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Thread: Advice on reloading the .410

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Advice on reloading the .410

    Thanks in advance for and advice!

    I am a seasoned reloader of rifle and pistol cartridges. Never have tried my hand at shotsells.
    I bought my son a .410 over/under for Christmas and bought myself a .410 SXS. Now to feed them!
    I found a few boxes to buy at $25 per box, but I'm wondering if reloading might make sense
    due to price/supply issues. A Lee Loader would be sweet, but they are rare as hen's teeth. Does
    anyone have a suggestion for an alternative for low cost/low volume reloading?

    Derek

  2. #2
    Boolit Master hoodat's Avatar
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    I saw a youtube vid called Reloading .410 with primitive tools. (or something close to that) you might give it a look. jd
    It seems that people who do almost nothing, often complain loudly when it's time to do it.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    Same situation here. Use to be a site that spelled out everything you need to make handloads similar to the Lee loader. Google handloading 410 ammo and there are many YouTube videos. I bought the crimp starter and finisher from MEC and am currently attempting to make a primitive press to crimp star folds. I also bought a roll crimp tool from Ballistic Products. I use a MEC resizing ring to resize brass and prime and decap using hand tools.

  4. #4
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    How much you should invest depends greatly on how much you intend to shoot the .410s. There was a .410 Lee Loader for sale here on the Forum just a day or two ago, and I've seen them for sale here before. They also appear on e-bay every now and then, but are usually well over $100. Like you, I decided to load my own, and purchased a MEC Jr. press made specifically for .410. Besides the press, of course, there is an investment in shot, wads, and primers. A press and all of the supplies are available from Ballistic Products Inc. You just have to decide if you want to make the investment or continue to buy factory shells. You always have to "pay to play" in the reloading game.

    DG

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    I was in the same spot 2 years ago. Ive had a single shot for yrs, but rarely shot it, so factory stuff was great. Then I ended up with a very nice pump, and of course, I started shooting it a lot.

    I tried the Lee loader type tools, but it wasn’t worth it, time wise, for me.
    I bought a used MEC 600 Jr 410 loader and set it up. Best decision ever…

    With shot, a brick of primers, wads, hulls, and press I’m at $9.37 per box. Not really cheap, but way better than store bought prices. I haven’t seen any in stores in over a year around here anyway.

    Congrats on the sweet sounding shottys, I’d LOVE to have a O/U or SxS 410 again…
    “You’ve got to slow down to be fast” - Dad

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thexringusa.com sells a Lee Loader type set up for 410 for a very reasonable price.

    I’ve never used one or have any experience with them, but looked into it before buying my used Mec JR

    For factory loaded stuff, the website ammoseek is helpful…
    “You’ve got to slow down to be fast” - Dad

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy arclight's Avatar
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    BPI sells the "Small Bore Manual" with data and info on 410 and 28ga loading. 410 is small enough that there are 410 dies for a regular single stage Rockchucker or similar press if you just need a little bit.

    Otherwise, keep shopping around for a used MEC Jr. or similar. This is the sort of thing that is expensive new, but often found sitting in the corner with other used items at your local gun store for $100.

  8. #8
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    My advise is buy the best loader you can afford to start. In my case that was a MEC 600jr I lucked into used. I have been reloading shot shells starting with a 20 ga in 1970. I have the 600 and 2 Mec sizemasters (12 & 20). I have no reason to buy any other loaders as I get about 100 shell per hour if I get serious and stick with it. You know the old saying "buy once cry once" at $25/box and your cost to reload at $10/box amounts to about 18 boxes before you break even. Midway has them for $270.00 and components available from Ballistic Products would get you going.
    Steve,

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  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    Here in South-East Mississippi, .410's are North of 40 Bucks. That's for 2 1/2 8-9 shot. Have all the little do-dad reloader set-ups offered today. "All of them". Found hulls here on Castboolit's and a ton of primed Cheddites at Ballistic Products. After I wore my thumbs and my patience out, at age 75 I finally said Why Not! and called MEC and bought the 600jr for 2 1/2 .410's. Should have done it 20 years ago. You get what you pay for. .410 shotguns have a soft spot here. Currently have 6 to kept fed. It seems you bought some quality .410's for both yourself and son. Stated you have reloading background. Save yourself some grief and go to the head of the class and buy direct from MEC. They are always in stock.
    “You should tell someone what you know. There should be a history, so that men can learn from it.

