New to shotgun shell reloading

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

Not new to blackpowder, but reloading shotshells I am.

 

12 gauge 2 3/4"

 

1) Is there a place that I can buy new or once fired hulls? I like the AA but is there another alternative that schucks decent.

 

2) Are fiber wads better than plastic..like these?

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,8061.html

 

3) Does a 6-crimp or 8-crimp matter with a reloader..?

 

Again, my questions may be silly to some, but a newbie at this just has to ask.

 

Thanks for any info...yeah, jokes will work too

 

GG ~

[Dick Dastardly SASS #45219]

Howdy Gunner Gatlin,

 

Recobs Target Shop may have some once fired AA or STS hulls. They don't always have them in stock tho. I prefer the fiber wads because I lube them and it makes cleaning a LOT easier. For a crimp I prefer a roll crimp. Easy to do, shoots great, loads great and looks period correct. The tool is here. . . http://www.precisionreloading.com/mm5/merc...;Category_Code=

 

Happy smokin'

 

DD-DLoS

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Not new to blackpowder, but reloading shotshells I am.

 

12 gauge 2 3/4"

 

1) Is there a place that I can buy new or once fired hulls? I like the AA but is there another alternative that shucks decent.

 

Ebay has some sellers of once-fired hulls. You probably DO NOT want new hulls, even if you can find them, as almost everyone here who has tried brand new hulls cannot make them work very well. Or visit your local trap/skeet/clays club and see what they have picked up. STS will usually extract slightly easier than AA hulls in most doubles. And last maybe a loading longer than the AA.

 

2) Are fiber wads better than plastic..like these?

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,8061.html

 

No, most of us just shoot the plastic wads. Easier to find, easier to load, lower cost. For a light load (7/8 ounce), the gray winchester wad (or downrange or claybuster equivalent). For a heavier load, the red winchester wad (up to 1 1/4 ounce). Leaves a little plastic in the bore, but loosen it with a spritz of your cleaning solution, let set 5 minutes, and push it out with a 1/4 sheet of paper towel on your jag. Don't try to work up a load that uses more volume of powder than shot - that blows apart patterns.

 

3) Does a 6-crimp or 8-crimp matter with a reloader..?

 

You almost always want to crimp the hull with what it was crimped the first time. And 8 point crimp is what you will find on the best target hulls - Rem STS and Win AA.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Branchwater Jack SASS #88854]

My source for once fired hulls are the garbage cans at the unloading table or the other pards who don't reload shotgun shells and give their hulls to me. Nice pards, they are. I found that, after about 3 matches, I had enough shells to load me up for the year.

 

You may look a bit like a homeless beggar, but it just adds to that old west feel!

 

I prefer pre-lubed fiber wads and cardboard over powder cards. Cleaning is simple (quicker than smokeless and BP with plastic wads IMHO) and reloading is no harder than with plastic. The other thing that I like is you can add/subtract wads and cards to get a shot column for whatever powder/shot recipe that you want to try out.

 

My reloader was pre-assembled with a 8-star crimp and I never felt the need to change it.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

Wow guys...already getting oodles of info. Thanks ~ gotta love the Wire

 

GG ~

[Iron Pony]

Gunner I get my once fired at the local club, find whoever straw bosses the trap shooters and I'd bet you can get hefty bags full for low cost. I like the STS, grey green or gold as they hop out of the double nice.

 

I used to shoot circe fly card and fiber wads but switched over to the WW red wad, or equivalent, just as a time saver. Less chance to set the range on fire too. My load is 60 grains of 2F and enough 9 shot to get the shot/powder/wad column to come out right. Use an 8 point crimp that came on the used Mec I bought from a friend. I also toss the hulls after shooting them with BP as they can get scrungy and the crimp portion brittle after the heat of the BP loads.

 

I dont find any trouble with clean up from plastic wads but then I use a modified Lou Graham method she taught me a couple years ago. Stop at the hobby supply store and get two rubber plugs of 12 gauge size. Pop the bbls off, plug them and fill them with boiling water then go clean something else. Wait long enough where the bbls are hot enough you cant hold them without an oven mitt. Pull the plugs and watch the snake snot, or snake skin run right out. Look down the bore and it will probably be damn near done. I run a weasel piss soaked paper towel wad down each bore and then lube them with ballistol. Done. Make sure you have the metal hot enough to dry any residual water and make sure to lube them against flash rusting. Ms. Lou uses if I recall correctly hot weasel piss in the bbls instead of water.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Not new to blackpowder, but reloading shotshells I am.

 

12 gauge 2 3/4"

 

1) Is there a place that I can buy new or once fired hulls? I like the AA but is there another alternative that schucks decent.

Don't know about buying them since I pick them up at the range. Whether you buy them or pick them up, you'll want to resize them as the brass expands differently from firing in various guns.

 

2) Are fiber wads better than plastic..like these?

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,8061.html

I use plastic which results in more residue in the barrel. It's easy to clean out though. Plastic wads are a bit easier to load.

 

3) Does a 6-crimp or 8-crimp matter with a reloader..?

I think most presses use an 8-point crimp. Most common factory ammo is 8-point, so if you're loading already-fired hulls, you'll want to stick with the same crimp. Since the mouth of the hull has already been creased, you'll end up with a buggered up crimp if you try to change it.

Again, my questions may be silly to some, but a newbie at this just has to ask.

Not silly to me!

