Easy Shotshell Loading

Shotshell loading on the cheap 'n' down 'n' dirty. This is a light #00 buckshot load. Only interested in buck and slug/ball loads, no birdshot. New Federal Estate brass was already primed with Federal 209A, I skived the hulls on a drill press with a BPI skiving cone. Winchester WST powder, Claybuster 12S3 wads, Lee mold .319" pellets cast (mic @ .320") and powder coated (mic @ .334", 8 pellets used for a payload weight of .95ozs), no buffer powder used, and a final 12ga over-shot card. The TRN 12ga field reloading kit is used just for for the 6 fold hull crimp along with a 1/4 ton hand press for easier loading than with a whack-a-mole mallet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odowSeXYwJ4

Running balls, .319" pellets, powder coated to .334" as I'll also be loading in Magtech brass as well as muzzleloader style with black powder and the coating helps with bore leading, 160 pellets are enuf for 20 shells ...

https://i.imgur.com/eCvNFhw.jpg

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Looks pretty good, how do they shoot?

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Originally Posted by lar45

Looks pretty good, how do they shoot?

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Hopefully next week when the weather breaks.

I should note - I just mic'd the powdered pellets @ .334", so this is actually a #00 buck load.

I really like your blue colored balls, I think I will make some of mine the same color. HOT TIP: Put a piece if Kaiser Non stick foil on top of your grate and the balls wont stick to it and make a mess of your grate.

Nice job!

Randy

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Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan

I really like your blue colored balls, I think I will make some of mine the same color. HOT TIP: Put a piece if Kaiser Non stick foil on top of your grate and the balls wont stick to it and make a mess of your grate.

Nice job!

Randy

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Been there, done that, have powder coated thousands of projectiles (and even fishing lures) and with cast balls I found that the s/s mesh screen works better than teflon or non-stick foil in terms of smearing the balls (there is zero smear or any marks from the mesh) - and the mesh insures that balls don't touch, which will be a problem. That they "stick" to the mesh is no big deal, a few whacks on the screen and they're off without a mark.

That's Eastwood Ford Light Blue powder, my fave for ease of use and great results.

Does the final crimp taper radius the mouth for feeding from a magazine?

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Originally Posted by jsizemore

Does the final crimp taper radius the mouth for feeding from a magazine?

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Currently, there is no final crimp taper radius as they come off the press (either the TRN or the Lee LA2). I have single shot, pump, and semi-auto shotguns. As is, they all appear to run through tube mags and chamber for those guns in dry run practice. I have a special "cone" crimp die on order that will very slightly compress the case mouth to a very slight taper, to insure reliable feeds when in firing use.