Home Forums Reloading Shotshells Reloading the .410

I'd like to get into reloading, right now just starting with the .410.

Can someone recommend exactly what I would need.

I've never reloaded before so I'd be new to all of this. I have spent a lot of time around firearms though so I'm familiar with some reloading aspects and the learning curve shouldn't be too hard.

Appreciate any info or tips...

Land, I just started for the 410 and what I did was use Ballistic Products pre-primed Cheddite hulls ($9.79/100 2 1/2") one of their plastic wads ($8/250 MOL), & some over shot wads, and a roll crimp tool for a drill press ($27.99) and what ever shot size and powder recommended (they also have a small bore manual for $13.95 w/lotsa good 410 loads). Anyway you can load those for about $5-6/box instead of buying them for $12-15/box. And you are set up for a long time. I figured for new primed hulls at a dime apiece I could just buy new instead of reloading them w/a MEC or other loading machine for the number I shoot. I did go nuts and buy a thousand hulls though and as I already had a roll crimp head from my old Lyman Easy Loader conversion kit my costs are lower. Also there is a website called fourten.org.uk which is good as well as shotgunworld.com-Muddy

If you are going to target shoot with this 410, you will want to shy away from the roll crimper and get a loader that crimps the shells. Way faster than roll crimping by hand/drill press.

MEC loaders are what I use. The single stage 600 will get you going and is fairly cheap. If you plan on shooting a lot, you might as well get a progressive loader. I use the MEC Grabber and am happy with it.

Right now, finding powder is the problem. It is pretty hard to come by......

Best way to learn how to reload is to go & watch someone else reload. Go to any local shooting range and ask around. SOMEBODY will likely help you out and show you the process.

I've been reloading since the 80s. I reload all 4 gauges on Ponsness Warren machines. The .410 and the 28ga are the most finicky. First off, follow the recipe from the powder manufacturer. I use Winchester AA HS hulls and you will see that the biggest problem with any of them, will be with the mouth of the case. Once or twice fired hulls for the most part will reload just fine, but after that they all seem to split on the end and cause a problem. If you have access to once fired hulls get all you can. If not, and if you can find them, Winchester is having a $2 rebate on AA shells. You have to get empties somewhere, might as well buy them yourself.
I use a Win 209 primer, 16.3 grains of Winchester 296 powder with a Claybuster CB5050-410HS wad and 1/2 of #9 shot. Ditto on what redgun said about getting help and watching someone load. Most start out with a single stage Mec, then move up to progressive machines because they are very fast for reloading. I can load a box or 25 in less than 2 minutes. Don't get me wrong it's not about speed. You really have to pay attention to what you are doing and normally you would be by yourself with no distractions. There might be a lot of bad shells made until you get the hang of it, but it will all come together with time.

Sorry, never did quite answer your question. You should get a good digital scale if you don't have one already to measure your powder drops every so often. Another thing you might like is plastic bins for hulls on one side of your press and one for wads on the other. Mec makes some good one for this. I also use an old ice bin from a refrigerator, which is great for wads. Stop by an appliance store and ask them if you can get one from a junk fridge. Also, get or make up a tool to take apart shells that didn't come out right. D-Loader is the name of one brand. I use a hand tool that's an all purpose cutter with a razor blade in it. Some guys like to put their reloads in boxes with one of those quick loader tools, I like to fill up buckets. I'm sure you'll come up with you own preferences.

I don't reload for the 410ga but I do for the 28ga and 16ga. For the 16ga I first tried what is the Ward's version Lee's Load All (NOT THE Load All II which is a press)handloading set and I could never get anything remotely resembling an decent crimp. Next I tried a Precision Reloading roll crimper which is better but is slow and the crimps are not perfect either. I reload the 28ga on a Mec Sizemaster and while the crimps still are not as nice or consistent as other people get they are decent. Having used all types things to reload shotshells with I can definitely say that a press other than the Lee Load All II is the best way to go unless you need a loading that is not factory available and shoot only a few boxes (maximum of 10 boxes/year) a year.

While I have nothing against Ballistic Products I actually use some of their products but I would be careful what I buy from them. First off they are excellent at promoting their products but many of their products are either more expensive, poorer quality, or don't work as well as similar products from other companies. Secondly they offer nothing to a person who is making target loads but they are the place to got if unusual stuff like 28ga slugs, 28ga 7/8oz and 1oz load datat, and 1350fps+ 28ga load data. Two things to be careful about in regards to B.P.I load data is that some loads will not fit with the specified components and that there is scuttlebutt that B.P.I does not pressure test their load. It is all computer generated pressures.

A for what you need here is my list of things pretty much anything you will need.

At least a case or two of Winchester 410ga AA loads to use as hulls. Remember save the boxes.

Lyman's 5th edition reloading manual, it is not really for the load data which can be found on hodgdon's website but for its very through covering of the steps of shotgun reloading.

410ga Mec 600jr or Sizemster press or a 12ga/20ga press and covert to 410ga.

Whatever powder you can find that will work for your purpose. Maybe Hodgdon H110/296 or Alliant 300MP.

Whatever wad that goes with the type of powder you bought, perhaps the Clay Buster clone of the Win. AA HS wad.

Whatever primer you can find and will work with the load you want. I use Win. 209 or Noble Sport 686/209.

At least five containers three to hold hulls, primer, and wads while reloading and two to hold powder and shot if you ruin a hull or such. As TvTech said a container to hold load shells would be helpful.

A cutting board, exacto knife, pliers, pick, and a screw driver to disassemble shells if needed.

Containers to hold every thing while not in use.

Either a good quality balance or digital scale to weigh powder and shot.

I can't think of anything else expect a tile or wood floor but if I think of anything I will add it.