Ammunition & Hand Loading > Cartridge and Shotshell reloading
Newbie to shotgun reloading needs advice
Eagle1:
Just bought an old MEC 600jr 12ga re-loader. Looking for some advice on recipes and brands of supplies.
Powder, primers,wads, you get the idea,and good suppliers.
I want to re-load for trap, pheasant, and I plan on getting equipment to load steel for waterfowl (Canadian's, snows as well as duck).
Thanks for any help you can give.
Toster:
I do a lot of 12ga &28ga on a MEC 9000. I would suggest sticking to one type of hull. There are some that you can "interchange" but for just starting out, pick one and learn it. I use AA HS hulls, and have built up quite a collection of them. I seem to get quite a few reloads before the crimp starts cracking out, at which point I make them in to field loads, and toss them (not in the field...I hate that). I use E3, and 20-28 powers, both are VERY clean burning and you can make a good crimp with the loads. I have gone back to the Winchester brand wads, the Claybuster wads seemed to leave lots more plastic residue in the chokes than the Winchester ones did. With a 600 you might need to resize the brass once in a while if you are shooting an auto, or some pumps. I would also suggest going to MEC's web site and downloading the manual, read through it about 3 times before even putting one shell in there. While you are out, pick up a couple free power pamphlets, and they should have a good starting point for the reloads. I do 17 gn of E3 with a WAA12 (white) wad and 1-1/8 oz shot in a AA HS hull. That puts it out there at about 1200 fps, and for "light" loads I do a 16.5 gn of E3, WAA12SL (pink), and 1oz of shot. Both with a Winchester 209 primer. I even have some 7/8 oz shot that work really well, but I don't remember the load exactly so I don't want to post it. Remember to take your time, and be cautious! You?ll get the hang of it soon enough.
rugermanx:
I reload 12 ga. Usually I use AA hulls, with Downrange's figure 8's. They seem to do very well. I used to use the remington figure 8's but the downranges are about 1/2 the cost and do just as well. I run Clay's Universal, but am currently considering going to a different powder since you can't find 8lb kegs, and its more expensive to buy it by the 4 lb kegs. I will try to post my recipe here after work, I don't remember exactly what's in the shell. But if you pick up the free powder books you can get a very good starting point. Otherwise the powder manufacturers sites usually have a tool where you pick your hull, powder, or shot weight and it tells you what's available for that shell.
As a side note, Is there anyone else that's as shameless as I am about collecting hulls? When I started I had about 100 hulls, But after several trips to shoot sporting clays and skeet, and doing some dumpster diving I have collected almost 5k.
As for the MEC press there is a guy in Omaha (he also sells downrange wads - which are made here in Nebraska) that handles all sorts of parts. I don't have his card on me right now but a buddy and I have done business with him a couple of times. I will post his info if anyone wants it for wads or needs MEC parts.
Here's a few links for ya
Alliant makes the Dot series of powder. Here's their reloading guide.
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/default.aspx
Hodgdon has theirs here
http://www.hodgdon.com/basic-manual-inquiry.html
Both of those guides are also printed and usually available where powder and reloading supplies are sold.
Dan W:
I use Downrange wads exclusively. Very good quality and made In the Hastings/GI area
I have many recipes for AA, STS and Remington Gun Club hulls with International Clays powder and Windjammer type wads, If you want target loads in 1oz or 1 1/8th oz. I have used Cheddite 209 primers for my last 30000 rounds
Eagle1:
Well I will start by saying "Thank you gentle men".
This gives me a better starting point and more knowledge.
Where can you get the Downrange wads in Lincoln (or surrounding area)? Also where is a good place to buy materials besides Scheels (not that I have a problem with them, they gave me a key to the employee bathroom).
I have collected about 3-4 5 gal buckets of hulls. About 1 1/2 of Winchester, 3/4 of Federal and about 3/4 bucket of what I believe are Estate hulls then a few 20ga hulls. (No shame in dumpster diving if you don't go in past the waist, NO SHAME AT ALL-recycle-reuse-reduce).
And yes Rugermanx I would like the name of the guy in Omaha, I am looking for MEC parts. I would like to find a kit to do 20's on my 600. John @ Scheels thinks he might have a line on one but I did not hear back from him today.
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