MEC 600 slugger

[RMc]

Field Grade Remington Lead BB shot is still avaiable in 25 lb. bags.

https://www.precisionreloading.com/c...!l=RM&i=S23870

The old Remington 2.75" Express loads held roughly 62 pellets in a 1.25 ounce payload. The nominal .18" pellets weighing approximately 8.8 grains each.

Edit: "Remington field grade shot contains 2% antimony."

This antimony level is not sufficiently high to harden shot or buckshot with heat treating.

[gpidaho]

I found a "vintage" C&H Loadmaster shotshell press. While it doesn't have the roll crimp feature it has interesting dies. There is both 12 and 20ga crimp stations and no pre-crimp is required. I loaded up 30+ 20ga. Lyman sabot slugs this morning and all the crimps set very nice. Great slug press for $35. Gp

[Ranch Dog]

Field Grade Remington Lead BB shot is still avaiable in 25 lb. bags.

https://www.precisionreloading.com/c...!l=RM&i=S23870
1
The old Remington 2.75" Express loads held roughly 62 pellets in a 1.25 ounce payload. The nominal .18" pellets weighing approximately 8.8 grains each.

Thanks! The wads are Power Pistons (R12H). I would love to know what was used for both powder and the charge. Don't want to dissect any one of the remaining three. That would seem sacrilegious, all three need to be applied to hogs.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My gawd they really aren't giving that BB shot away are they? $77 a bag of 25 lbs =.24 per round at 1 1/4 oz each .21 ea at 1 1/8 oz.

With powder, a wad and a primer you are around .30-.33 per round which isn't too bad for a load like this.

On a slightly different note: I did my first Roll Crimp tonight. I just used the BPI single tooth roller and it did OK. It was a once shot Fiocchi Hull that had a star crimp and I trimmed it down about half way down the previous crimp and then went after it with my cordless drill trying different speeds until I got something that looked like it might be close.

The BPI Crimper I have only has one roll pin put in at an angle across the slot. I thought it had a roller that actually turned? No it has a roll pin that is pressed in.

I have to say I can do better.

Seems like 3-4 or 6 pins would do a better job, and also actually deburring the drilled hole before they stuck the roll pin in might make them work better.

I did like that the tool tapers the front edge of the hull so it will feed better. My DL 366 does this also, but it doesn't do a Roll Crimp and the STI Sabot Slugs need a Roll Crimp.

Will the Slugger Roll Crimp previously star crimped hulls?

+6666666666+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +

This is what happens when cats type.

Randy

[gpidaho]

Randy: Be on the look out for a Lyman roll crimp tool. They have six pins. I have both the one and two pin BPI roll crimp tools, and my Lyman tool works best. Gp

[W.R.Buchanan]

That's what I figured.

I look on ebay

Randy

[RMc]

My gawd they really aren't giving that BB shot away are they? $77 a bag of 25 lbs =.24 per round at 1 1/4 oz each .21 ea at 1 1/8 oz.

With powder, a wad and a primer you are around .30-.33 per round which isn't too bad for a load like this.

Randy

Remington BB Field shot is listed as a 2% antimony shot.

Ballistic Products Buckshot line includes BB size with a higher antimony content - variously listed in the past at 3% to 4% antimony content.

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Su...uctinfo/SBK2B/

Precision Reloading also offers lead BB with electroplated nickel over field grade shot.

https://www.precisionreloading.com/c...p#!l=SH&i=NPBB

They are not giving those away either!

As far as factory Lead or plated lead BB loads,
Hornady Heavy Magnum Coyote and Winchester Varmit X are about the only game in town.

[Ranch Dog]

Will the Slugger Roll Crimp previously star crimped hulls?

It is supposed to, and I've seen it completing that work in videos. I'm going to add the Creative Reloading Solutions 600 Ultimate KnockOUT. I'm just waiting on the press to see which one I need. Speaking of that, I just received a notice from MidwayUSA that the Slugger is at my Post Office waiting for pickup!



The 600UKO is inside the sizer and the primer punch is threaded into the end of the tool.

[dsh1106]

That's what I figured.

I look on ebay

Randy

Randy

PM me, I'll hook you up with a Lyman roll crimper. I believe I have another spare.


Scott

[EMC45]

I have an ollllllddd MEC Supersizer that was given to me by someone off The High Road site. He was throwing it out so I paid shipping to get it in. It loads bird, buck and slug really well with a standard crimp. I like it a lot. I do have the BPI roll crimpers too. I am just now getting them going with the .410. It seems to work ok. Also have a Load All 2 in 20ga. What a cool machine! Had I known how good these things worked I would have bought one decades ago. I am almost tempted to retire my second hand MEC and buy a Load All 2 in 12ga.

I watched the Slugger video and it looked impressive, but I get good results how I do it now. I also was curious why there is about an inch of dead space in the shell?....

[Ranch Dog]

I have an ollllllddd MEC Supersizer that was given to me by someone off The High Road site. He was throwing it out so I paid shipping to get it in. It loads bird, buck and slug really well with a standard crimp. I like it a lot. I do have the BPI roll crimpers too. I am just now getting them going with the .410. It seems to work ok. Also have a Load All 2 in 20ga. What a cool machine! Had I known how good these things worked I would have bought one decades ago. I am almost tempted to retire my second hand MEC and buy a Load All 2 in 12ga.