 

Thanks for any info...yeah, jokes will work too

 

GG ~

[Crazy Mingo]

Heee Haaa Gunner.. Check local gun shop Hankersons I think its called.. The loads you were shooting Sat.1/1/11 was 65 gr. FFg Goex , claybuster WAA12R replacement wad Model # CB 1138-12( RED Wad) AA hulls..1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2 shot. And fed 209 primers.. Thats my pale rider load..Dis they work for ya? did they give ya any trouble ?

 

Heee Haaa Crazy Mingo

[Hoot Hamilton]

Gunner,

I have a box full (that's precisely a few hundred) of hulls I won't use. I like the Superlight and Featherlight AA's crimped length the best for what I am loading. I'll check them out and get back....you are welcome to any or all at a REALLY GOOD PRICE.

 

hOOt

 

 

Not new to blackpowder, but reloading shotshells I am.

 

12 gauge 2 3/4"

 

1) Is there a place that I can buy new or once fired hulls? I like the AA but is there another alternative that schucks decent.

 

2) Are fiber wads better than plastic..like these?

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,8061.html

 

3) Does a 6-crimp or 8-crimp matter with a reloader..?

 

Again, my questions may be silly to some, but a newbie at this just has to ask.

 

Thanks for any info...yeah, jokes will work too

 

GG ~

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

Gunner,

I have a box full (that's precisely a few hundred) of hulls I won't use. I like the Superlight and Featherlight AA's crimped length the best for what I am loading. I'll check them out and get back....you are welcome to any or all at a REALLY GOOD PRICE.

 

hOOt

 

Thanks hOOt!! Just PM me when ya can!

 

GG ~

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

Heee Haaa Gunner.. Check local gun shop Hankersons I think its called.. The loads you were shooting Sat.1/1/11 was 65 gr. FFg Goex , claybuster WAA12R replacement wad Model # CB 1138-12( RED Wad) AA hulls..1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2 shot. And fed 209 primers.. Thats my pale rider load..Dis they work for ya? did they give ya any trouble ?

 

Heee Haaa Crazy Mingo

 

Pard! They are the best loads I have ever fired! That should tell ya somethin' (thanks for the secret details...I won't tell anyone )

 

Thanks again for helping get started 'rollin' my own' - the press is cool!

 

GG ~

[Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363]

These are good people to get once-fireds from ... http://www.ballisticproducts.com/-Link-to-...departments/74/

 

The Remington STS hulls load & shuck real well. Not too fond of the AA since they went two-piece ... mine bulge about 2/3 of the way down at the slip joint.

 

I just use the WAA12 wads, although I do pre-lube my scattergun barrels with WD-40 before a match. Makes cleaning a breeze.

[Rafe Conager SASS #56958]

like most have said, hang around the unloading table trash can, you might want to avoid the hulls from a 97 they leave little groves on the hulls, if you have a trap/skeet range near you that's a jackpot! most will let you salvage them if you offer to sweep up the old ones. as far a wads plastic is cheaper, I just squirt Windex down the barrels when I start cleaning my guns or when I'm loading up at the range, let it set for 5-10 min. squirt again run an old bore brush down the tubes, get the big snakes out, squirt again run a bore snake down put some balistols or clp on the end of the snake pull through your done! Make sure you wipe down and lube everything else so you get no rust in case Windex got on other parts.

 

Rafe

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

You guys are great! Definately going to make sure I keep this info!

 

Y'all are so helpful to a saddle-bum (well...don't have a saddle) like me

 

GG ~

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

Pard! They are the best loads I have ever fired! That should tell ya somethin' (thanks for the secret details...I won't tell anyone )

 

Thanks again for helping get started 'rollin' my own' - the press is cool!

 

GG ~

 

Crazy Mingo's load is no secret. It is shot by many. I found it in an old Hodgdon loading booklet. If you get some Gun Club hulls they can be reloaded for practise with you saving your premium hulls for matches. As others mentioned BP is hard on plastic hulls with the crimps becoming brittle. Gunbroker.com also auctions 12 gauge hulls. I only buy STS hulls though don't let any once-fired AAs hit the trash bins where I shoot.

[Wolfgang, SASS #53480]

Square load . . . wads from Circle Fly, . . . all brass shells from MagTech. Whut I do.

[Tom Bullweed]

I put a bucket on the unload table asking for once-fired unwanted Remington greens (STS or Gun Clubs). I have not tried other hulls. Not broke, don't fix.

Smokeless load is 1 oz #8's, SL wads, Win 209's and 16.6 grains of Titegroup for 1075 fps and clean combustion.

Works well in my Stoeger double and original '97.

[Cowboy Rick, SASS #49739L]

I only load BP shells one time, Even though you may squeeze a few loads from some hulls, they are too easy to come by at most matches. Gun Clubs are good for one time and many folks shoot them. The STS & AAs shuck a bit easier. Plastic Claybuster red wads for most loads. A little more shot than powder (by volume) will let you load down and still get the KDs. Over square loads can blow a hole in your pattern, while the opposite keeps it tighter (to an extent). I've heard of guys loading down to 34gr with a 7/8oz shot drop, an up into the 70+gr with 1-1/4oz. Wads need to make your shot column tall enough to get a good crimp. Crimp with the same number as the original hull was loaded - already mentioned.

 

BP burns hot and will melt the plastic wad, allowing it to coat the barrel. Cork one end and fill with very hot water. After a few minutes, pull the cork and chase with a tight paper towel around a brush. If you don't shoot enough rounds to coat the barrel, it's harder to clean, so I just wait until the next time to make it shine.

 

CR

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

From Captain Baylors Ranger Camp Black Powder Subs for Dummies. The shotgun section.

 

http://www.curtrich.com/bpsubsdummies.3.html