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beginner 12ga handloading and brass hulls

Ttutt

Ttutt

.270 WIN
two topics maybe.

every time I get a gun, I get the bug to do some hand loading. so far I haven't because the equipment was so expensive. are there tools and methods for loading that are cheaper than full blown die and press setups? perhaps it would be slower, but something really simple.

on the side note, I've always been enamored of the idea of brass shotgun hulls. I know they can't be rolled at the edges and that that could cause feed problems in a pump or semi auto but isn't there something like a rounded "crown" in place of or in addition to the top card that could facilitate smooth feeding?

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Hi, Ttutt....

Is your a two-part question? Like, is there a small inexpensive loader for any metallic centerfire cartridge (rifle or pistol)? And on a side note, what about brass shotshell loading as another topic?

I just saw this thread and am trying to wrap myself around the question.

every time I get a gun, I get the bug to do some hand loading.
Click to expand...

What type gun(s) are we talking about?

If you mean a traditional rifle, revolver or pistol there is a very inexpensive albeit slow way to produce really great ammunition one round at a time. It's called a Lee Hand Press

http://www.bing.com/search?q=Lee+Hand+P ... FORM=QSRE1

I am not aware of anything similar to allow you to load shotgun shells as simply or inexpensively.
 
mostly interested in reloading shotgun shells. I wanted to try the brass hulls; the idea being if I were to be able to use the brass hulls, they would last longer than plastic and be able to be reloaded more times. from what I understand of plastic, you can get one or two reloads before they split or crack beyond use. if I can stay away from crimping or rolling the edge on the brass hulls, they would last a long time. I think it would just be more economical to stock up on reloading supplies than on ready made shells. at least for some "run of the mill" type loads.
 
Well it depends on the shell, the least quality shell can be reloaded at least once or twice. If there is data out there for a particular hull than its going to be reloadable at least two or three times. It all depends on hull construction and materials used. The current best hulls to work with are Winchester AA and Remington Premiere/STS/Nitro27. Those hulls can get probably 10 good reloads per. I have some STS that have been reloaded 7 times now with no sign of failure yet. Remington Gun Club/Sport loads(green hull) are the same internal construction as the STS hulls and take the exact same data as STS and are usually abundant because people just think they are cheap so the leave them where they land. My heaviest slug loads are in Remington Gun Club hulls.

If you want to do Rio just remember to get Rio specific primers because they are a European hull and the American primers don’t fit as good as you would want, same with Cheddite. The American wads work fine just remember to get good published reloading data, BallisticProducts.com has good components and data for Euro hulls and American, follow the data to a tee and you will be fine. There is plenty of help here to get you going.
 
well, carp.

I found lots of info on loading these shells. almost all of it black powder, which I don't want to mess with due to corrosion issues. I found some info on smokeless, but nothing in the form of official published load data. being a beginner I guess that means I can forget about the brass hulls for a while.

what I did find on smokeless was for a single shot, SxS or O/U rather than a pump. the issue was that the first shot tended to loosen up the overshot card and seal around the top. In a SxS or O/U if one fired the second shot and the shell had failed, it would be bad. I guess in a pump one could be careful enough to tell if wads and / or shot were falling from under the gun. but then again maybe not.

I guess I'll have to just go with plastic if I want to reload. I just wish they were as easy to load by hand as the brass hulls sounded to be.
 
thanks for the info, Oli.
would I need press and dies still or could the old dowel and socket method work? press is probably more precise.

would the " hand press" work?

I admit, I bought some brass hulls, but I *will* be waiting for some reliable data before I try them.

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You know there are lots of ways to skin a cat. I would go with a single stage press if I was you and you can swing the cost. I bought my press used and you don’t have to worry about dies unless you want to load another gauge
 
Ttutt,

I have reloaded THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of 12 ga plastic hulls (500 today alone).
I have only seen ONE split hull and it was probably after a 10 or more reloads.
I reload anything Remington, Green, Black, Gold, Dark Green.
These hulls are free for the taking at many ranges. Even if you do reload a hull until it is no longer usable, no big deal, it was FREE!

If you are not going to shoot hundreds of rounds a week, like I do, get a used M.E.C. Jr. press from Ebay. Probably find one for under $100. It will serve you well as it will probably serve your grandkids just as well.
 
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