I watched the Slugger video and it looked impressive, but I get good results how I do it now. I also was curious why there is about an inch of dead space in the shell?....

Because the guy didn't have a CRS Handy Trimmer to trim the excessive length off before he ran it through the press.

What I don't like about the BPI crimper, besides just a sloppy crimp, is that I did not have one reusable hull after the shot. The mouth of the hull is absolutely destroyed.

Got the Slugger late today, its on the bench, but I decided to call it a night.

[megasupermagnum]

Because the guy didn't have a CRS Handy Trimmer to trim the excessive length off before he ran it through the press.

What I don't like about the BPI crimper, besides just a sloppy crimp, is that I did not have one reusable hull after the shot. The mouth of the hull is absolutely destroyed.

Got the Slugger late today, its on the bench, but I decided to call it a night.

If that is the case, you almost certainly were spinning the tool too fast.

[Ranch Dog]

If that is the case, you almost certainly were spinning the tool too fast.

Yeah, so be it. Don't have to worry about that anymore.

[EMC45]

My only beef with roll crimping .410s is the cases are scorched and torched (ruined) after shooting them with H110.

[Ranch Dog]

...Also have a Load All 2 in 20ga. What a cool machine! Had I known how good these things worked I would have bought one decades ago. I am almost tempted to retire my second hand MEC and buy a Load All 2 in 12ga.

I have to agree, even looking at the Slugger, I think the Load-All II is an awesome press. Since looking at the MEC Slugger...



... it would be very easy for Lee Precision to introduce a roll crimp similar to the method the Slugger uses. The three crimping stations on the existing design, two-star crimp starters, and the fold (on the left side of Lee's image), become the three steps used for the "rolling fold." There is absolutely nothing magical about the MEC Slugger dies and I suspect they are molded from the same material the Lee is using. That might be wrong as Lee's are a lot slicker and the MEC a bit rough.

How awesome would that be? The MSRP is $26, you could have both and switch back and forth as need.

[Ranch Dog]

My Slugger loading is on hold. I could never get past the first crimping die without crushing the hull. If the hull avoided the crush, the mouth of the hull would start to fold but slide past the punch, getting caught behind it. All the die adjustments were loose as well as the cam, so I really didn't know where to start to resolve this as "base" set up instructions are not available. I used a factory 2¾" sabot slug to adjust the second and third crimp stations, but could not resolve the issue with the first stage of crimping.

I was not able to call MEC until yesterday morning. They don't mess around, they want my press back, and a new one is already the way. The replacement will not be here until next Monday. I have hogs that need killing, but I'm going to let them be as I want to use the STI saboted Hammerheads as loaded on this press.

This is my first experience with MEC, I'm impressed!

[jsizemore]

MEC customer service has always been great to help resolve any issues I've had. They have even prompted me to do other checks to confirm the loaders reliability. GREAT folks.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Come on Mike, those hogs won't know the difference which machine loaded the slugs. Load-all, Load-all go go go.

Randy.

[Ranch Dog]

Come on Mike, those hogs won't know the difference which machine loaded the slugs. Load-all, Load-all go go go.

True enough, they are active but the next two nights won't work as we are supposed to have winds up to 50 mph. That's going to tear something up so I will probably be on the tractor with grappling claws moving downed trees off roads for a day or two. It might also affect the hogs patterns for a little bit.

In your roll crimp topic, you mentioned that you would get a good look at the Slugger during the shot show. I thought that I would take a picture of the first two dies so that you could see just how easy it works.



It is crazy how simple it is. There are three crimp stations; I believe the first crimp station is simply the final crimp station of the standard star crimping 600. I say 'I believe" as I don't own one. The die body starts the roll, and a floating punch lays the fold horizontal. The second crimp die rolls the crimp over. The fold is caught between the die body and the "cup." It appears that the shape of the inside of the top of the die allows the hull to continue to roll until the leading edge of the roll meets the slug or sabot. There is room, there is plenty of "float" or die adjustment to accommodate any need. The final crimp die, not shown is simply tightens the fold with a slight inward roll, a crimp actually, to facilitate hull feeder. The MEC design is ingenious!

My problem was with the first crimp die. I'm not sure what's wrong, but in thinking about it since the conversation, I think there might be a 20 Gauge punch in my 12 Gauge die. That is a guess on my part but I as I have no experience. All I know is that MEC didn't feel I should have to deal with it and handled it.

I have 410 hulls sacked up all over the place. Based on this specific experience, there will be another 600 sitting on the bench as soon as the budget allows.

[Ranch Dog]

Check this out, Randy.



Typing that previous reply caused me to think about using the Lee Load-All II to start the crimp so that the second and third MEC crimp dies could do their work. It wasn't perfect, the innards of the MEC first crimp die does it without scoring the hull for the folds, but the MEC did its thing from there!

As a note, I did not trim the hull down any, just started with a fresh 2¾" hull. It could be trimmed down about .1" with that fancy Handy Trimmer I just bought, and it would have rolled it on down! I will probably pull the trigger on this one, just to see how the fold looks after the shot.