Been reloading pistol and rifle rounds for a while but brand new to reloading shotgun

[ell198679]

I just decided to buy the lee reloading press on ebay. And I plan on reloading for 12 gauge. I have some green dot, HS 6 and Unique powder that I can use for the rounds.
But since I have never reloaded but one shotgun shell. I do have a few questions.

When you make a load with say 2 3/4 inch shell. Is it safe to assume that a Remington and say a Winchester 2 3/4 shell are made to the same or similar tolerances. Like they are in rifle and pistol rounds. Where for example a .38 special brass case is the same. For the most part across brands. And can the same be said about the primers. Are 209 primers for example about the same across brands. . So I did a little research and it seems that they are not completely interchangeable. So I am assuming going the route of published data and getting exactly what is printed may be the best route.
Also, what about the wads same type for buckshot and birdshot?


It also seems like the weight of your projectile is the most important thing. IE if you have 12 grains of powder you shot something that weighs 1 1/7 of an oz. (hypothetical) Regardless, if it's buckshot, birdshot, slug etc. (please any body reading understand I am a total beginner when it comes to reloading shotgun so do NOT take this as any form of advice).

Just like when I first got into reloading rifle and pistol back in 2013. Now there is another shortage of components. So I think my first rounds will just be light birdshot loads or the like. Or maybe I will cast some buckshot rounds.

[Ed_Shot]

Recommend you assume nothing when reloading for shotguns. Get a manual (preferably more than one) and stick to published data for both bird shot and buck shot. The first over-pressure sign you get with a shotgun is when it blows up in your hands. My 2 cents....believe who you want.

[Gofaaast]

Hulls are different within each brand as well between brands. Some are the same and have the same loads. I recommend the hodgdon reloading data site along with print loading manuals.

[ell198679]

Yeah that's the jist that I am getting from what I have read. That you have to just go by the books and stick with it. Or lose a hand. Which kinda sucks right now cause it's hard to find the components needed. I always buy my reloading stuff when there is a shortage silly me. Handgun reloading is fairly easy, rifle too. But shotgun does seem to be a little a more picky with the components etc. I may say. Maybe, after years of reloading you can start to figure out what you can get away with and not. So is it important to get the right brand etc. When it comes to shotgun wads as well? I looked at the Alliant website and it gives you the wad, hull and primer to use. And the weight of the shot. But not the shot type IE buckshot, birdshot, or slug. So the same wad works with all three??

[Winger Ed.]

Nowdays, a lot of folks think they can avoid buying or reading books.
The substitute for it is to think they can be spoon fed off the internet for free.

Loading shotgun shells isn't one of those things.

I'd encourage buying at least the Lyman book for them.
Then read it at least twice, and heed what they say. They really do know what they're talking about.

When firing reloaded shotgun shells, there are a few different things that can happen:
All but one of them is bad.

[ell198679]

Yeah no S*** anyways i'll email Alliant and ask. Yeah but the first loads require basic information a recipe to go by. From for example a gun powder manufacturer. Probably, not a book until you really get into it and want to reload for real.. A book will def. help. Especially with shotgun loads. no argument against that.

[toallmy]

I loaded shot shells for years in my youth with the load data sheet that came with the lee loader , one page of load combinations . Pre internet I didn't even know - I didn't know anything .
I suggest getting the Lyman shot shell reloading handbook I liked the 4 th edition better than the 5 th .
Alliant has a usefully web site .

[ell198679]

Yeah the only problem with the lyman book is that it seems geared towards birdshot. I would like to load slugs and buckshot eventually. Still good book for a beginner like me. It's funny though reloading handgun, rifle rounds seems so less finicky than shotgun reloads.

[Winger Ed.]

reloading handgun, rifle rounds seems so less finicky than shotgun reloads.

Brass cases are pretty uniform, and straight forward.

By comparison---- With shotgun hulls, there's a lot more going on and variables to deal with.
If they were all as similar as different brands of say,, 9mm cases, it'd be a whole lot more simple.

[toallmy]

Yeah the only problem with the lyman book is that it seems geared towards birdshot. I would like to load slugs and buckshot eventually. Still good book for a beginner like me. It's funny though reloading handgun, rifle rounds seems so less finicky than shotgun reloads.

A ounce is a ounce ( at least most of the time ) but a couple important things to NOT DO are never leave empty space & only use buffer as stated in a manual .
Don't over complicate it - pick a hull - get a sack of clay buster wads that fit that stile hull with your powder choices , get a brick of Winchester 209s and have at it .
Make sure your lee loader come with the kit of assorted powder and shot bushings .
The powders you have are fine ( Unique and Green dot ) for milder loads , and that's where you should start .
1200-1300 fps low pressure loads shoot just fine .

[MusicMan]

Yeah the only problem with the lyman book is that it seems geared towards birdshot. I would like to load slugs and buckshot eventually. Still good book for a beginner like me. It's funny though reloading handgun, rifle rounds seems so less finicky than shotgun reloads.

Look at the difference in thickness between a rifle barrel and a shotgun barrel! Not much difference between OK and BOOM in a shotgun barrel! Stick with published data.

[centershot]

A ounce is a ounce ( at least most of the time ) but a couple important things to NOT DO are never leave empty space & only use buffer as stated in a manual .
Don't over complicate it - pick a hull - get a sack of clay buster wads that fit that stile hull with your powder choices , get a brick of Winchester 209s and have at it .
Make sure your lee loader come with the kit of assorted powder and shot bushings .
The powders you have are fine ( Unique and Green dot ) for milder loads , and that's where you should start .
1200-1300 fps low pressure loads shoot just fine .

