Shotshell Presses

Let's hear what y'all got for making good 16 gauge upland and waterfowl shells!!!!!

I picked up a Remington 58 "Dial-a-Duck", 16 gauge 2 3/4", made in 1959 and it looks darned near NIB. I am sort of leaning towards a MEC, but I have two RCBS Mini-Grands (one for 12 ga. mag and one for 20 ga.) still in the box Because I haven't used up all of the factory shot shells that I have had since the late 1980s yet. I'm not looking to make some serious heavy loads, just something about 1200 fps with #7 1/2 and #4 shot. Also have Alliant Blue Dot and Hodgdon LongShot on hand.

I can't really speak of the 16 gage because I haven't loaded 16 gage since the early 90s , but I am a big fan of the Remington 58 they just feel right to me personally . I prefer a good final tapered crimp on all ammo to be ran through a semi - auto . It just seems to make them run smother .
If that helps narrow it down for you .

I produce hunting loads on a couple of PW375"s they can be set up in two gauges on one tool head. One is set up for 2 3/4" and one for 3". I load 12, 20, and 28ga. Should do a good job on 16 as well.

Many people like the MEC but I am not one of them. I have owned three MEC's and they will do the job if $$ are an issue.

The PW375's are not cheap but got both mine on eBay for decent prices.

I have a Rem 11 and have tried many different reloaders for it. Ponsness-Warren was the only one that would put a taper on the hull and feed flawlessly. They are not cheap, but they will make your reloads perform like factory. PW375 all the way, baby!!

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I started shotshell loading on a MEC 600 Jr many years ago. Must have loaded many, many hundreds over the years of 12, 10, 16 and 20 gauge. Had the one frame with the 12 on it and then bought the 10 ga die set and then a 16 ga die set. Got a new 20 ga 600 jr a few years down the road and had got so tired of having to swap out the dies for the 10, and 16 when I wanted to load them I just went and ordered two new 600jr frames without dies and put my own extra dies in them so no more ripping down and having to reset all the crimping. I had the chance to pick up a Ponsness Warren 375 press and a older Pacific DL-155 a year or so ago and out of the three different brands I just love the smoothness and the best crimping ever of the Ponsness Warren. It is my go to shotshell loader. The tool head on it now has 12 and 16 ga all setup, I plan on ordering the 10ga tool head and a set of dies to go in it for the 20 ga. The four MEC's will become back up for three inch shells in the 12 and 20, and the PW will be set up to handle the 10ga in 2-7/8" since the MEC is already set up for the 3-1/2". If I were to do it all over again forty years ago, knowing what I know now, I would spend the money on a PW with the two tool heads all setup with the gauges I shoot. But thats just me. Hard to go wrong on most any of the loaders today, much depends on how many you shoot year in and year out, and how picky you are about your shells performance.

If you aren't planning on loading thousands of rounds of 16 ga. Then about the only economical way to do it is with a MEC.

I don't do 16 ga but my goto Single Stage Loaders are Pacific DL 266's which I consider to be the best Single Stage Loaders ever made. If you go over to www.trapshooters.com you might find something inexpensive you can live with. I have a 12 ga and .410 DL 266's , paid $50 for the 12 ga and $250 for the .410,,, won't be selling either one soon. A 16 ga DL 266 probably won't be cheap.

PW's are good machines but if you can't use their level of output they are pointless to have taking up space. They must be mounted to a bench and they aren't the type of thing that you just unbolt and throw in the corner. A MEC 600 jr on the other hand is something that doesn't take up that much space and can easily be put back in it's box and out of the way.

Some things to think about.

Randy

While we all would love to have more space to do our reloading in, there are lots of ways to overcome small work spaces even for larger reloading machines. Since I lost my reloading benches when we moved I've had to go back to my portable reloading setup I had back in college days when one might only have a kitchen counter to work from. I just dug out a couple of 6 inch C clamps and mounted my reloaders to a couple short 2x6's counter sunk on the back side so they sit flat on the counter top without maring it and have at it. When I'm done I just unclamp and put back in the closet. I do this for all my presses and shotshell loaders for now, but I will get a reloading room again soon I hope.
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16ga.com has a lot of load info.I'am a member but haven't been there much lately I don't know how much you can access without a membership

Another vote for the PW 375. I have several shotgun loaders and it is consistently the best.

P.S. MOA: What is that .41 caliber cartridge you're loading in that last pic?

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Originally Posted by Leslie Sapp

Another vote for the PW 375. I have several shotgun loaders and it is consistently the best.

P.S. MOA: What is that .41 caliber cartridge you're loading in that last pic?

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LS, That's my hog loads. I'm stuffing some xtp pistol j-words into my 450/400 nitro express cartridges that I use in my Ruger No. 1 It's a real zapper.

I'll give you another vote for that PW 375, so there will be more of those old Pacific DL-250's, DL-260's and DL-266's for me to buy off of eBay. Because those are the ones I like.

I own Mec, Lyman, Pacific, Lee, C&H, Texan and Ponsness-Warren presses. Of these the Ponsness-Warren is by far the better press. Gp

I am almost 62 and still have my Versamec 700 from when I was 14 and loading for all us 16 ga. cottontail and snowshoe hare hunters.

My shotshell press is a PW Duomatic 375, set up for 12 and 20 but they have options. Ponsness Warren is IMO built to the same standards as Dillon and RCBS. It is a pleasure to use!

I load 16ga on a MEC grabber, no complaints.

I've got 12 gauge in a mec 9000, 2 mec 650's and a P-W 800, 20, 28 gauge in mec 650's, and 410 in a mec grabber.

Mec's work for me, the P-W is too finicky, when it's adjusted right it is great. Too much drama if you get out of sync.

One of the 12 gauge 650's is going to be converted to 16 gauge. It's not a recommended conversion but I think I can make it work. Got the press and most of the conversion parts for almost nothing. It will cost me just my time and if it doesn't work I can always convert it back.

I've got Lee whack-a-moles in 12, 20 and 410. That's the ultimate in low buck reloading. But you really need paper hulls for those to work well.

Had and sold Texan's and Pacific's. Probably sell the P-W. The nephews will probably inherit the Mec's.

15Meter,

Just curious which PW you have. Is it a progressive? My 375 Duomatic is more like a turret press except that the cartridge moves instead of the head. Never have had to adjust anything. A friend has a PW progressive. It seems like a nightmare to keep running but then I've never loaded on it; just looked at it and played with it a little.

I have 3 MECs - a 700 Versamec and 2 Sizemasters with the collet sizers. Each is mounted on a piece of 2X12 lumber about 16" long. The 2X12 is long enough that it reaches past the end of the handle. As a result the base is large enough that the press can be moved around and used anywhere without bolting it down.

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Originally Posted by David2011

15Meter,

Just curious which PW you have. Is it a progressive? My 375 Duomatic is more like a turret press except that the cartridge moves instead of the head. Never have had to adjust anything. A friend has a PW progressive. It seems like a nightmare to keep running but then I've never loaded on it; just looked at it and played with it a little.

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800b, bought from a widow, had sat in a basement for 10 years. It need to be completely disassembled and cleaned to get it running again. I think the best thing would have been to send it back to the factory for reconditioning. Getting it back in time has be interesting.

I have been using a MEC 600JR for decades. Still works.