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Reloading


Tangram

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The purpose of this post is to write about the satisfaction I have experienced in learning to reload. If anyone follows up take the thread where you like I have had my say.

I started shooting sporting clays a few years ago. Hooked, obsessed, yes I was having a good time. My habit evolved from buying shells at Wallmart to picking up 1oz Rios fifty flats at a time. Then it looked like my already built shells were only marginally more expensive than reloads. And who would want shells that went poof instead of a reassuring crack time after time.

Don't discount the power of conformity. I had several shooting buddies and they reloaded. However, I stayed strong. After Mel invited my to see his new Mec 9000 and extorted me to pull the handle once. I retreated to the corner and worked up the cost of reloads and with a sigh was pleased to find my store bought loads were competitively in priced. I don't care that I can make the loads exactly as I wanted them. No there is no rational reason why I read ShotgunWorld's reloading forum with interest. But I did.

Smuggley I repeated my mantra, right now it is not worth reloading, or is it. Curt seemed to think so he invited my to his garage to see his five reloaders. We even made a few loads. Not good, not good at all, they all went bang. Then he offered me a few bags of shells when I was running low. No, not good, not good at all, they all went bang.

Temptation strengthened as the price of lead shot slid down the commodities hill. Yes, I could pay for the equipment... Oh! Curt mentioned that he happened to find an extra Mec 600 hidden on one of his shelves. Would I want to come over and try it out?

He just happened to have all the components laid out. Entrapment? With a few words of wisdom I loaded my first two boxes of shells.

This is a two Curt story. Lurking in the background the other Curt kept telling my about a Mec 9000 at an excellent price. I go to Sunnydell Shooting Grounds and Chuck hearing of my reloading thoughts gets out some Red Dot powder fills a large peanut butter jar and finds a bag of wads. A bag of shot materializes. Lead is not the only thing on the slippery slope.

I get in my car. Review... I have a powder scale and a work area and.... The Mec 9000 installs easily on the table I have. The bolts are long enough. The lighting good... The scale zeroed... Proven formulas in hand….

The loader instructions are clear more or less. For the first hour or two without shot, powder, or primers I pull the handle and just watch. Stick empty hulls in place. Hmm, that seems to be the way the primer gets pushed in the shell. I wonder what is diving the shell wheel round and round.

For my first shells I add powder and shot and change the powder bushing. Then I cycle the powder drop several times and begin weighing the charges. When I am sure of the charge weight I start reloading for real feeding the primers manually.

I load the first fifty on my new reloader. Off to the range I slip the shells into the chamber, squint, try to make myself small, and pull the trigger. The crossing clay breaks and I let out my baited breath. Success.

This is the first part of my reloading story. I had further adventures in learning. The automatic primer bracket made it by Mec's quality control. Someone needed to look closer. (They replaced it and all works wonderfully.) I learned several ways to spill shot and powder and several ways to avoid that problem. I learned how to load in the single shell mode and fixed the bar lock to make this possible.

Study of Alliant's powder manual gave me leads on a safe, reliable, inexpensive formula that patterns well. Curt gave me several different kinds of wads to try out. I experimented. Then I had some more fun in buying in large quantities. Lead shot is cheaper by the half ton, primers by the 5000, wads in the same numbers and yes lots of powder. My supply of Remington hulls is in the thousands. I started saving my empties months ago.

Throughout this process I address my questions to members of ShotgunWorld's reloading forum. I got reassurance when needed and alternate ideas to try out. When some of my shells didn't sound quite as cracking as wanted. Leads were given.

My current shell has 7/8 oz of hard shot, cradled in a DRXXL wad, powered by 17.5 grains of Promo, and ignited by Fiocchi primers in a green 12 gauge Remington hull.

Another shooting companion, Dave, told me that his purpose in life, "was to have me some fun and help others along the way." I added to his words. My purpose is to learn, have me some fun, and help others along the way. Reloading offered opportunities for all three.

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  • 2 months later...

reloadingfor me is as much to do with a form of relaxation as it is cost savings, plus the satisfaction of loading your own ammo, noone to blame if it hiccups, the cost savings(usedto be hands down better than store bought) as for shtgun, its basically a wash, cost savings vs. store bought, but i will still reloadfor it, call me stubborn, i enjoy reloading, and will always find timeto do it....

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I enjoy reloading for rifle. Not so much for pistol and shotgun. Thats why I have progressives to speed up that process as much as I can.

One thing I learned about shotshell loading, you *will* spill shot. I have a cookie tray mounted under my Spolar to catch most of them. A #7.5 bb under your heel on concrete floor can bring tears to your eyes.

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  • 1 month later...

Reloading is a nice rewarding and relaxing hobby. Except for those times when you get a hole in the crimp or a crushed case, but the satisfaction of building something yourself is very nice. I think I may even enjoy reloading as much as shooting. I put together 250 rounds of 30-06 for my M1 Garand today so I'd be ready for some heavy metal 3 gun matches later on this summer.

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Very good post. ;)

You won't find a new 7/8 oz load with hard shot for anywhere near the price of your reloaded shells I believe.

As you detailed, reloading always offered more than "economy" IMO...known components, flexibility, familiar/consistent load, and it's easy.

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  • 6 months later...

Late post too but must add. For me, in my advanced years after a long life of shooting, reloading is just under getting a prostate exam by a ex pro 7'2" basketball player now a GP. :surprise: I know I have to do it but I just can't learn to enjoy it and if I could get someone to do it for me I would.

You guys too young to require testing go ahead and laugh, but soon it will be your turn. :roflol:

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  • 5 months later...

Clays is one realm where reloading can be satisfying.. reloading non-toxic shot for waterfowl hunting is another learning game and one I went down years ago when they outlawed lead for it. I've been into that for most of my shotshell reloading career and I had an epiphany this year when I was not having the results I wanted shooting factory steel.. I went back to basics, read up on the manuals I'd bought years back and also updated my loading manuals for more modern stuff.. I settled on a load that proved to be effective even though the load wasn't making the top velocity that factory was.. The load? 7/8 oz of Steel #2's at 1450 fps.. it was every bit as effective as the heavier 3" load of 1 1/8 of 2's at 1550 fps.. but it had less recoil, faster follow up shots, and was something I made.. It restored my confidence and I finished the season with several limits of mixed ducks and geese..

And yes, I still prefer to load shells for all of my clay target and action shotgunning.. Hope that no one ever gets you into making your own shot... I purchased one of those evil devices and am waiting for a warm day to try it out.. :D

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  • 2 months later...

Pat, you better start soon. Make all my mistakes before I start then teach me! :roflol:

BTW: Taking Sarah to Phoenix tomorrow. I might be looking in on a couple of nice shotgun stores.

Lets go shoot some skeet today with your new guns!

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Pat, you better start soon. Make all my mistakes before I start then teach me! :roflol:

BTW: Taking Sarah to Phoenix tomorrow. I might be looking in on a couple of nice shotgun stores.

Lets go shoot some skeet today with your new guns!

Sorry, lunch with out of towners at noon. After lunch I need to pick up steel tubing for rimfire stands and then Audrey's ballet recital at 6:00 pm,

Have a safe, uneventful drive to Phoenix.

Pat

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