This is sound advice! As a beginner you can stay out of trouble and shoot any payload you want using nothing more than a 1 oz. or 1-1/8 oz. trap load as a base. You can substitute equal weights of payload - birdshot, buckshot, round ball, or slug - and be safe. A 1 oz. round ball at 1300 fps will kill anything in North America! Buckshot? Eight to ten pellets of #0 buckshot at 12-1300 fps is REALLY effective and often times will pattern better than a 1500 fps load. A shotgun is really versatile, AND, you needn't loosen your dental work to have an effective load. The Lyman manual is a great place to start!

[megasupermagnum]

Yeah the only problem with the lyman book is that it seems geared towards birdshot. I would like to load slugs and buckshot eventually. Still good book for a beginner like me. It's funny though reloading handgun, rifle rounds seems so less finicky than shotgun reloads.

No, the Lyman manual has separate sections for everything. They have a hefty lead shot section, but also quite a few for buckshot and slugs, and even steel, bismth, and more. Most of the slugs are for the Lyman molds though. We can help you out on slugs here, there are many ways to go about it.

A lot of people are giving you the scare tactic, but that's not really needed for an experienced reloader. You asked about components. It is true that each shotgun hull is unique. The difference between a Winchester AA and a Federal gold medal hull is big. 209 primers are likely the least uniform type of primers out there, they are all over the map. A CCI 209 and a Federal 209A are worlds apart. That's not to say you are in for instant death if you change one thing. I don't want to imply a lax attitude, but there is plenty of safety margin in a shotgun.

The press you choose can make a huge difference in your ammo, and how you use them. This is in great contrast to all metallic cartridges, which can all be made with the same style of dies, on the same press. The Lee Load All II is a great press, very simple to use with no adjustments. There is a short learning curve to figuring out the feel for crimping, but they also come with all the bushings you need, and work great overall. The one downside to the Lee, is that being not adjustable, it only crimps about .060" deep, which is ideal for target ammo, but not for the heaviest hunting ammo (although it does work). Many will recommend the MEC 600jr , I can not(10 gauge being the one exception). If you get one for free, fine, but don't pay for one. A MEC sizemaster is an acceptable press, but is very finicky to adjust. The plus is that you can crimp deeper for hunting ammo. This doesn't come with any powder bushings, and shot is adjusted by exchanging the entire bar. The alternative I use is to buy an adjustable charge bar, which works ok. The best single stage, and also the most money is a Ponsness Warren 375. There isn't much bad I can say about it, except that you have to buy powder and shot bushings. It produces better than factory crimps with a very simple adjustment.

I would not get a progressive press if you intend on experimenting with different loads a lot, as they are tougher to load individually on, although they can be an option down the road.

[elmacgyver0]

Most shot gunners are a different breed from the metallic case reloader, ie rifle and pistol.
The scare tactics are not a bad idea if you think about it.

[megasupermagnum]

Well I suppose it is never a bad idea to be on the safe side. "That you have to just go by the books and stick with it. Or lose a hand" I think it may be a bit over the top. You can make some substitutions, and often a manual will have that information. Say you have data with a Winchester AA wad, but don't have that wad. the WT12 is an exact copy. Or you can go to Claybuster, and they make both an AA and a WT clone. Failing all that, you can make an informed decision based on data for a substitution. In this case a Remington figure 8 wad should be a good AA wad replacement in most target loads. It has very rarely been the case that I have ever used 100% the exact components in the loading manual. There is almost always a strange primer, or an obsolete wad, or something I don't have, and so on. It isn't realistic to stock every single type of 209 primer, and every single wad for every hull you have. Unless you plan on loading flats of target ammo, making substitutions is the reality of shotgun reloading.

The more you look as manuals, and with a few years of experience, you learn to make these substitutions safely. Even if you totally screw up, and for example accidentally use a CCI 209M (equivalent of a Fed 209A) in place of a standard CCI 209, it is highly unlikely the gun is coming apart. Again, not to promote a lax attitude, but to honestly blow up a shotgun almost always involves a bore obstruction of some kind. You hear about a double charge now and then, and sometimes the wrong powder used. The only real difference here over metallic is that there are no hard and fast rules on pressure signs in shotguns. Primers don't show anything. Sometimes you get sticky extraction or an extractor mark, but that is more often than not a poor quality shell, or a rough chamber. A chronograph may help, as shotgun velocities should be fairly close to published, unlike handgun data which could be published with a 10" barrel.

Just use your brain, your manual, and the fact that the OP has been loading ammo tells me he knows the risks of double charges, and the need for a good scale.

[Cap'n Morgan]

Good advice from MegaMag above. Common sense is the most important ingredient in reloading. I still look up loads in Lymann's shotshell manual from time to time, but mostly for heavy loads information. As for metallic cartridges, I have hardly looked in a manual since I invested in the QuickLoad program.

[bakerjw]

BPI has an excellent buckshot loading manual.
I have that as well as the Lyman.
FWIW, I'm loading with Fiocchi hulls right now.

[ell198679]

First off I would like to thank everyone for all wealth of information it really has been help full.



I got these components and now I think I want to get some #4 magnum lead shot.Instead, of say 7 1/2 shot. I guess this should be fine. can you use any size shot you like with loads as long as it is not buckshot. (in general) anyways I know there are hardly ever any absolutes in life.
CL 811812 - Claybuster 12 Ga. Remington Fig 8 Replacement 1-1/8 oz.
HL R12UL8S - Once-Fired Remington 12 Ga. 2-3/4" Metallic Green STS Unibody Hulls and Win 209 primers.

[toallmy]

Yep , including buckshot

[ell198679]

Yeah ill probably load some buckshot but try it with birdshot for my first rounds thanks.