Shotgun reloading. Considerations.

P

Pond James Pond

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Does shotgun reloading require a whole separate set-up to brass-cased reloading?

In other words, would I need a whole new press?

(I have a Lee Classic Turret and a Lee Hand-held.)
 
A LEE Load-All is $55-$60 here in the states. I believe you can buy one for 12ga and get a conversion kit to make 20ga using the same press. A friend has one in 12ga and showed me how it worked, quick and easy.
 
Yes, the setup is completely different and you really need a manual since deviating from published recipes is very dangerous.

The Load-All works, but it is slow as hell. I averaged about a minute per shell when I was using mine.
 
A LEE Load-All is $55-$60 here in the states. I believe you can buy one for 12ga and get a conversion kit to make 20ga using the same press. A friend has one in 12ga and showed me how it worked, quick and easy.
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They are cheaply made, but come with all the bushings and everything you need. The optional primer feed is kind of lame. The cheap appearance is deceiving. I've had mine for at least 25 years. It's a great way to get into shotshell reloading, with the option of going to better equipment in the future if you decide to up your volume.

The problem with the more expensive equipment is that you have to buy all your options separately, where the Load-All is complete and all you need other than your components and shotshell load data.

I bought one for 12gauge and another one for 20guage. At the price, I wouldn't even consider conversion kits.
 
Yep, the setup is completely different, but you'll notice it costs a whole lot less than rifle/pistol kit too. No dies and all the rest of it either. Only real similarity is the projectile(s) is/are lead unless you're hunting migratory birds in North America. Anything at all, here in Ontario.
Manual is required for the same reason as rifle/pistol.
May or may not save money, but as with rifle/pistol, you load shot shell to tailor your ammo to your shotgun.
 
You can not substitute components when loading shotgun. If data calls for Winchester cases you can not use Remington of any other cases. If the data calls for Winchester WAA12 wads you can not use Winchester WAA12R wads. The only thing you can change is shot size.
The high cost of shot (at least here in the states) has made loading standard target loads as costly as buying them.
 
I get the impression that shotgun reloading is way more of a knife edge affair, that creativity and flexibility are not there the way they are in rifle reloading.

In rifle, I might use different primers or cases or bullets to a load, and as long as I start at a decent starting charge and work up in a controlled manner, watching for signs of over pressure then things are generally OK.

Is it, and so why is it, not the case for shotgun?

With such a wide bore, no bottle necks and no lands, I'd have thought it harder to cause pressure spikes to begin with....
 
The internal dimensions and construction of shotgun shells varies widely from one manufacture to another and even from one type of shell to another from the same manufacture. Shot shells have to be full, if not a proper crimp is impossible. On the other hand they can’t be over filled either. With a metallic case the OAL is variable, not so with a shot shell. So we need to come up with a combination that will fill the space to the same level and not generate an over pressure condition. Thus the cases and wads must be the same. The same weight of shot will always be the same size. The powder can vary a little but not much.
 
Contrary to what some of these other posters are saying you can play with loads and hulls once you have done it a while. The basic recipe is the basic recipe but you can do some substitions withing a certain range with primers wads and shot but you need to keep withing a weight range in the powder just like anything else or you can get into trouble fast.

There are die kits for shotguns that fit a standard press. Most people opt for a seperate press for loading shotguns. Some presses are gage specific some are not.
 
Contrary to what some of these other posters are saying you can play with loads and hulls once you have done it a while.
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Certainly not something a responsible person would suggest a new reloader do. You can play with fire also but don’t be surprised if you get burned.
 
The problem with shotgun loading is there is not much difference between won't fire properly and blows up the barrel level of loads.

The relative softness of your "wad" column has a big impact on this. Primers still have little impact on pressure like 2000 psi max effect, but now, that is 20% of the pressure equation....that is why you don't substitute powder.

Frankly, I worry about shot weights too. If I put #5 shot in my load, it weighs less than #9....by quite a bit since shot too is measured by volume.

Then you have powder loads. Using Lee bushing charts, your powder is always on the light side. Sometimes so light that a bigger bushing can be subbed in to get closer to the book.

