With the slump in my shooting, I started loading ammo for spring and summer.. But at the last shoot I attended all my old pals were shooting cheap new ammo... They said it was so cheap reloading wasn't worth the time.. I guess I will still load for a while, I bought 16 pounds of Green Dot at a very good price, then 4000 Fed. primers at a steal, plus I had about a ton of shot that I bought when shot was 11-13 dollars a bag.. I am still looking for a good buy on factory to use in local turkey shoots.. I think it is better than handloads.. Any of you still loading shotgun ammo?????

I still and likely will always load my own shotshell ammo. I load only magnum shot for trap and primarily sporting clay's which makes the cost and effort worth it.

I seriously thought about it, but factory stuff comes up so cheap that it is not worth while for most loads. A specialty load perhaps but I don't shoot very many of those. Perhaps an avid trap or skeet shooter, shooting every weekend could see a savings. I don't shoot that much. Rifles and pistol rounds, now that is different.

I have reloaded since I was a teenager. It used to be very cheap, those days have long since been gone. When I started you could by high power duck loads for $1.25 a box and reload them for about $0.50 a box. Back then it wasn't very popular. But that's not why I started, it began for me with the satisfaction of taking an empty hull and making it useful again. With the onset of the plastic hull reloading got easier and more reliable. So now I reload strictly for fun and hobby, but I still get great satisfaction from taking a cold dead useless hull come alive again!

Swampwood...

I've been loading shotshells the last couple weeks, several hundred 410, a couple hundred 16 ga, and about 2800 rounds of 7 1/2 for the 12 ga. I'm planning a run of 8s in the 12 ga and 20 ga and some 3" 410 next.

I have components left over from long ago so I can still load pretty cheaply. I save a couple bucks a box over factory so it is cost effective for me, especially as I load 7/8 oz for a lot of my 12 ga target loads. I save a lot more on the small bores which makes that a lot of sense.

If not for all the components I have on hand, I would buy factory rather than load for 12 ga. I prefer a lighter shot charge than the typical 1 1/8 oz but I can make do. The 20 ga is iffy, and the others are more economical to reload.

It's hard to justify loading 12 and 20ga. target loads these days with the price of shot in the $40-$50 range. However it makes sense for the 28ga. and 410. I still load my shells however because I don't buy my shot, I make it. That puts me around $1.50/box for 1 oz. skeet loads. I've made enough shot with my Littleton shot maker to sell enough to pay for the machine. Now everything I make costs me virtually nothing! I can make 45lbs. and hour and I've gotten the process down well enough that my shot looks and shoots as well as factory shot. The targets can't tell the difference! I did finally break down and buy some factory 12ga. pheasant hunting loads as one of our local gun shops closed and were selling them for 50% discounts.

Happy shotgunning!

Elk Country

Yup all ways will ,it's the only way to get the things you need. Like Black Powder 10 ga 2 7/8" loads roll crimped . 2 9/16" 16 ga for old 16's, 2 5/8" 12's for my made in 1902 M97 Winchester every thing from 1 oz target loads to 12 ga roundball loads in a cut down hull so it will hold 9 of those dudes., 20 ga ball loads that put 2 54cal balls on a paper plate at 35 yds 10 of them in 3-4 seconds. Any kind of hunting load I think I need for every gauge and never have to worry about some marketing puke discontinuing my favorite load for a specific use. Might as well cut your dick off than let some else limit what you NEED. When I miss a clay pigeon I figure it was me and don't blame my loads, shoot to build your skills, good scores will result. Get back to reloading your own, anybody can buy shells, making your own has meaning and is constructively productive. What would you have done with the loading time you didn't use ? watch gd Oprah or Ellen? MB yup and I drink good whiskey and Bud when I want one.

