Shotshell progressive presses?

[BD]

Somehow I've wound up in the peoples republic of NY for another year. Shotguns are the name of the game around here, lots of waterfowl, shotguns only during the modern firearms seaon for deer, and an active trap club a mile from our house. I have no experience loading for shotties and I'm looking for advice on presses. I'm thinking I'll buy a MEC single stage to work up loads, but I'd like a progressive to load on once I have the loads worked out. (same theory I use for metalic cartridge reloading)

In 12 guage I'd like to load 2 3/4" slugs and buckshot, 3" slugs and buckshot, 3" and 3 1/2" steel for waterfowl and trap loads. I'd also like to be able to load 16 guage upland bird loads, (I realise this probaly will require a seperate press).

Mikenbarb has a Texan MIV at a good price. Any opinions on that one? I'm a Yankee to the core, (just as tight as a cedar knot), and buying an old machine doesn't phase me if it's good quality and I can get parts. Any and all advice welcome. I've even been known to take advice from them pesky southerners as I met a few good'ns while in SC.

BD

[870TC]

I have used the Mec Sizemaster and Grabber extensively. Both are good machines, and you can't get better customer service from any other company. There are fancier and maybe better progressives on the market but, Everyone seems to have or has used a Mec.
As for reloading buckshot and slugs, you will end up hand inserting it, as it wont feed through any machine I have seen. (not a big deal just a extra bit of work)

[klcarroll]

Yup!! ....I too give MEC a big "Thumbs Up"!!!

I run two MEC 600s (12ga and .410) and a MEC 650 in 12 ga.

I bought all three presses at garage sales and flea markets for less than $20 each in "parts missing - needs work" condition.

MEC's parts service was excellent, and their available on-line documentation was great!

You won't go wrong with a MEC, even if it's a REAL beater!!

Kent


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[thxmrgarand]

I use two MEC Grabbers for my trap loads. I cannot imagine loading for trap shooting on a single stage press. I run about 8 boxes per hour on a Grabber. That is far too slow but loading shotshells on a progressive press is safe to do concurrent with conference calls with clients and with listening to radio programs. The top MEC hydraulic-electric machine appears to load a box of ammo every 90 seconds. The Dillon is very popular here as a high-end machine but there must be 9 MEC's for every other brand.

I hunt ducks and geese through a very long season but I still don't shoot at enough game to worry about reloading for hunting. I hope it's not bragging to say that for the first month or so of each season the cover is great enough and the birds are unwary enough that I can go for quite a while where the 7 duck limit takes 7 shells. Ten boxes (250 rounds) of waterfowl loads is adequate for an entire season for me.

I carry slugs in a shotgun when berry picking and fishing as we have brown bears on every creek here, and sometimes I have to lob a slug in the direction of any saltwater beaver that shows an interest in my retriever (no federal agents reading this I hope).

Especially given the time of year, I might suggest you set up for loading trap and skeet rounds with a progressive press. As hunting season nears you can decide if loading hunting rounds makes sense.

[Calamity Jake]

IF your going to load that many different lengths of hulls, you will be better off using a Mec single stage(600-600Jr). One press setup for nothing but slugs because I think that the hulls for slugs require a roll crimp which means a dirrerent crimp die alltogether.

[Gunfixer]

I agree with Calamity Jake mostly. Having tried to use one machine for 3 hull lengths I can attest to it's PITA quotient. I now have 4 presses, 3 MEC 600's and a PW 800c. MEC's set up 1 for 3 1/2 1 for 3 (steel, slugs and buck) 1 20ga and the PW with dies for 12, 28 &410. Once you get a 2 3/4" load figured (lead shot), The PW will fill a 5 gal bucket with 12ga shells in 1 hour!

[BD]

Any recomendations on a shotshell reloading manual to start out?

[Calamity Jake]

Lyman and there is a gage specific book, it lists loads from all the current sources but I can't remember the name of it, I have one in 12 ga.

Which ever you buy, FOLLOW THE RECIPE TO THE LETTER!!!! The only substatutions allowed are aftermarket wads, such as Claybuster and others but only in some applications not all, and shot size, it's not the size that matters, it's the weight.

Loading steel requires a whole different setup, so study on that too.

[Gunfixer]

Lyman shotshell handbook (? name right) 5th edition covers it. Also for steel BPI has a manual.

