Home Forums Reloading 16 Gauge Society First Reload Help

Hey guys, new here and to reloading! I picked up a nice 16ga sizemaster recently with some components. Ive been doing alot of research/reading in the evenings on reloading. I think i found a load that id like to start with for just shooting clays. Obviously a variety of components are hard to come by at the moment, at least for myself. Right now i have fiocchi hulls high and low brass (according to my readings brass height doesnt matter, its the basewad that dictates the specific hull data. in this case, both have the same height basewad) Longshot powder, cheddite primers, im going to order some SG16 wads. i havent found any lead data with these exact components but i did find a couple similar. and i have read do NOT interchange components without data. so im here asking for some insight. i found the data for the load on here in the lead spreadsheet. everything is the same except it uses a fio616 or win209 which i can not get. so im wondering with the experience of other reloaders out there, if it is reasonable to sub for a cheddite primer with one of those loads? does cheddite burn similar to a win209 or fio616? i dont want to assume anything, so please offer some honest feedback, im a novice.

Get a Lyman 5th edn shotshell manual and all other load data you can find. It is tough these days to line up all the components a guy needs especially so on wads..mb

Just got into this game myself. Been reloading metallic for 30 years but this is a new beast. Got a MEC 600 for my 16 and just now want decent clay's loads. I've been using Fiocchi once fired hulls, Winchester 209's, 23 gr. Longshot, 1 oz. #7.5 shot and SP16 wads to start. Decent crimps but a bit low. Tried Claybuster wads and way low crimp. I added a cork wad and an overshot card and that was a huge improvement. Both pattern pooly at 30 yds out of my Stevens 555. However Improved Cylinder was a dramatic improvement. My biggest struggling point is setting up station 6. I haven't found a resource yet for trying to fine tune those two simultaneous adjustments. The only takeaway is that I busted a clay with my first reload but was quickly back to my usual 40%

BPI also makes a small 16 gauge specific manual. Any published information you have is valuable.

Larry loosen the hex screw on the crimper cam and move the cam clockwise to increase mouth taper tighten back up. Next loosen lock nut on the crimper punch, screw in for more depth ,out for less tighten nut got it ?.mb

In this case, this published material has been tried by many of us, and found to be worthless. I tossed my BPI 16 ga manual after trying several loads that had stack heights that were way off.
The Lyman manuals are an excellent source.

I have read on the Shotgun World website that the Cheddite primer was almost the same as the Winchester 209. At the low pressure shown on the load, a primer change would not get you in trouble. I agree with the poster who wrote that the BP manual is not reliable. A friend bought it and the loads just didn't work out.

I've used loading data off of the BPI website.
I've found EVERY LOAD I tried kicked like a mule!

I'm not saying they were unsafe, just potent...

IF you decide to use their info, I'd back off a few grains
of powder regardless of their recipe.

Yes, get yourself the latest Lyman manual. It's well worth the money.

Just my $.02

Shotgunjock

Sorry I'm so slow, thank you. Two adjustments on one station has been frustrating