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Thread: Sizing 410 Shot Shells

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Bayou52's Avatar
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    Sizing 410 Shot Shells

    Hi guys:

    With the shortage of 410 shot shells in the current market conditions, I decided to try to get into reloading my own. My one rule was that I wanted to do it on the cheap without having to buy any additional tools or dies.

    The first objective is how to size the 410 cases. I’m using hulls that I pick up from the range, and most, if not all, will not fit into my shotgun breech. So, they have to be resized.

    It turns out that the 45 ACP Lee factory crimp die with the guts removed makes a perfect sizing die for for 410 hulls.

    I did not buy a special shell holder for this process. After applying sizing wax to the brass portion of a case, I simply raised the ram containing a random shell holder and inserted a 410 hull all the way into the 45 ACP factory crimp die. After that, I simply inserted a dowel into the case and gently tapped it out of the crimp die. Tapping it out did not require any large amount or extensive force, and it easily tapped out with a few easy taps.

    Here’s a pic of my first batch of 410 reloads with Elmers wood glue capping off the top. There is an over shot card between the glue and the shot below.

    I hope this sizing tip helps someone!

    Pic:



    Bayou52
    Last edited by Bayou52; 08-06-2022 at 07:42 PM.
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    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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  3. #3
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    Two ingenious ways to go about it, above. I have a Lee "whack-a-mole" kit, but did buy a Mec 600 Jr. in .410. Not that expensive compared to some other stuff. My first idea was to buy a Lee Loadall II for the job, but soon learned that Lee does not make them, and has no intention of making them, which is a mystery to me as I'm sure they'd sell a lot of them.

    DG

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Bayou52's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shawlerbrook View Post
    Nice kit!
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  5. #5
    Boolit Mold backwoods_bob's Avatar
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    I used a Lee .44 Mag carbide die and shell holder on a batch of .410, worked for my shotgun.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Bayou52's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by backwoods_bob View Post
    I used a Lee .44 Mag carbide die and shell holder on a batch of .410, worked for my shotgun.
    Good tip!
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master Half Dog's Avatar
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    Thanks for sharing. That is great information. I received the following from Santa one year but I haven’t used it yet:

    https://www.thexringusa.com/product-...der-for-410-ga
    The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    awesome to read that bit about the 44 mag dies...I have lee whack-a-mole kit and have loaded many rounds with it..never thought about using over shot cards as have always recrimped...but it would allow larger payload in the 2 1/2" case.....

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I see weakhand luke has a reloader for the .410 in the forsale section for not much more than a couple of boxes of shells!!!!
    they dont come up for sale often over here.

  10. #10
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    Yeah www.Trapshooters.com is where all the Shotgun Loaders come up. I load most of my .410's on a Pacific DL266 single stage, however since I am shooting more .410's now that I have restarted my Skeet Shooting adventure I found a Hornady DL366 Progressive. I can do an easy 200 per hour with that machine. The single stage was more like 50 per hour.


    If you go over to Ballistic Products Inc. and specifically this link, https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Or...ctinfo/ROLL41/

    You can see a video on Roll Crimping with one of their Roll Crimping tools in an Electric Drill Motor. It produces Perfect Roll Crimps, However if your hulls were previously Fold Crimped you will need to trim off some of the existing crimp so it will act right when roll crimped afterwards. New hulls are also available from BPI sometimes. Not now unfortunately.

    There is only one operation on reloading shot shells that really requires a tool to do right, and that is final crimping. You can do the other operations with a Nail and a piece of Wooden Dowel.

    The roll crimping tool eliminates the waiting for glue to dry, step.

    Randy
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 1450573.jpg   19219.JPG   IMG_2001.JPG   100464758.JPG   100464797.JPG  

    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
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  11. #11
    Boolit Master Bayou52's Avatar
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    That’s a nice roll crmp tool at Ballistic Products.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Bayou52
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  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    For .410 it is not hard to make a set of tools that will let you reload them.

    Roll crimp tools are not that expensive and are pretty easy to master.

    I have an ancient hand cranked one in 12 ga that works great.

