[Robert A. Langager]

Hey there, being that I am stuck out here in NC for a while I have decided to quench my blood lust by joining the local gun club. I have been shooting a fair amount of trap, skeet, etc in an attempt to shoot better (ask Chris, it is pretty bad sometines) and scratch my itchy trigger finger. Anyhow, I want to dust off the old MEC 600 Jr. and load my own trap loads. Do you have any preference as to what load, namely which hulls to use. I am trying to replenish my supply of hulls and need your advice on which shells to buy so I can get the most out of the hulls that are left. Is there any difference? Do some last longer or make better loads than others? I know that the Winchester AA are good but they don't make those anymore do they? Can I use trap hulls to load fast steel? Is that too much at once? Thanks for your help!

Robert

 

[KEN W]

What factory loads are you now using.If you are buying AA you can duplicate that load on the reloader.Winchester would be the only one you can do that with,as Federal and Remington don't make there own wads and powders.The new AA is grey in color but is the same as the older red ones.Tell me what you have or what is available for you.
I don't shoot trap,but there are lots of loads from Winchester,IMR and Alliant.
If you shoot trap,can you get empty hulls at the shooting range?I load AA for upland as I have a couple thousand empties.The Federal Gold Medal is also an excellent hull and can be reloaded a number of times.It is better than the AA for steel loading and I use them also.
Do you ahve a UNiversal Charge Bar or are you using bushings?

 

[Robert A. Langager]

Ken,
I have just been buying the cheapo Federal All Purpose shells that you can get at Walmart in those 100 packs for $12. From what I understand those hulls are junk but I have buying them to get by until I dust off the reloader. I used to have so many hulls of all kinds when I lived in St. Paul, but when you move across the counrty those just don't make the trip. So basically I can start wherever I want to. I would like to use a hull that is versatile enough to use for trap and all types of hunting loads (pheasant and especially FAST STEEL). I have yet to load fast steel but from what I have heard from Ned (I think he is a reloading god) and the other fast steel types (including you, of course) that fast is the way to go. Especially when you can load effective loads in 2 3/4 hulls. I do not have a steel capable reloader yet but I do have a unversal charge bar. I just have an old MEC 650 Jr but would really like to invest in a nice pregressive reloader eventually. So that being said, do you think the Gold Medal hull would be a good start? It would be SO nice to just use one hull for all loads, although I realize that may not be feasible. I do think it would be a good place for me, a novice reloader, to start. Thank you for your help!

Robert

 

[KEN W]

OK...If you are seriously looking at reloading steel,then I would go with the GM.The AA has 1 good steel load.The GM is a straight walled hull and can hold more shot.The AA can only hold 1 oz of steel,the GM will take a 1 1/8 oz load.If you have a universal charge bar you are ready to go.The MEC conversion kit is nothing more than an enlarged drop tube and a shot bottle with a larger opening to keep the shot from sticking.They are not necessary as you will be weighing your steel drops anyway.
If you have reloading components available locally for lead you can figure out how much they will cost for a box of shells by going to...www.http://www.trapshooters.com/rlcalc.htm
Do you have a place close where you can get supplys?
If you need empties and are willing to buy 1000 the cheapest I have seen is at...http://www.reloading-components.com/ they are .04 apiece.

 

[jtanderson]

I had problems with trap loads(17.0gr 700x) in my bar powder seems to drop lite some times. Works great for field loads . Any body else have this problem or should I just change powder or load.