CHAPTER 12: 28 Gauge Load Data: 2-1/2" & 2-3/4"
CHAPTER 13: 20 Gauge Load Data: 2-1/2", 2-3/4", & 3"
CHAPTER 14: 16 Gauge Load Data: 2-1/2", 2-5/8", & 2-3/4"
CHAPTER 15: 12 Gauge Load Data: 2", 2-1/2", 2-3/4", 3", & 3.5"
CHAPTER 16: 10 Gauge Load Data: 2.85" & 3.5"
CHAPTER 17: Steel Shot Data
CHAPTER 18: Bismuth Shot Data
CHAPTER 19: Buckshot Data
CHAPTER 20: Slug Data
APPENDIX Miscellaneous Tables
TABLES Barrel Dimensions; Components; Lead/Steel/Tungsten-Iron Shot Pellet Counts; Pattern Density; Pattern Spread; Powder Conversions; Service Pressures; MEC Shot Bars; Ponsness-Warren Bushings; MEC Shot Conversions; Shotshell Game Guide; Slug Info
DIRECTORY Reloader’s Resource Directory
Section I
The Art and Mystery of Shotshell Reloading
Chapter 1 WHAT IS RELOADING… AND WHY SHOULD YOU BOTHER?
Reloading is nothing more than filling shotshells so that they can be fired again. But that is way too simple a definition and you know that much already or you would not be reading this. So, obviously, reloading is … and means … a lot more than the simple act of putting powder and shot together, in the proper sequence, at the proper weights, and so on. See, reloading has already become more complicated and we have hardly begun to give it the thorough consideration it requires.
More complicated perhaps, but not rocket science by any means.
Successful reloading requires that you pay attention, that you proceed with caution – not that you compute exotic equations or decipher arcane hieroglyphs. Building shotshells means following recipes, just like in the kitchen. One-and-a-quarter hours at 425-degrees Fahrenheit means exactly that. If you err and turn the oven to 400, your dish will be undercooked. Turn it to 450 and it will scorch. In the same vein, if you underload the powder, the shot will not achieve its most effective velocity. Over-load and you can damage your shotgun; and even worse, a blown breech can hurt you. This book will explain the ingredients and supply the recipes. All you have to do is follow instructions.
Reloading and handloading are two ways to speak about the same thing, refilling shotshell hulls with new components so that you can shoot them again. If you shoot more than a few boxes of shells a year, you must explore this fascinating hobby. Scott Richardson of Gainesville, Fla., has built a temperature- and humidity-controlled room for his reloading presses.
While possibly seeming daunting at first, especially if you learn on your own, reloading is actually quite easy. (It may seem like you are feeling your way blindly, but that is where this book will help.) Expect to reload and then shoot your shells successfully, with excellent results, because you can. Every individual and every company active in the shooting sports industry wants you to be successful, to have fun and to reach your shooting and your reloading goals.
The last dozen years has seen a proliferation in three types of loads that have made reloading more relevant than ever. First, there has been a proliferation of inexpensive shells from Spain and elsewhere. Today, it is not only the “Big Three” of Winchester, Remington and Federal who provide a diverse line-up of shotshells. You occasionally find boxes of Clay, B&P, Eley and Wolf shotshells at gun clubs or on the shelves of local retailers.
Second, manufacturers recognize the growing interest in lighter, but still effective, loads. It is relatively easy now to locate shells that are loaded with less powder and less shot, rather than more: minis rather than magnums. There was an era in the ‘70s and ‘80s when every shell strained for maximum power and greatest possible impact. Of course that meant maximum physical punishment from blast and recoil. This is no longer the case.
Third, there has been an explosion in the development of non-toxic loads. Offerings of bismuth, tungsten-compounds and even steel have greatly refined the selections in green shooting. Even components such as the humble wad are evolving toward complete biodegradability.
The Sizemaster by Mayville Engineering Company or MEC is a single stage reloader that sells for less than $180. This inexpensive press will build all gauges. Begin learning about reloading with a single stage press like this one. Then, if you decide that reloading is a valuable skill and saves you time and money, gives you control over your loads and promotes precision shooting, it is time to step up to a faster and more expensive progressive press which cycles shells automatically, building one complete shell with each pull and release of the handle.
The difficulty with the above scenarios – proliferation on one hand of less expensive shells and, on the other hand, of more diverse loads including non-toxic shot and shell components – is availability. As diverse as the shotshell market now is, can you find the exact load you want exactly when you want it? Unfortunately for shell manufacturers and retailers, the answer is “no,” but that leaves a grand reason to reload your own shells.
Muzzleloaders required every shooter to load his own. In those old days, people learned to load from pa and ma and they stuffed their patches, powder and shot right down the barrel from the muzzle to the chamber. Once breechloading guns became available, things changed. Soon shooters could purchase ready-made cartridges that would fit their guns. Muzzleloaders and reloading declined rapidly in popularity.
This book does not give reloading data for “primitive weapons.” We are concerned with modern shotguns, the guns you use, expensive or not, to shoot dove or take to the sporting clays course. We are concerned with the guns you may use rather than demonstrating our knowledge of exotic weaponry or the history of hunting and shooting. We are not particularly interested in how the lords and ladies of deeply class-stratified old Europe spent their days in the field. This book is a practical handbook that you can use as a guide to load shells today for shooting at the range or from your duck blind tomorrow.
Many commercial shells available at your local retailer these days or on line via the Internet are built outside the US. Wolf shells, for example, are built in Spain. While I have found the Wolf clay target loads (1-1/8-ounce of #8) to be excellent, the consumer has very little history of these companies to use in evaluating possible purchases. Reloading your own shells gives you much greater control over your shooting.
COST
Many reloaders will tell you that they save money by building and re-building their own shells. Obviously, considering the cost in components and the time and effort, they cannot save money if they are only shooting a few boxes of shells a year. From this perspective, if you do not shoot often, you should probably not bother to reload because you may never recoup the initial investment. For instance, a MEC 600 Jr. Mark 5 single stage reloader is about $120. After that, you can expect to pay about $11 for a bag of 100 Fiocchi 12-gauge 2-3/4-inch hulls and 14 ounces of Hodgdon’s Clays powder is another $15. A 25-pound bag of #7-1/2, #8 or #9 Olin chilled shot (2 percent antimony) from Ballistic Products is $18 per bag; a bag of 200 G/BP Wads is about $5; a box of Fiocchi 616 primers is $20 per thousand. Add a few knickknacks that your local dealer or a reloading buddy