Materials and costs

M

MaxxJ

Inactive
Good morning everyone
I've been thinking about getting into this for a little while now. I spent a few minutes last night pricing out the materials on a few websites and I was hoping somebody could look at it and tell me if it looks about right and if I've forgotten anything. I'll just be doing 12g shells to start with, eventually if money allows I'll move to pistol and rifle ammo.

The press I'm looking at is pretty inexpensive and seems reliable enough, it's the Load All 2 for about $55.
Hulls $15 for 250 with primers
Primer $30 for 1000
Wads $6 for 250
Powder $30 for a pound seems to be about average for decent and inexpensive powder
Shot $45 for 11lb of 7 1/2

I can probably get some used hulls locally for next to nothing but I think I would like having some fresh ones to start with. The only powder I looked at was Winchester brand but only because I'm not familiar with any of the other names, and I read some pretty good reviews on the WST powder used for target load in 12g. I'm not doing any competition shooting, mostly just shooting for fun here so I don't think I need any high dollar powder for that and $28-30 seemed reasonable to my knowledge. I can get powder and primers locally and skip the hazmat charge in delivery, I'm sure there will be a markup but I don't see it being more than the $20hazmat+$10shipping everywhere online is asking. So, press included and before taxes I'll be right around or just under $200. Does anybody have any recommendations where I could save a little in getting started?
 
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Go with a MEC 600 jr press, they have loaded countless shells and still work great.

Actually you will not save on loading your own 12 gauge shells. but if you want a different loading then load your own.

Where do you get wads in 250 bags, the regular off the shelf bag is 500.

Also shot usually comes in 25 pound bags.

Where are you located????

That press will loads shells, BUT the shell consistency will vary from shell to shell.
 
MEC is too high for me, besides I've met people that have used these inexpensive Lee presses for 20-30 years. The prices and quantities I came up with were mostly from midway. I'm in Hayesville NC, my choices for places to go and buy these things are a little limited around here.

and what do you mean by shell consistency? Just powder and shot measurements?
 
Shotshell presses don't have the resale value that metallic presses do. The Lee press is based on the same concept as much older and better built LMC presses and can put stuff together.

That said I have had old MEC's given to me and they are a much better press. Back when cheap shells used cardboard wads and a bag of shot was much cheaper, it made a lot more sense loading your own. I still have 366's in .410, 28 ga that get some use but my 12 & 20 ga setups not as often. Add up all your costs above then go look at case prices on shells and unless your loadi something special, there isn't a lot of money to be saved.

You also didn't mention what kind of shot gun you are loading for. If you are loading for say a semiauto 12 ga with a Lee, you will become frustrated in short order.
 
I got a MEC 600JR. at a yard sale last year (I already had one) for $15.00 and after getting it home and doing a thorough cleaning, it looks like it was never used. Must have been in an attic or garage it was all dusty, dirty and full of cobwebs. Look on E-bay for a used MEC. Those Lee Loaders are made pretty cheaply. The MEC you can give to your grandkids. They last forever.
 
I've got a Central Arms double barrel and a Mossberg 500.

Could you tell me what you normally pay for a bag of wads and some shot? I'm rained out of work today so I planned on taking the long way to town and stopping at the one or two places that might have what I'm looking for to see some prices. I haven't bought ammo in a long time, last time I did though one of those 100count value packs of target load was $18 and I bought enough to last quite a while. I'm assuming it's $25-30 for the same thing by now. I try not to look when I go to the store, the inflation is depressing.
 
Adding up your prices I get $126/250 shells, not counting the press and you will have some stuff left over. FWIW if you are using 1oz shot charges, you'll only get 176 shells loaded with 11 lbs of shot, 1-1/8 oz gets you 156 shells before 11 lbs is gone. That said your price must be for Nickle plated lead shot and that's not necessary either.

Do some number crunching then take a look here. I'll save you the suspense and let you know 500 shells are less than $126.

http://www.bulkammo.com/shotgun/bulk-12ga-ammo
 
The shot I saw was nickel plated, yes. Midway was only showing me that and tungsten shot. I'll look around for plain lead shot while I'm out today too. In the end even if I only save a little bit I'd still be happy with reloading just for something to do when I'm stuck inside because of the weather here. It sounds like a better plan than sitting around eating all day anyway.
 
No REAL savings

I suggest you rethink this. As has been mentioned, real tough to save money on 12 Ga.
If you have a source at true wholesale for components......maybe, but no big savings.
Those value packs? I think they are right around 23 bucks now at my local wally world.

Shotshell loading is different than loading metallic cartridges. Shotshells are a cookbook approach, no working up loads. It is different.

Really only the guys shooting the clay games load 12 Ga. Of course if you are shooting the small gauges.....rock on. Big savings on small shells.

