Mec jr and BP reloading question

[El Hombre Sin Nombre]

Howdy all,

 

For those of you that load up BP shells using your mec jr, which bushing are you using for the slide bar and how much powder is that? I want to add some more powder to my shells and trying to figure out which bushing to order. I don't see any kind of conversation data available for bp loading. Thanks.

[Branchwater Jack SASS #88854]

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Get the adjustable powder/shot bar. 

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Universal-Charge-Bar-C-single-stage-w_Powder-Baffle/productinfo/2100001/

 

OLG

[Sedalia Dave]

5 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Get the adjustable powder/shot bar. 

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Universal-Charge-Bar-C-single-stage-w_Powder-Baffle/productinfo/2100001/

 

OLG

 

Works a lot better than the fixed bar and bushings. Allows you to dial in the powder and shot so that you have the perfect stack height.

[Tyrel Cody]

15 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Works a lot better than the fixed bar and bushings. Allows you to dial in the powder and shot so that you have the perfect stack height.

 

Are you using REAL Black Powder in your MEC?

[Jefro, SASS#69420]

Howdy El Hombre, here's a cut and paste from CASCity in addition to my reply on Mean Matt McCords' May 29th 2013 question. Right now I'm using Rem RXP12 with 1oz shot and Mec#34 (42gr Kik) cause I'm out of Pink wads. I prefer to use the individual shot bars. Good Luck

    Howdy Two-Bits,  I shoot a load similar to Noz with the Pink wad. Again as others have said the Win WAA 12R (CB 1138-12) is good for about 60-65gr and 1 1/8oz shot. I prefer to use a little less BP and have found several wads that fit all my needs. Besides the Win Pink wad there are several short shell wads from BPI that really work well.

1 1/8oz - 54-57gr ffg with BPI short wad #72SSW..........my favorite for big matches
Short Shell #72SSW
1oz - 48-50gr ffg with BPI Helix Driver #18.......another big match fav
Helix #18
7/8oz - 43-45gr ffg with Win Pink wad AA12SL (CB1100-12).......my local fav
WAA12SSL
7/8oz - 45-47gr ffg with BPI Helix Driver #21......works good with the new two piece AA hulls
Helix #21

Hope this helps....Good Luck

  

[Bull Skinner]

I use a #43 bushing for 64 grains of 2FF GOEX, a  Claybuster red wad and 1 oz of #7 1/2 shot.

[Sedalia Dave]

1 hour ago, Tyrel Cody said:

 

Are you using REAL Black Powder in your MEC?

 

Currently loading APP but will be loading a few real BP for use at big matches next year.  When I do I'll just add the BP via a seperate BP powder measure mounted next to the press. Easy to do when moving the shell from the Station 2 to Station 3.

Where I find the adjustable charge bar shines is in the ability to adjust the amount of shot to get the correct stack height for a good crimp.

 

[Tyrel Cody]

1 minute ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Currently loading APP but will be loading a few real BP for use at big matches next year.  When I do I'll just add the BP via a seperate BP powder measure mounted next to the press. Easy to do when moving the shell from the Station 2 to Station 3.

Where I find the adjustable charge bar shines is in the ability to adjust the amount of shot to get the correct stack height for a good crimp.

 

 

That's what I'm doing on my Sizemaster now, have a Lyman BP measure set up next to it. I don't like subs and was just curious, thanks.

[El Hombre Sin Nombre]

45 minutes ago, Bull Skinner said:

I use a #43 bushing for 64 grains of 2FF GOEX, a  Claybuster red wad and 1 oz of #7 1/2 shot.

That's really close to what I am looking for. Midway says #43 is a special order, but they have a 43A. I wonder if that is close enough.

[Bull Skinner]

Mec Chart says 43a throws 1 more grain of unique than the #43. I would guesstimate that would be about 2 more of 2FF.

[Col. Cornelius Gilliam, SASS#5875TG]

I load with the MEC #43 bushing.  With black powder, mine throws about 61gr KIK ffg.

 

I use a Winchester WAA12R (Claybusters CB1138-12) red wad with 1 1/8 oz shot in the Remington STS or Nitro or Gun Club hulls.

 

I have also used Pyrodex RS and Alliant Black MZ with the same components.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

3 hours ago, Col. Cornelius Gilliam, SASS#5875TG said:

I load with the MEC #43 bushing.  With black powder, mine throws about 61gr KIK ffg.