    For previously crimped hulls a dowel the right size with a flat end works fairly well if you can get your stack set right. Just push it back into place and a tap with a rubber mallet sets it nicely. Or trim and overshot card and wax/glue also works.
    I truly believe we need to get back to basics.

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  13. #13
    Boolit Master Retumbo's Avatar
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    Here is the Wack-a-mole kit I made on the cheap


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    great thread...thanks all....I use the .410 alot and always wanted to reload for it.
    does anyone have suggestions regarding homemade wads?
    best
    atr
    Death to every foe and traitor and hurrah, my boys, for freedom !

  15. #15
    Boolit Master Bayou52's Avatar
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    Great kit you made, Retumbo! Very handy and looks like it works great!

    My first post concerned sizing 410 cases simply by using a 45 acp FCD.

    Here are a couple of other tips that can be used for processing/reloading 410 without any new or special tools:

    1. to decap, I use a 9/16" deep well socket. Just drop the case in the front of the deep well socket and bang out the old primer,

    2. my decapping rod is a spare decapping rod from the Lee Universal depriming die,

    3. the dowel I use to tap the case out of the Lee FCD after sizing as well as used to tap the case down on the new primer is simply a piece of copper tubing, so it's hollow in the middle, and just large enough to fit inside of the 410 hull.

    I hope these additional tips are helpful!

    Bayou52
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  16. #16
    Boolit Master Bayou52's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by atr View Post
    great thread...thanks all....I use the .410 alot and always wanted to reload for it.
    does anyone have suggestions regarding homemade wads?
    best
    atr
    Hi, atr:

    I also make my own overshot cards. I use a .40 cal empty case to punch out the material. The material is the bottom of certain disposable coffee cups I use, but any similar material could be used. The overshot cards fit perfectly inside of he 410 case.

    For wads, though, I simply bought a bag of 500 at Sportman's Warehouse for about $14.

    Thanks, Bayou52
    Bayou52
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  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Nice! I bought a Mec sizing ring for 10 gauge. I basically set it on top of my vintage 10 gauge lee loader and tap the brass or hull flush into the sizer with a rubber mallet and then set the sizer ring upside down with the stuck case in it on my vise. I then tap it out with the supplied lee loader rod or a dowel. I don’t load more than a a box at a time so I’m ok with long process. Don’t have enough hulls to make it worth while to buy an expensive loader…and I only use my 10 gauge for turkey hunting so they get shot 1-3 times a year.

    I was going to buy a camo 410 pump from dunhams the other day for $275 but haven’t seen 410 ammo for a couple seasons. When I do it’s 2/3 times more expensive than readily available 12 gauge loads which I have tons of factory ammo laying around for. I remember in the 70s/early 80’s 410 was always available and 2/3’s less in price than 20 or 12 gauge. My dad use to have a savage over under in 22WMR/20 gauge. I’ve been on the hunt for a replacement one for a long time now. He use to but me 410 for $2.99/$3.99 and 20 gauge for about $2 more at the holiday gas station when we would head out of town small game hunting.

    I bought a 10 gauge 4 pin roller. Imo they look better than factory loads. I’d tell you to invest in one next.

    Here are some rolls I left short and some I left long. They pattern about the same.





    I’ve also tried all brass vintage hulls but my pattern opens WAY up vs modern hulls roll crimped.
    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 08-15-2022 at 12:18 PM.

  18. #18
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    Watched the video on thexring product and had to order one.
    Thanks for the info.
    Life member NRA and Texas State Rifle Assoc.
    Big bore air rifle shooter

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    if you can find metallic cases,you can reload them endlessly...there is fella over here converting a obscure rifle case...something like a 9.3 onscene mauser??? takes minimal effort an he ends up wiith a case usable almost indefinately that will hold the 3/4 oz loads with ease...

  20. #20
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by atr View Post
    great thread...thanks all....I use the .410 alot and always wanted to reload for it.
    does anyone have suggestions regarding homemade wads?
    best
    atr
    Yes, I have a suggestion,,, Buy a bag Of Claybuster 5050's from BPI. https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Cl...fo/030CB410HS/ $15.00/500= .03 each!
    You can't make anything for .03 each.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check