Estate branded hulls

[trooperdan]

I recently tried sporting clays and liked it a lot and have accumulated some empties. They are Branded "Estate", are they worth reloading?

[Tom-ADC]

They are all worth reloading, do those have a paper base inside? If so keep an eye on them as the paper base will blow out sooner or later.
I've never loaded them but if you can find data and have enough of them have at it.
I try to limit myself to one brand/type of case so I don't have to make adjustments.

[oscarflytyer]

I would check closely. Recollection is not reloadable - why the are cheaper. BUt I am not certain.

If you want to reload, best IMO are the Winchester AAs. Sure others have their favs as well. But you can usually get the AAs relatively cheap - used to be 5 cents but been awhile. I don't need to keep up w/ prices as I have probably 2000 or so empties...

[tomme boy]

They are the same as the cheap Federals. Federal makes them.

[Newtire]

I reloaded lots of these and only complaint I have is that they have a steel base (with brass plating). In spite of it all, they make nice hulls for heavier loads as they hold alot.

I use these in 20 gauge all the time for 1 ounce loads. I have had some trouble getting the hulls with a kind of dull aluminum looking base to size down enough but those estates resize nicely. They drop right into the chamber. The Federal Top Gun hulls are about the same only look like nickel plating on them.

Worse cheapie hulls I have used are Federal .410's. They won't let me resize them down to fit into my .410's or else they spring back too much. I steer clear of those things.

[diehard]

I buy them by the thousands because all the hull snobs tell everyone else they are junk. Estate hulls make great reloads, and you can get several reloads out of them. Use Federal Hi Power/Top Gun data. They do have a paper base, and because of that just be careful the hulls you get have not been lying outside in the rain before you get them.

Happy shootin"

[oscarflytyer]

OK... shows you how much I know...!

[diehard]

Loaded up a box of of "00" buck last night using Estate hulls. I will not kid about the difficultly of having to adjust your crimper until it comes to appreciate the type of plastic the hull is made of. Typicality I crush a handful of hulls until I get everything set right. However, I have to do the same thing when adjusting Rem, Win, and especially Fiocchi hulls too.

Soo...hang in there...get your press adjusted correctly, and these hulls will offer you nicely color coded and effective ammunition.

pm me if I can help you get started.


BTW...Lee Load All II has virtually none of the above mentioned adjustment problems. that press will take in nearly anything and make ammo out of it. Only draw back is shallow crimps.



Lauel

[shotman]

If you have a gun {rem 870} that has a tight chamber they do cause a feeding problem the paper base wad is hard to resize with the steel head
As why they are cheaper paper base was and steel head
As said make sure they have never been wet

[tomme boy]

They all have a steel head. None of the manufacturers use a brass head. Have not for a very very long time. Don't believe me, take a magnet to any of your brass headed shells. The only ones that might be brass are the paper hulls.

EDIT. The high brass shells are steel. The low brass AA, Premiers are brass.

[Newtire]

They all have a steel head. None of the manufacturers use a brass head. Have not for a very very long time. Don't believe me, take a magnet to any of your brass headed shells. The only ones that might be brass are the paper hulls.

EDIT. The high brass shells are steel. The low brass AA, Premiers are brass.

I don't have any trouble sizing down any steel headed hulls except that the Federal .410's just chamber real tight. I get no trouble with any other brands or gauges. Like you say, most all hulls are steel headed now.

[xringdave]

I've loading thousands of winchester and remington brand shells that wal-mart sells.Never had a
problem, your estate should work fine.

[skeettx]

Use a MEC collet sizing system for the heads
Estate = Federal
They load fine and with some loads are way down in under
5000 psi and 7/8 ounce at 1200 fps and I like them for older guns
Mike

[P.K.]

+1 on two things at least from my POV. AA's are atleast for my Sizemaster the easiest and most frequently found range PU out there, also the 8 point crimp seems to seat better than a six. On the second point, let them cook outside a couple of days in the sun. First time around I didn't let a couple dry too well, one wad just cleared the barrel and talk about a crummy mess of soggy Green Dot!

[sargenv]

I've loaded about everything under the sun.. but have kind of stopped loading most hulls since someone gave me a good supply of once fired AA's (old style), STS's, and Federal Paper hulls.. in addition I picked up about 2k of the High basewad Winchester paper hulls, and I'm set for a while on hull I can use.. I even picked up some of the Activ all plastic hulls for a specific hunting load..

[P.K.]

I even picked up some of the Activ all plastic hulls for a specific hunting load..

Sorry for the hyjack, how are those hulls working? I've considered those for some light dove loads but I'm worried about using them in a multiple chambering like my 870.

[300winmag]

Sorry for the hyjack, how are those hulls working? I've considered those for some light dove loads but I'm worried about using them in a multiple chambering like my 870.

I have loaded them 1 1/8 #6 shot - longshot powder for pheasant, they work fine in the 870 and 1100, Chambering not a problem if the brass is sized right and the taper is set right on the final crimp.
Load'em and go.

[Newtire]

Use a MEC collet sizing system for the heads
Estate = Federal
They load fine and with some loads are way down in under
5000 psi and 7/8 ounce at 1200 fps and I like them for older guns
Mike

I hate to say anything bad about MEC as I've used my 600 for almost 30 years now but I've had nothing but grief using the collet sizer. It doesn't seem to size at all. I've got it adjusted as tight as it will go and ===no cigar!

I've been thinking if maybe MEC would make a smaller ring type sizer, it would work on the Federal .410's. These are the only ones the ring sizer that goes on the old style tube (not collet) sizer won't work on with my MEC. No problem with any other gauge.

[skeettx]

Newtire,
are you having concerns will ALL the supersizer gauges? or only the 410?
Also, are you getting a good bullnose on the leading edge of the loads?
Mike

[UNIQUEDOT]

I hate to say anything bad about MEC as I've used my 600 for almost 30 years now but I've had nothing but grief using the collet sizer. It doesn't seem to size at all. I've got it adjusted as tight as it will go and ===no cigar!

I got rid of my 600's years ago after trying the sizemaster (old version) as nothing comes close to the sizing abilities of the mec collet sizers. You do know they are adjustable right? If it's not sizing your hulls then you need to adjust it.