Interesting comments... I enjoy loading and have so much shot and powder and primers, I suppose I always will load some ammo.. Our clay target season is pretty short here, but my step daughter lives in Colo. and will be moving to Parachute or Rifle soon.. Rifle has a fine shooting complex that seems to operate most of the year.. Don't know about Parachute, most of my shooting has been at the Basalt range... Wy. pretty much closes up for the winter which lasts til April!!!! Thanks again..

MN used to close up for the winter but it is more active now. For just shotgun I can shoot 5 stand at the local club year round on Sunday. 25 minutes away another club has trap, skeet, 5 stand, and a duck tower open all year. I've shot 5 stand and 410 winter skeet league there regularly. One can usually find a sporting clays shoot on most weekends but I don't chase that like I used to.

The three gun people put on a couple of shotgun events over the winter but I haven't made one of them yet. I've done a couple in the summer and it is challenging enough for me then.

With any of the serious registered events you are going to shoot new or be DQ'd.

I do, but it's rare now....since I don't shoot any longer. Nearest trap/skeet range is 25+ miles away.. If I shot a bunch I would reload until I ran out of ingredients - since I still have a lot of shot that I bought at $10.65 a bag (magnum Lawrence shot) about 15-17 years ago.. I've got two cases of wads, a couple thousand primers, about 20# of powder and at least 4,000 cases..

Problem is, I already have enough loaded boxes laying around that I probably won't have to fire up the MEC 9000 for another 10 years...

Redneck you must a been a Boy Scout also, I never have forgot "Be Prepared " either. MB

I load for a Dickinson SxS 16 ga I bought a couple years ago, and Cheesys 100 year old Oscar Will SxS. 16 ga are a little thin on most store shelves and priced accordingly. I've got a few flats of the Cabelas Herter brand on the shelf to use for empties as well as new primed Cheddites from mail order suppliers. 12 and 20 I have quite a few loaded, but they don't get used as much since I got the 16

Yes, I do. The reason I load is that I shoot a lot of sporting clays, and have found that 7/8 oz of the best magnum shot is a load not easily found commercially. The key is hard shot. These hold patterns together extremely well even on rangy targets (over 50 yards) out of my gun choked M/IM. Shot over 300 today. I find that buying components smartly in large quantities allows me to load for $4.35/box.

I load on a Mec 9000, and am pretty fast. I don’t mind the chore most of the time.

I have also found a 3/4 oz is wonderful in the 28 gauge. And as a 16 gauge fan, I am also driven to handload the 16 too.

In the 28 gauge and .410, it’s strictly about cost.

I will reload some 12 gauge from time to time... I don't shoot skeet or trap... I hunt grouse in the Wisconsin North woods... I have found the copper plated lead zips thru the leaves and small branches and can take out a bird a lot better than the plain soft lead shot. Copper plated shot in a light load in #7 can be a tough find and expensive when you do find it... Federal will load it in a special Quail Forever load. I tend to load some a little hotter for the late season incase I have to reach to the tree tops as they go over me.

I want to start flirting with non-toxic load for ducks... and do some roll crimping with ITX shot for ducks.

I just picked up 10 flats of 12 ga one and one eighth ounce loads for $45.00/ flat or $4.50 a box. These are for my nephews to use for high school trap. They haven't realized that the amount of shot is not what's important.

That is 15-25 cents a box over what one can reload an equivalent load at today's prices for components. Even though my equipment paid for itself decades ago, it doesn't make sense to reload these 12 ga target loads at current prices. Even my standard 7/8 oz loads only save about 60 cents per box at current prices. I like this weight as it is easy on the shoulder and stretches a bag of shot. Screw in improved modified and/or full chokes and one is set for any shot.

Back on topic- those who buy their 12 ga target loads haven't had it so good i

The 7/8 oz load will break birds as smartly as any 1 oz or 1 1/8 oz load.

Most don't understand the dynamics of shotgun patterns, shot strings, and shot column. Take one to a pattern board and their eyes will light up at what they see between heavy loads and light loads. Light is right!

Agreed!!


