed you need to resize if your shooting the same shells into different guns, and that can apply to O/U's as well. They don't all have the same chamber dimensions.

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While I find that department store ammo is fine for informal shoots or practice I prefer my own loads for any competition. In 12 Gauge, I may also look for great deals on Remington STS and Nitro, Winchester AA's, Kemen or Ficocchi. But, will only buy factory ammo if it meets my specs which are 1 oz and 1150 to 1200 FPS only. I am not into beating the crap out of my shoulder with hot loads, never made any sense to me.

Now, when it comes to smaller gauges, I ALWAYS load my own, particularly in 16 and 28 gauge and .410 calibre. There is no way I can buy them even close to the cost of materials enen when figuring my time.

If the cost of shot drops under $20 again, I will start loading all my 12's and 20's again.

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Irish, the big time saver in the 9000 for me is that you are placing the next wad as it indexes, so the motion of the press never needs to stop. You never have to take a shell off either. I don't box them right off the press so that wasn't a concern, I rigged a dump chute for mine that went into 5 gallon buckets that I quickly realized you can't move easily when full LOL. Watch the big bottles, I never had the big shot bottle last more than 10K rounds, when it breaks off at the neck it will be full of course and it makes one hell of a mess. I also had a powder bottle break once that dumped over a pound of powder all over the bench. You can take epoxy sticks and reinforce the neck of the shot bottle where it won't break but I usually needed a break anyway. Another huge time saver is a wad dispenser, mine holds 500 or so and makes picking a wad a lot easier.

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I rigged a dump chute for mine that went into 5 gallon buckets that I quickly realized you can't move easily when full LOL.

HSMITH,

Okay, your one of those "bucket guys" I see at the club. ;)

Sounds like you have a good system. Good point on the wad! "Different strokes and all that".

I did break the metal "part" that the bottles screw into once. And, I've read the plastic actually becomes brittle with age? I may replace them now just in case. Powder spill is bad, shot is really bad. :o

Mec does sell a part/ brace to prevent the inevitable "wobble" of the bottles when you are "pumping" on the machine or changing bottles...expensive though...but !

MEC makes all good machines IMO.

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I used to go through a lot of shotshells, 1000 a week wasn't unusual.

Don't bother with the bottle bracket Mec sells, it sucks. The bottles do seem to get brittle, though it seemed to be more vibration and wiggling related than age for me. It is entirely possible to invent new swearwords when the big bottle of shot breaks and dumps it down over the machine, the bench and then the floor. The big bottles with two epoxy sticks around the neck work for a long time, but eventually break above the epoxy or split down the side. I ended up using the big bottles and only filling halfway, seems to be the best compromise I have found.

The only other problem I ever had with a 9000G with much mileage on it was the wad guide, I wore one out and mangled another once when I wasn't paying enough attention. Not bad for 250K rounds minimum on the machine. The other 9000's don't have many miles on them, under 50K. Incredible machines for the money.

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Thanks for all the replies. I think it sounds like I can save some $$$ down the road. But i am also swayed by the comments that it is rewarding. I will say that i got in Youtube and watched some clips of people using a MEC 600 and others using a 9000G. After seeing those, I'll be buying a 9000G.

I am new to trap and clays, but i can tell i'll be doing it for a while. I can buy Remington Gun Club shells at Dick's on sale for 5 dollars per box. I can get Nitro shells for 8 bucks or so. How much $$$ am i going to save if I get a MEC single-stage press and reload all my shells.

I am figuring on going through maybe 300-400 shells a week.

BTW, if I can afford a MEC 9000 i would get one, I suppose. But the extra 350 dollars is a lot.

John

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Before you cave in and buy a 9000g ( which is a dandy press), You might want to look foe a Dillon SL900. They are rugged, fast,easy on the learning curve. And Dillon will take care of you when you slide off the curve ( you will). As I type there are a couple used ones on trapshooters.com. I have a 900 with 50-60 k on it and I wouldnt look back. I have a lot og time on Mecs as well. Just my nickles worth.

John

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I just figured my cost to load 1 1/8 oz loads and it's $4.03 per box. It's not a great savings, but I have good shells. I'm sure my 9000G was paid for years ago. I also have a single stage set up for slugs right now. I can load low recoil slugs for $2 a box. They aren't as accurate as factory yet, but I haven't one much experimenting with the load either.

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. . .

Don't bother with the bottle bracket Mec sells, it sucks.

+1

. . .

It is entirely possible to invent new swearwords when the big bottle of shot breaks and dumps it down over the machine, the bench and then the floor.

+1000

I ran out of creative swearing (even after 20+ years in the Navy). :angry:

So I went down to a thrift shop, bought a big flat baking pan, drilled bolt holes in it and mounted the machine in the pan.

I still have spills every now and then, but at least they are contained. :cheers:

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When I used to load quite a bit, I mounted a container above the loader and ran a piece of reinforced plastic tubing with a valve down into the shot bottle. Trim the tube so it's about half way down into a bottle. It keeps the bottle about half full and takes the stress off the bottle itself. I just ran a large bottle for the powder. By the time that one was empty, I probably needed a break any way.

Edited by kmca
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I don't reload shotgun shells for 3-Gun, and haven't got into trap, skeet, clays and 5-stand as much as I've wanted to, but many years ago bought a 9000G when I caught that bug. It's definitely worth it and in the end, it's not really that expensive comparatively.

Rich

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  • 2 weeks later...

To answer the question of the OP I really don't save that much these days as I used to unless you count the fact that I bought a fairly good amount of shot before the price went through the roof and I don't shoot much lead these days. With what I have and the amount I paid for lead back then, I can load it for about $3/box of 25. If I were to buy lead today, It would likely come out about double the cost.

Lately I've been loading and tuning loads to my gun and what I want to do with it, but then I've been loading ammo for hunting more than target shooting, so I can afford to spend a few more bucks and still come out ahead of factory ammo. I continue to use my own shells on occasion when there is a multigun match local to me, I've just not been into that for a little while lately. Most of my specialty ammo is crafted, slowly, on a MEC Sizemaster.. I still use a Grabber for higher production target loads but I tend to load things that the manufacturers don't make.. so in that case I still get to make what I want, not bow down to whatever I can get a the local discount mart. In most cases, the cheapie loads will work for you.. the softer pellets doesn't matter and they pattern well enough. If I were to face something more specific, I'd rather have tuned loads to shoot at possible extended distances and for other work. But that's just me.

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Before you cave in and buy a 9000g ( which is a dandy press), You might want to look foe a Dillon SL900. They are rugged, fast,easy on the learning curve. And Dillon will take care of you when you slide off the curve ( you will). As I type there are a couple used ones on trapshooters.com. I have a 900 with 50-60 k on it and I wouldnt look back. I have a lot og time on Mecs as well. Just my nickles worth.

John

Yes.........

and No........

If one has plans to stick to reloading for clays per say 2 3/4" rounds then I will pass up a MEC for a Dillon any day. The SL900 is built like a tank, compared to any press that MEC has to offer. And with a warranty I think every company out there should be offering.

Though if one also has intentions of loading 3" or 3 1/2" rounds then their best bet would be an MEC. Due to the flexability, the SL900 isn't adaptable to 3" or3 1/2" rounds. Something Dillion hasn't mastered as of yet.

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