    He smiled. “Men do not learn from history. Each generation believes itself brighter than the last, each believes it can survive the mistakes of the older ones. Each discovers each old thing and they throw up their hands and say ‘See! Look what I have found! Look upon what I know!’ And each believes it is something new.

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  10. #10
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    We only have 3 .410s here, all single shot.
    I love the little guns. If you can shoot, they drop doves just fine. They are unexcelled for snakes and work great on squirrels and rabbits.
    Luckily, I found a used 600 jr Mec in a pawn shop for $65. Best move I’ve made in a long time.
    .410 ammo of any kind is totally non existent everywhere I’ve looked. For months now….
    But I have run out of hulls to load. Time to empty some loaded rounds!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  11. #11
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    I will just go ahead and chime in with my " solution" to ammo for a 410. I do not ever intend to shoot a lot of 410 so I wanted to load it with tools I have on hand. It is a low volume enterprise for shooting a single shot shotgun, and it makes me happy. I use 444 marlin brass for empties, which should last forever, and just prime, powder, insert a 1/2 oz wad and about 1/2 oz of shot. Then add and overshot card and add a slight roll crimp with my 7.62X54R sizing die. I could go cheaper if I just used card wads but I have some plastic wads and so those are what I use. I have seen where you can use 303 Brit for a slightly longer case length and to hold more shot, but I have not seen any 303 brass for several years. I will say that the rim of the 444 case is smaller than 410 hulls so that they do not extract reliably from my gun without the aid of a fingernail under the rim. Other guns might handle this better.
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  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
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    Took a little work, but I converted some once fired 303 brass to fit my 410's. Easy to reload for most of my needs.
    There is a lot of info on the web about the mods needed.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Having started my reloading career with a Lee Loader for 3" .410's, I will say to buy a MEC of whatever model suits your fancy.

    The Lee does not resize the head of the case, causing spotty extraction/ ejection. Fold crimps are also hard to form in the narrow plastic shells.

    Robert

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    I ran across a couple 410 loaders cheap. Before that I was using about a dozen 444 hulls and was cutting the crimp off plastic hulls and gluing in card wads. I took a piece of 3/16 in. steel and bored a hole and polished it out. I would lube the case head and drive it in to size the head and drive it out with a dowel. There are a lot of ways to get buy but nothing beats a proper loader.

    I bought a H&R on a whim and got hooked. Ended up with a New England and a Stoeger double. Fun little things, popper loads, shot loads and round balls, mild to wild.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    I load 5 to 7 boxes a year as they are not to be found. I used to load with a home made loader kit and it was ok. Bought a used MEC for the de-priming and sizing stage and that sped things up a lot and I got more consistent chambering too. I fold crimp my 2-1/2" and roll crimp the 3" hulls. Once they split, I trim off the splits, skive the mouths, and go again for the shorter2-1/2" load charges. I use LilGun for powder and mostly #5 lead shot for grouse. 209A primers. Reports came back to me that "seem" to be a tad more spiffy that factory rounds. I get aprox 5 to 6 reloads from them.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Ive got the simple lee whackamole loader for the wee gun..... you can make very good loads for very little money.and if your guns are break open type,you can get away with a lot of things a magazine fed gun wont handle..crimps dont need to be perfect and perishing cases can do one more load.... patterning is paramount to get best out of the .410..they like what they like and suck with what they dont like. if loading for your kids,get them involved in doing so.... it helps to keep ammo wastage to minimum if they realise the effort involved,if components are bought with thier pocket money even better still.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Depending on the thickness of your wallet, buying new direct from MEC certainly is the simplest way but you'll pay full list price.

    Unless you are only loading a dozen or two boxes a year a Lee is not the way to go. And I started on a Lee Deluxe in 12 gauge in 1975.

