Now that you have some hulls and a reloader, it’s time to look at components. Primers are the same whether reloading steel or lead. The most commonly used for steel are the Winchester 209 and the Federal 209 and 209A. They cannot be interchanged in recipes, as it would affect pressure. The Winchester is a cooler primer than either of the Federals.
When looking at powders to use in reloading, there are many brands. The most common are IMR, Alliant, Winchester, and Dupont. These companies make a variety of different powders; some for trap, some for lead hunting loads, and some suitable for reloading steel. Almost all new recipes for reloading steel use Alliant Steel powder. It is large flaked. It is also the slowest burning powder. This is necessary to keep pressures from getting too high. The older magnum lead powders such as 571, Blue Dot, and 4756 burn too fast to get high speeds for steel and still be safe. The introduction of Alliant Steel has revolutionized steel reloading. It allows us to reload shells that move out at 1500-1700 fps, yet still keep pressures safe. These speeds are necessary to get maximum killing power out to 50 yds.
Because Steel is large flaked it is difficult to get accurate drops from a reloader. Because of this a good scale is a must. When reloading steel, drops must be within 1/2 grain of the prescribed amount. It is easiest to use a Universal Charge Bar and set it a little light. Then trickle in the extra amount to get it exact. This may seem like a slow process but it is necessary because of the pressure increase if there is too much powder. One tip I’ve learned over the years is to mount a small funnel to the edge of your reloading table. Then just hold the empty hull under it and dump the powder from the scale in. This will help speed up the process and also make it less likely that you will spill the powder. I also use a powder baffle between the bottle and the reloader. This will help even out the drops. It is also a good idea to keep the powder bottle at least 1/3 full. The weight of the powder in the bottle can affect how much is dropped.
Most magnum powders will be of similar cost. It is better to buy it in quantities of more than 1 pound once you have decided which brand you want. This will help bring down the cost of reloading. It is also better to buy your powder over the counter at a gun shop or sporting goods store. If you buy it from a mail order source you will pay a very high price for shipping. As there is a hazardous shipping charge that is higher than the cost of the actual powder.
When we are talking about shotgun powders we are talking about grains. A specific recipe will have a measured amount in grains. Most recipes require somewhere between 30 and 40 grains of Steel powder in 2 ¾ and 3 inch shells. Factory loads use the term drams of powder. I have no idea what drams are or why they would use that term. A good scale will measure up to 500-1000 grains, so it is quite easy to set the scale to the proper setting.
To summarize, if you are interested in reloading steel you will need Alliant Steel powder, a Universal Charge Bar, and a good scale. Next time we will discuss wads and shot.
