Reloading Your Own Shells

Reloading can be a great hobby. You get great satisfaction from downing a bird with a shell you put together yourself. Every gun is different, even guns of the same make and model. It is important to match YOUR gun with the correct choke and shell at ranges you intend to shoot. This can only be done by reloading your own shells to find that right combination. Every hunter should pattern their gun. Most do not do this and have no idea what shell works best at what ranges.

First, let’s talk about saving money. At first there will be the initial expense of buying the hardware. So it will take a few years to save money, depending on how many shells you shoot in a season. Obviously, the more you shoot, the faster you will get back those costs.

Let’s talk about steel. Today’s factory steel loads run a large spectrum. Mostly based on the amount of shot and the speed it travels. Generally the faster the load, the more it costs. This is where steel reloading can save money. When defining fast steel we are talking about 1500-1700 feet per second. Reloads moving at these velocities will cost about ½ to 2/3 what factory loads of comparable speeds will cost. My fast reloads will cost about $6 to $7.50 per box.

Why should you shoot shells moving at those fast speeds? In ballistics, steel weighs less than lead. So it does not hold speed at far distances like the old lead loads did. To penetrate a duck or goose, the shot must be traveling at least 575 fps when it makes contact. So, the faster it is going at the start, the longer it takes to slow down. Also the larger size the shot, the longer it holds those fast speeds. That is why we have been told to shoot about 2 sizes larger steel than lead. Since most duck hunters used 4&5 lead, they should shoot 2&3 steel. For geese we should use BB steel if we used # 2 lead. BB steel moving at these fast speeds will penetrate out to at least 50 yards. They will go clean through a goose at 40 yards. Therefore, you will notice far less crippling if you hit the bird in vital areas with fast steel.

What do you need to get started reloading? Obviously you will need a reloading press. There are basically 2 kinds. Progressive and manual. In a progressive you put the hull in and it moves around to each station on it’s own. In a manual press you must move the shell to each new station. Reloaders that shoot a lot of trap use a progressive. For most of us the manual press is the way to go. This is especially true when reloading steel shells. Most reloaders weigh every powder and shot charge on a scale. The most common presses are from Mec and Ponsass Warren. A good Mec press will cost about $130- $170. This will include an automatic primer drop and automatic brass resizer. The brass on the bottom of the shell will expand when it is fired. Therefore the resizer is used to bring it back to original size. This is especially important to hunters who shoot auto loading shotguns, as the shells tend to stick if not resized. You will also need to purchase a good scale that will weigh up to 1000 grains . There are 2 kinds of scales. The balance beam and the digital. Digitals are nice and more convenient but cost more. A good balance beam scale that weighs up to 1000 grains will cost about $50. The Mec comes with powder and shot bushings. You would have to buy one for every size powder and shot drop. It is therefore a good idea to get a universal charge bar. It can be set at whatever sized drop you want. The bar will cost about $25. Therefore it will cost about $200-$225 to get started.

Next month, we will talk about the components needed to start reloading your own shells.

Other Articles of the Series

My Reloading Bench - Part Two

Reloading Component, Reloading Powder, Reloading Primer - Part Three

Reloading Manual, Reloading Shot - Part Four