Absolutely.. My trap loads are very similar, and with the cheap supplies I got at the time I'm under $4.00/box..

Ditto.. But I haven't used the 9000H now for about 5 years.. I really should sell it since I have a MEC progressive I can use if I find I'm running low..

You can shoot the 7/8 ounce loads if it makes you feel good. They do hold together great, but don't fool yourself into thinking they are the best choice to break targets. You would be further ahead when it comes to breaking targets, to shoot 1 or 1/1'8 at reduced speed. They hold together great also.

You won't save that .70 cents a box, but you will probably break more targets.

I shoot 7/8 reloads with hard 7 1/2's primarily as I want the reduced recoil.

I tried a few 7/8 oz loads and didn't like 'em.. Went back to 1 oz and kept speed to 1150-1160. Better patterns in my shotguns and smoked 'em if I did my part..

Battle is correct on shot charges- more is more all else considered. An ounce and an eighth of shot at 90% will put more pellets in the circle than a one ounce 100% pattern. An 80% pattern will have more pellets than a 7/8 oz load will hold. This can readily be seen on the patterning board though one may have to actually count each hole rather than just look.

That said, I load 7/8 oz of 8s as my primary target load. That charge weight I find adequate for the majority of my shooting. Those targets that don't break are seldom the fault of my equipment. I can live with the occasional escaped clay.

This is also the most economical when reloading. Though it is only a half a dollar cheaper than the least expensive 12 ga loads at today's component prices it is half that of comparable factory loads- when one can find them. Depending on the number of rounds shot per year, the savings can be considerable.

The recoil is also very mild in a 9.5-10# gun. That reduces the possibility of some shooting related injuries which was a concern when I was competing and firing 15,000 rounds a year.

There are compelling reasons for and against to use the various charge weights and one needs to weight the arguements for themselves. There is no perfect choice and that choice could easily change given the circumstance.

I only reload Buckshot and the occasional slug. I had a PW progressive at one time, but just couldn't justify the time for the little bit I was saving (and I didn't shoot a ton of shells).

Agree, if I was using 7/8 it would primarily be 8’s. And perhaps even 9’s for targets around 20yards and under.

Addition: Point well and they all most often work. However, with edge on targets and some distance, more is always better.

I’ve shot well over 50,000 rounds of 7/8 oz, #7 1/2 (magnum shot, STS brand when I can get it). Through the fixed M/IM chokes in my Perazzi MX8 they pattern beautifully. I load them to about 1275 fps, that fast only to keep pressure up fora good burn of Clays powder.

Speed is not important to a shotgun load; that’s why the gold standard is around 1200 with 1 1/8 oz loads - trap shooters figured this out decades ago. However, with lighter loads and magnum shot, the shot deformation issues from setback upon firing must be significantly less than with heavier loads as the patterns are terrific.

I will not say that these loads are better than heavier loads, as I agree with Bruce Buck and others who have noted that “more is more” wrt shot charges, and that every 1 1/8 oz load has a 7/8 and 1 oz load riding on the top of the shot column. That said, the difference is very small and the reduction in fatigue is real. Cost savings is a bonus.

First post here. I use to load 30 to 40 boxes a week when the wife, daughter, and granddaughter shot with me three times a week at the club [ only 3 miles away]. We order from Dawsons in Ohio when they're delivering birds to another club close by so we don't pay sales tax or delivery charges. I can reload 12ga 3/4oz for about 3.50/box. International skeet or trap is shot with a hair under 7/8oz and the birds are harder and going faster. If they can shoot it with 7/8, then it's more than enough. JMHO, but that " more is more " isn't what it's cracked up to be.. They made FITASC shooters go from 1 1/4oz to 1oz and their scores improved. Less fatigue. That recoil adds up in a long day of shooting. And the shorter shot column means less deformation of the bottom shot so a larger % of the shot stays in the pattern. Yes you start with less shot, but I the center of the pattern doesn't have any holes in it with the lighter loads, just the outside of it. I like the 3/4oz loads because of recoil [ and price ] with the old SxSs I shoot. I also reload hunting , BP, 10ga,20, and 28. I can shot 1oz 10ga in a 2 7/8" shell for claybirds. Lots of fun and the 1oz 10ga loads just smash those clays. After one reloads for a while you accumulate enough stuff that you don't have to look for sales, or special loads. I believe you can make better loads at cheaper prices. And it's fun.