[Silicon Wolverine]

dillon makes a good one, but its expensive

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/25239/catid/1/SL_900

SW

[Kirk Miller]

I load for 20, 16, and 12 ga. For All 12 gauge use, you can't go wrong with the Mec steelmaster. It will do everything up to and including 3.5 shells. It only comes with steel charge bars, so you'll have to buy lead ones, but that is a relatively small expense. After you learn and practice shotshell loading, you can move to a progressive for the clay games. Personally, I load all my upland lead loads on a mec single stage as well as working up new and experimental loads. I only load trap and skeet shells om my progressive, but boy is it fast. The down side is that if one station is adjusted, normally they will all have to be.

The Hornady 366 is the one that I use, but if I had to do it again I'd go with the Mec 9000. For the money they can't be beat.
Kirk

[southpaw]

I have 2 mec 600 jr's and a 9000. I want to get the steelmaster for those pesty 3.5" shells. I load for 12 20 and 410 on the 600s and 12 on the 9000. Man can that thing put out the shells. Just remember to watch you powder. The 600s work great for buckshot and slugs since they are single stage. I load all my hunting 12ga shells on the 9000 along with all my trap skeet and sporting clays shells. Its an addiction. You get one then you want another and another and another..... It never ends!!!!

[shotman]

You are wanting to load that kind of mix 600 mec and an ajustable charge bar. If you up grade later the bar will work on a 9000. The 650 is about the same little faster. Die sets are easy change for both{not 9000} Lyman shotshell book

[seabat0603]

I did a lot of research on this subject before I got into shot shell reloading as well. I had the opportunity to see a dillon press in action and I can tell you it is nice, very nice. However, it costs $900.00. My friend is in a skeet club and shoot all the time so the investment was worth it to him. I have another friend that has a MEC. It was his first machine and it will do the job just fine but he says if he had to do it over, he would have gotten a press like mine. As you can guess, I have the PW 375C press. I hunt doves, turkeys, quail, pheasant and geese. I'll get to the geese in a minute. All the other mentioned critters are all shot from a remington sts 2 3/4" hull. I use longshot powder for tougher situations and clays when wing shooting ( doves ). This press is a single stage press but it offers somethings the others don't. The hull is held in a steel die through out the loading process. This is a great feature in that you don't wind up with as many wrinkled shells ( in my opinion ). Next, this press is so well made and so easy to use it really makes it a joy to reload. Here is a good indicator of what press to get. Go on ebay and look at the presses for sale. You will find a million mecs of all different styles. You will only see a few PW 375C presses. Now I don't want to get anyone mad at me, and I am not saying MEC doesn't make a good product. All I can tell you is if you get the press I'm suggesting, or find someone that has one you can try, you will be very satisfied. The PW 375C is worth every penny! I spent $300 for my press in 12 guage 2/34" and it came with everything except powder and shot dies, ready to load my shells. Again, it's just my opinion, but I have never in the 3 years I have owned mine regreted purchasing mine! If you have any specific questions about my press, ask me and I'll be happy to respond.

[mainiac]

Somehow I've wound up in the peoples republic of NY for another year. Shotguns are the name of the game around here, lots of waterfowl, shotguns only during the modern firearms seaon for deer, and an active trap club a mile from our house. I have no experience loading for shotties and I'm looking for advice on presses. I'm thinking I'll buy a MEC single stage to work up loads, but I'd like a progressive to load on once I have the loads worked out. (same theory I use for metalic cartridge reloading)

In 12 guage I'd like to load 2 3/4" slugs and buckshot, 3" slugs and buckshot, 3" and 3 1/2" steel for waterfowl and trap loads. I'd also like to be able to load 16 guage upland bird loads, (I realise this probaly will require a seperate press).

Mikenbarb has a Texan MIV at a good price. Any opinions on that one? I'm a Yankee to the core, (just as tight as a cedar knot), and buying an old machine doesn't phase me if it's good quality and I can get parts. Any and all advice welcome. I've even been known to take advice from them pesky southerners as I met a few good'ns while in SC.

BD
Hey yall, when are you going to give up and just come back to maine,where you belong? You wont make much money,but atleast you will be happy,and do what you want!

[BD]

Hi Mainiac,

I really enjoy what I do for a living, and they pay me well to do it. I thought I was headed back up north this year, and it may still happen. The current economic situation has put a lot of projects on hold, including the one I was looking at in Maine. At the point I think I could support myself building smaller projects in Maine I'll be back, and I'd be back for a big project in a heartbeat, but I'm not ready to take a vow of poverty at this point in my life.

I've worked in a few different areas, and they've all had some attractive aspects but none of them offer the recreational activities I enjoy at a level close to Moosehead Lake. I also miss the people, the low crime rates, the relatively straight forward and honest politics and my home in Greenville. So I'll be back, i just can't say when for sure.

BD