Winchester AA vs Remington STS

[Jamesconn]

I just got my first shotgun today for my 17th birthday it's a baikal MP18 12ga with the synthetic stock I tried for wood but I couldn't find it. I have got my toes wet in reloading and casting for metallic cartridges I've worked out a recipie that works great.

I've always admired the versatility of the 12ga that's why I decided to get one before I got the rifle. I am going to start reloading for it and I've heard the two best ones are STA and AA then I heard the newer AA ones were getting crappier. My question is with the batches in stores now which one will last the longest?

I have other questions about shotgun too.
The cheapest place I've found that isn't a scam is $45 per 25lbs of 7.5 does anybody make birdshot on this site? If the price is right I'd stock up ASAP. I would also like to make slugs is there anything I should be wary for with lee slugs? I wanted to try the 7/8oz 1oz and 1 1/8 oz should the slug alloy be soft or hard. What manual would you recommend for shotgun? Are the Tula primers good or not?

I've read my gun has a modified choke it's smoothbore with a 26 or 28 in barrel can I shoot slugs and buckshot out of it? What is a modified choke?

[Bloodman14]

Dump the AA's and grab all the STS's you can. As far as the other questions, someone more versed in shotguns than I should be able to help.

[Firebricker]

The sts hull are far better IMO The new AAs are still decent but nothing like before they changed. I can't tell you the year they did it but AAs went from one piece compression formed hulls with brass head to a two piece plastic hull with brass head. Even the cheaper Remingtons load good but have the cheaper plated heads. The cheap Winchesters I will not load at all they go straight to the trash. Most important is a good manual. Hulls shouldn't be hard to find but if you get hard up for some send me a PM and I'll get you a medium flat rate box of them. FB

[fivegunner]

James, the Rem SST`s are the best . old Win. AA`s load fine. get at least the mec Graber to load with. stay with one powder and wad. :-D

[UNIQUEDOT]

STS hulls are the best hulls that have ever been available. They are even better than the older AA's were. The best manuals are from Lyman and reloading for shotgunners. I've never seen tula shotshell primers, but you will need a manual first anyway as you will need to follow recipes exactly. This is very important for someone not experienced loading shotshells. I have shot pure lead slugs through modified chokes with no problems, but most wont shoot them through anything smaller than imp. cyl. Best accuracy with a properly fitted slug is with cylinder bore.

This will help you understand choke constrictions

http://www.briley.com/understandingshotgunchokesabriefexplanationbybrile y.aspx

[Jamesconn]

I have winchester slugs and 00 buck right now im in the middle of moving so casting and reloading is impossible my parents made me pack up my whole gun room :'(

[swheeler]

James; get all the Remington STS you can, green or gold it doesn't matter, forget the AA's. Buy yourself the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook 4th Edition, read it and enjoy. Price of shot, what can I say, I thought it was high at 9.00 a bag, makes me sick but so does filling up the tank.

[tenx]

shop around for lead shot, it's a seasonal item and the price does flucutate. like the price of gas and most other things don't expect it to go down much.

[Flinchrock]

James; get all the Remington STS you can, green or gold it doesn't matter, forget the AA's. Buy yourself the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook 4th Edition, read it and enjoy. Price of shot, what can I say, I thought it was high at 9.00 a bag, makes me sick but so does filling up the tank.

Great advice!

And stick to the reciepe's.

Check out "shotgunworld"

[GrizzLeeBear]

Also, don't overlook the green Remington Gun Club and the Black sporting hulls. They load exactly the same as the green STS and the gold Nitro hulls. Only difference is they have steel bases and take a little more effort to size.
Another trick, if you get a Mec reloader, get the smooth cone crimp starter (intended for paper hulls). It will crimp both 6 and 8 point hulls just dandy. I like not having to sort hulls into 6 and 8 point batches.

[captbligh]

I like the STS, AA, and Gun Club hulls and use all of them but load different shot sizes, or weights in different color hulls. Makes sorting our what you've got a lot easier.

[Moonie]

The lee 7/8 and the 1oz (the one I have) work just fine as long as you realize that claybuster wads are NOT the same and are not a replacement for slug loads. I agree with the others, the STS are the best. I reserve the AA's I have for 7/8oz #9 low velocity skeet loads for the wife and kids.