The targets in international are constructed harder to reduce breakage off the arm because of the higher speed they are thrown. However, the increased speed means the targets will break easier due to the increased centrifugal force. I.E. the target is spinning faster. Therefore, it takes less energy for a single pellet to break a target. The international shooters also point with precision that most of us lack. The result being they center their birds with the shot irregardless of the amount of shot they are using.

Again with regards to Fitasc. The top guns scores stayed the same or better for the same reasons. You and I, but I most definitely, could benefit from having some "outside" pattern. Reason being we don't point with the same degree of accuracy of those who win on the world stage.

I was there when Wendel Cherry made the comment. “The only reason I don't use 1 1/8oz in Fitasc is because they won't let me.”

Those looking for less recoil may use reduced loads. However, those looking to break the most don't. Especially when they know the other top guns are not.

I HANDLOAD ALL MY SKEET LOADS. i LIKE 7/8 OZ OF 8 1/2 AT 1165 FT/SEC. SOFT ON THE SHOULDER AND SMOKES TARGETS. i CAN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT SHOOTS THAT WELL AND THAT SOFT. PLUS I JUST LIKE TO RELOAD MY OWN.

"More is more" still reigns supreme in regards to patterns. As I pointed out earlier, an 80% pattern with a 1 1/8 oz payload will put more actual pellets in a pattern than a 7/8 oz can with a 100% pattern. And just how many of those mythical 100% patterns has one seen? What really matters is actual pellets in the pattern, not percentages. Of those extra pellets not in the core, many will be close by filling in the gaps and thereby enlargening the size of the core. This allows one a little larger center.

As for higher scores resulting from lighter shot charges, that is a bit more than just less fatigue from recoil. In Iternational Trap, scores dropped but than climbed due more to the realization greater mental focus and concentration was needed. This is when mental conditioning and training techniques were developed to a greater extent than in the past. The proof is looking back and seeing some otherwise great shooters struggling to regain their former prominence while others continued climbing higher.

I do agree that there is a point of diminishing return in regards to shot weight and recoil but the heavier shot charge will always have an advantage in total numbers. The individual able to use those numbers will always have an advantage.

I've had a MEC 600 jr for almost 10 years. Loaded skeet rds when I first got it and then it sat until last year, when my (then) 8 year old boy was turned on to Aguilla 1-7/8" minis.

I started back into reloading shot shells to give him a 12ga buckshot load he can shoot out of a 590A1 without buying half a shot shell for double the price. I started with just reducing the number of #1B pellets to just under 3/4oz and using Red Dot data for a 3/4oz skeet load. Pressure is so low, so its not a concern in replacing pellet size in a published skeet load. I haven't chrono'd it yet, but I'm guessing 1100fps and recoil is super light. Both he and my wife shoulder it with ease. Kicks like a .30 Carbine and I consider it perfect for HD in suburbia.

Those 1-7/8" minis still haunted me though and I had to give them a try. I used the same load as above, but with a modified wad. I removed the legs from between the gas check portion of the 1-piece wad and the cup portion so the cup sits directly on the gas check. My first attempts at the minis were using folded crimps and had some hiccups when made with the MEC, so I moved on to roll crimping for those. I prefer the look and pressure of fold crimping, but unless I modify the cam crimp assembly (i.e. cut the lower half off) on my press, fold crimping is problematic (at best). The roll crimp is much easier, but the pressure is much lower, so a different powder and load data has to be used and I can't reuse the hulls.

Still working on it.