 

I use a Winchester WAA12R (Claybusters CB1138-12) red wad with 1 1/8 oz shot in the Remington STS or Nitro or Gun Club hulls.

 

I have also used Pyrodex RS and Alliant Black MZ with the same components.

This is my load exactly.  With 777 it patterns just like a Gun Club.  I use the 777 load for Cowboy BP Trap.

[J-BAR #18287]

I use a MEC 600 Jr. to make BP shotshells.  I do not use the bar. I use dippers for both powder and shot.

 

1. De-prime all the hulls.

2. Re- prime all the hulls.

3. Use a Lee dipper and funnel to throw the powder charge, then immediately seat the plastic wad to prevent spilling the powder. Do this for all the hulls in the batch.

4. Use a dipper to throw the shot charge, then immediately crimp the hull to prevent spilling shot. Do this for all the hulls in the batch.

5. Gauge check all finished rounds;  those that pass are saved for matches, those that do not pass the gauge test are practice rounds.

 

Lee dippers are inexpensive, allow tweaking the powder volume to get a good crimp easily.  And variations due to powder or shot bridging in a dispenser are completely eliminated.

 

Hulls in process are in shoebox sized plastic containers, $1 each at the Dollar Store.  Keeps your bench organized.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

4 hours ago, Bull Skinner said:

Mec Chart says 43a throws 1 more grain of unique than the #43. I would guesstimate that would be about 2 more of 2FF.

I have never-ever found the bushing to 'throw' what the MEC chart says it will.

Why I went with the adjustable bar.........

OLG

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

I too have never found the charts about MEC bushings to be totally accurate. If you want to use a bushing, I suggest buying three, that way you can choose which one is closest to what you want.

 

Personally, I do not meter Black Powder on my MEC Jr. I use the standard charge bar to dump 1 1/8 ounces of #8 shot, but I dip the powder out of a mug filled with BP. I use a 4.3CC Lee dipper, the largest in the Lee dipper set. I dip the powder and level it off with a piece of card. Then I take the hull off the machine and drop the powder into the hull using a small funnel. The 4.3CC dipper measures out about 65 grains of FFg Schuetzen. Then back onto the machine to seat wads and crimp.

 

 

 

 

 

You may notice in this photo I do not use modern plastic wads, I use separate fiber and card wads from Circle Fly.

 

I just prefer to do it that way.

 

I suppose if I used plastic wads I could load my shells faster, but with my method I can load about 4 boxes per hour, which is plenty fast for me.

[Doc Shapiro]

I used to just use 2 of the 2.2cc dippers and an oz of shot with a red wad.

 

I tried card and fiber wads like Driftwood, but the fiber wads blew a hole right through the center of the shot pattern.

[Hollifer A. Dollar]

When I first started loading on a MEC, I did some experimentation with different bushing sizes & created this chart for Goex, by weight.  Numbers in red were the experimental data, numbers in black are the projected values.

 

[El Hombre Sin Nombre]

18 hours ago, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

Howdy

 

I too have never found the charts about MEC bushings to be totally accurate. If you want to use a bushing, I suggest buying three, that way you can choose which one is closest to what you want.

 

 

I suppose if I used plastic wads I could load my shells faster, but with my method I can load about 4 boxes per hour, which is plenty fast for me.

That's a great idea on buying three bushings.

 

I load with plastic wads and average about the same rate, so apparently you aren't missing anything.

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

On 7/22/2019 at 9:53 PM, Doc Shapiro said:

I tried card and fiber wads like Driftwood, but the fiber wads blew a hole right through the center of the shot pattern.

 

Howdy Doc

 

I have never shot my loads at the patterning board, so I can't say if there is a hole in the center of the pattern or not.

 

I do know that my loads knock down every knockdown target I point them at. And that is with cylinder chokes. Actually, no chokes. Some previous owner cut down my barrels, so there is no choke at all.

 

I do know that too much powder for any shot charge will tend to blow a hole in the shot charge. The old Square Load standard of the same volume of shot and powder seems to work pretty well for that. Even though I am loading 1 1/8 ounces of shot, my powder charge is only about 65 grains of FFg Schuetzen, which equals about 2 1/8 drams. Which is less volume than the shot. Less powder than shot will not blow a hole in the pattern. More powder than shot will.