Reloading shotshells?

Question

At the moment I'm thinking about reloading my .12 gauge shells. But I'm reading abunch of other questions, forms ect...and people mention that it's a wast of time but others say its a good investment yada yada yada. And at the moment I have been buying that cheap Walmart 2 and 3/4 inch 7.5 shot ?? Ounces shells for a little over $20 bucks. Would those reload alright because they are good for the game I hunt or target practice. I also heard that some loads dont shoot or funtion well in certain firearms.Any input on this subject would be great and appreciated thanks a lot...

Answer 1

I am going to give you the low-down on shotshell reloading my friend.



I starting loading for shotguns back in 1977. These were the prices I encountered back then:



1977 Ammo:



Win AA Target Factory Loads, Box of 25 = $3.25 plus tax



1977 Components:



25 Lbs bag of shot = $8.00

100 No. 209 primers = $1.00

250 Wads = $5.00

1 Lb can 700x powder = $6.00



2012 Ammo:



Federal 1 1/8 oz promo loads, box of 25 at Walmart = $5.50



2012 Components:



25 Lbs bag of shot = $40.00

100 No. 209 primers = $3.00

250 Wads = $7.00

1 Lb can 700x powder = $12.00



The price of loaded 12 gauge ammunition, suitable for target shooting, has gone up 70 percent in the past 35 years.



The price of lead shot alone, has gone up 400 percent. Price of primers has increased 200 percent. Price of wads 100 percent. Etc. Etc.



I have 3 shotshell loading presses plus plenty of components. Guess what? I have not reloaded shotgun shells in the past 20 years. It's cheaper to buy the ammo from Walmart. Keep the hulls when you are done - and sell them to someone that doesn't understand basic math.



PS: I have friends that are serious trap and skeet shooters. They too used to reload back in the 1970s, and are the ones that got me into loading shotshells. These days they just buy a pallet of 12 gauge shells at the beginning of the target shooting season. They have stated that there is no advantage to loading their own shells anymore.

Answer 2

With shot pushing $40/25 lbs, I don't see how you can save any money reloading shot shells to compete with the cheap shot shells from Walmart. I started reloading shot shells about 35 years ago. I just buy them from Walmart now. I did start reloading metallic cartridges about 3 years ago.

Answer 3

It is cheaper to reload your own, but you have to shoot a lot to pay back the initial cost of the reloading press and other accessories. In terms of finding hulls to reload, you can usually find them for free at shotgun ranges, but you need to make sure of what brand you are reloading. The lyman reloading manual is an excellent resource for deciding what to reload, but in general you want to avoid hull that have separate bases inside the hull. The cheapest winchester and estate shells have separate base wads that can come out when fired, obstructing the bore and possible causing serious problems when you fire the next time.



Some loads won't have enough energy to cycle semi-auto shotguns, but the beauty of reloading is being able to tinker with powders of different burn rates and finding an affordable load that still functions 100% in your particular gun. I shoot 1 oz loads that took a bit of work to cycle in my semi-auto, but I eventually found a recipe that works reliably while saving on the cost of lead shot.



I recommend getting a manual and looking up prices on midwayusa.com to compare what you would pay per reloaded box of shells vs. what commercial ammo costs. If you shoot enough, the savings will be large. Also, reloading is kinda fun. Not everyone enjoys it, but I find it relaxing.

Answer 4

1st you have to do all the math.. figure out how many shells your gonna get per 25 lbs of shot.. then how many shells your gonna get per pound of power.. then your primers ... then the wads then the time to do it each box took my bout 1/2 hr ive done it about 10 years ago .. but i did the math and i wasn't really saving that much maybe .50 cents a box wasn't worth it.. to me

Answer 5

It's somewhat pointless to reload shotgun shells as they are quite cheap