And ya, buy a MEC. They are good for 2-3 lifetimes, and they can be sent in for a reasonable cost rebuild. Great machines.
 
I've got the lee reloader you mention. Got it twenty years ago as a teen when you could afford to load your own. My brother has the mec. The lee is a piece of crap next to the mec- but it was cheaper :rolleyes:

I haven't priced shot lately but when it got too high to justify it I quit and never went back.

If you're thinking of getting into reloading pistol/rifle, I wouldn't waste money on this--- you have a better chance saving money on those. Aside from trapshooters who shoot a pisspile of rds I don't see a reason to reload shot shells anymore. Rifle/pistol is entirely different.....there's so much more to it being able to fine tune your rds to a specific gun or use it makes sense to "roll" your own.
 
I shoot casual clays at a public range. My loads are 7/8 ounce in 12 gauge.
I pick all my hulls from the dumpster, shot the cheapest I've found is $41 with tax.

Wads, I bought 5000 from a guy that couldn't use them (7/8 oz Dusters)

I load 12 gauge on a older MEC 650 that I paid $50 at a swap.
Save money, yes, but not the direction you are headed in.
 
I started out loading shotshells using the Lee Loader (now the Lee Classic) back in 1962 because I was a kid and didn't have much spending money. The Loader cost a whopping $10, primers were a penny, shot was $5 for a 25 lb bag, and the hulls were free. I think the wads were prolly around $5 for a 250 count bag. It allowed me to shoot and I loved shooting as nearly all kids did back then.

About 1966 I saved enough funds to buy a Pacific DL155. It was a dream machine for me. I wanted it over the MEC because it used shot and powder bushings and with the MEC, you had to buy different charge bars and they were expensive, unless you were dedicated to using just one brand of hulls....and I had a pretty good mix of them. Loads are hull specific with no room for deviations.

Later I bought the change over dies for 16, 20, and .410 shells. They all worked great.

I still use that loading system today on occasion.

Getting back to your post, the Lee tools should do you well for a starter on a budget. You can up grade after you get your feet wet if you desire to do so. I unnerstand what it is to have limited funds.

To get you on the right track, understand that I am not knocking Midway, but sometimes they are a little over priced. Shop around and you will be glad you did. It is good to buy from locals, but sometimes they don't have what you want or they are overpriced. I understand that.

The costs for the shot you listed is too high.

Try this site and see what is available.

https://www.rotometals.com/magnum-lead-shot-buck-shot-bismuth-shot/

Good luck in your endeavors and happy shooting.
 
Shot $45 for 11lb of 7 1/2
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WHAT?!?!?!?! SERIOUSLY?

MEC Jr used - ~$100 (and 100X better than the zinc and plastic Lee crap)

For best savings, you buy:.

Wads - by the case of 5000
Primers by the sleeve of 5000
Shot by the 100 weight or more
Powder in 8# jugs
Hulls, free from any shotgun club on the ground or in the trash

Loading 7/8oz, you'll get reloads running ~$4 or less per box
 
MEC is too high for me, besides I've met people that have used these inexpensive Lee presses for 20-30 years. The prices and quantities I came up with were mostly from midway. I'm in Hayesville NC, my choices for places to go and buy these things are a little limited around here.
Click to expand...

You're typing on a computer which means your fingers aren't broken - order online or go to your local gun club (trap/skeet) and see if you cab go in on a large group buy for stuff.

USPS, UPS, Fedex should all deliver if the club angle doesn't work
 
A MEC is the way to go, used is usually ok.

Try to connect with the local Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays club. When I was active in trapshooting, the club had supplies drop-shipped from Gamaliel Shooting Supply with better selection and prices than Midway.
http://www.gamaliel.com/content/home.asp

Shotshell loading is more recipe driven than brass. I don't mind loading pistol ammo in mixed cases, but sticking with the same hull will give you more uniform crimp and ballistics. I would buy a case of Remington STS and save the empties. Or buy "once fired" from somebody who does not think the savings worthwhile.
 
We had a MEC and worked and worked but never got a consistent crimp on the 12 guage hulls. Finally put it away for probably 15 years then sold it a couple years ago. I reload all my pistol and rifle ammo but the shotgun just didn't work for me. Seemed like the temperature had to be the same everytime and all sorts of different things. I dont or didn't do it to save money but to get more specific loads. If you are doing it to save money I dont think you'll stick to it.
 
Go to Shotgun World and ask the same question in the reloading section.

Some of those guys load and shoot more shells in one week than some

people shoot in a lifetime!
 
If you never got a consistent crimp, then either - you were using the wrong components for the recipe at hand or you did not adjust the pre-crimp die properly. The ability to make adjustments to achieve perfectly finished ammo is one reason the Lee fails, you can't do that with the Lee.
 
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