I've mostly reloaded slugs. I don't hunt with them though. In 10 shots, I can get 9 in a cluster, but where does #10 go. It seems to miss the 8' X 8' backing board,
 
Right now I have no plans to start reloading.

I barely shoot the shotgun as it is, but I took it out the other day after a thread I read, and having realised what a versatile type of gun it is and, contrary to my understanding of the law, shotguns are not forbidden in big game hunting here if slugs are used.

So I think I will start exploring it for a while to see how I like it. For that reason I am also looking at what reloading is like. It is no doubt something I'd undertake if my shotgun starts to rise the league table of popularity.

This issue of using uniform, exact components, however, is an issue because as always it is the lack of access to appropriate components here that makes reloading in general an exercise in adaptability.
 
Contrary to what some of these other posters are saying you can play with loads and hulls once you have done it a while.
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Certainly not something a responsible person would suggest a new reloader do. You can play with fire also but don’t be surprised if you get burned.
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Not according to Lee. If I remember correctly, he covers the subject with his instructions that come with his plastic Load All shotgun devices. Things were more critical (wad pressure, etc.), in the days of paper shot-shells and fiber wads.
 
54 gun learn to read. I specifically suggested that a new shotgun reloader follow recipes.

dahermet Paper and fiber wads......is it 1960?

I have a few boxes of paper and fiber wads left and I will be using them up for something but I havent figured out what since the modern wad is so convenient.

Nathan touched on what can get you into trouble real fast is the softness of the plastic shotgun wad. Some wads are built like shock absorbers some are not and when you use a wad that does not have the shock absorbtion as a substitute you can get in trouble real fast.

I substituded Hornady 1 oz trap wads one time instead of the Winchester Red wads that I used and there sure was a difference in recoil. When you use the right wad it gives you a bunch a play room. I now use the new eqlivalent of the Winchester Red wads.

An ounce of shot is an ounce of shot it makes no difference if you are using number 6 or 000 buck.

There are plenty of shot powders one can use and you need to stay with shotgun powders.......substituting 4831 would blow the shotgun apart with most of your hands.

If you are using powder weight from a recipe and a lighter amount of shot then in the chart your pattern will open up on you.

Just because you have a load recipe does not mean that that recipe will be safe in your particular shotgun. Those of you that are recoil sensitive and can not shoot a 30-06 would not want to shoot my perfectly safe Mossberg 500 loadings. By the same token if you put that loading into most single shot shot guns the shotgun would be reduced to four of five large parts simply because silver solder will not withstand the recoil.

I have loadings using 231 and Red Dot in 12 gage 2 3/4 and 3 inch that use rock salt, copper wire, crushed primers, aluminum wire, #8s, 000 buck with bbs in the voids, 000 buck with #8 in the voids, 000 buck with walnut media in the voids.

I also have my Marlin loads in 2 1/2 inch loads.

Load data is out there that will let you do exactly as I do BUT FIRST use a recipe.
 
So there are shotgun-specific powders (which is no great surprise)...
For example pistol powders tend to burn faster and rifle powders slower.

What are their burn characteristics? What makes a shotgun powder a shotgun powder?

Also, with good maintenance and care, a rifle case can last 10 reloads or more, straight-walled cases often much longer, so how many reloads might one get from a shotgun brass-and-plastic shell casing?
 
James, get yourself a copy of a late edition Lyman shotshell manual, it would take writing a short book to properly answer some of your questions, so just buy one that is already written. It even has pictures...
 
dahermet Paper and fiber wads......is it 1960?
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If you had read the post carefully you would have seen, "Things were more critical (wad pressure, etc.), in the days of paper shot-shells and fiber wads. But thanks for the wise-guy attitude anyway.
 
Shotgun powders and pistol powders are the same. You can find pistol load data for all the popular shotgun powders like Red Dot.

Shotguns have a very low max pressure rating ( something like 15,000 psi) so even small deviations from published loads which run 9000 - 11000 psi can put you into blown up gun territory.

I can get at least six loadings from Remington Gun Club hulls, but most hulls last four or less. Hulls are very cheap if you know where to look. Most shotgunners throw them away so public ranges can provide you piles of hulls. Once you get your stock of hulls, look them up in your manual and purchase components that will work in your hulls.
 
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