    Currently load 12 on a MEC 9000, 16, 20 28 on a 650 and 410 on a Grabber. The Grabber has been modified what a triple thickness machined shell plate.

    With 410, resizing the base seems a little more critical than the others.

    I'd lean away from try to find a 410 MEC Jr. Those are pretty rare. 12/20 gauge MEC's are pretty common around here. Generally trade in the $60-75. Grab one of those and a 410 conversion kit and you'll be in business a couple of years before you find a dedicated 410 MEC Jr.

    Winchester AA compression formed hulls are my favorite. Just seem to load easier and last longer than the others.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy gunarea's Avatar
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    Hey Shootin
    Quit screwing around. Get a sizemaster or better. The sizemaster will produce in good quantity and allow use of any hull that comes along. A grabber has a higher production rate but is not as friendly for experimenting and small run odd ball stuff. The cost of commercial ammunition make a high level machine a smart and efficient investment. In the 410, MEC collet sizing is the best and with use of the supersizer, mosy any other quality press will give good results. The smaller shells are much more dependant on quality consistant crimps for performance. Spend another couple hundred dollars on commercial ammunition and the addiction to the little shotgun will either set in or go. Making several low cost blunders will add up in cost and experience. What I am passing on to you was golden direction given to me. Get really good stuff and never regret it. Even being twenty five years old, I am sure my MEC Sizemaster, would sell for more than it cost me new, in the box.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	410 005.JPG 
Views:	11 
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ID:	309823. I manufacture everything 410, slugs, shells from 1.75" to 3". The sizemaster adapts well for messing around, the Grabber has a three stage crimp, both have collet sizing. My kids were the driving force for me to produce in quantity. As grandpa, it lets me smile with great satisfaction.
    Shoot often, Shoot well.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 15meter View Post
    Depending on the thickness of your wallet, buying new direct from MEC certainly is the simplest way but you'll pay full list price.

    Unless you are only loading a dozen or two boxes a year a Lee is not the way to go. And I started on a Lee Deluxe in 12 gauge in 1975.

    Currently load 12 on a MEC 9000, 16, 20 28 on a 650 and 410 on a Grabber. The Grabber has been modified what a triple thickness machined shell plate.

    With 410, resizing the base seems a little more critical than the others.

    I'd lean away from try to find a 410 MEC Jr. Those are pretty rare. 12/20 gauge MEC's are pretty common around here. Generally trade in the $60-75. Grab one of those and a 410 conversion kit and you'll be in business a couple of years before you find a dedicated 410 MEC Jr.

    Winchester AA compression formed hulls are my favorite. Just seem to load easier and last longer than the others.
    That what I was going to say about get a conversion kit, then you good . If you load shotgun already then you will have most of what you need then the hulls and wads, In a post I did about roll crimp and just use cards and 1/8" thick cork and had raise the shot load in both 2 1/2" and 3" shells. also like stated you can fire form some rifle cases, do a search and will find what cases you can do it with and like some already stated will work and you can still get way from needed plastic wads with the way I load some. It depending on how one wants to do it .
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Polymath View Post
    I load 5 to 7 boxes a year as they are not to be found. I used to load with a home made loader kit and it was ok. Bought a used MEC for the de-priming and sizing stage and that sped things up a lot and I got more consistent chambering too. I fold crimp my 2-1/2" and roll crimp the 3" hulls. Once they split, I trim off the splits, skive the mouths, and go again for the shorter2-1/2" load charges. I use LilGun for powder and mostly #5 lead shot for grouse. 209A primers. Reports came back to me that "seem" to be a tad more spiffy that factory rounds. I get aprox 5 to 6 reloads from them.
    Sounds like me, I use the hulls down to a nub. When the 2 1/2 split I make light creepy critter loads without crimps, just glue in a home made card wad. I do have a question, how do you skive the hulls ? I mostly use H-110 because that's what I have, how do you like Lilgun. I have a pound but haven't used it yet. I have read it is tough on hulls, what's your experience ?

    Dave

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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