Shotgun Cartridge Reloading

[tplumb 0]

Hi all

 

I'm thinking of starting reloading cartridges, I was wondering if anyone on here could give me some details like cost of equipment, primers, wads, shot etc.

 

Also pros & cons.

 

Cheers

 

Tony

[SportingShooter 0]

First of all, what's the reason you want to reload them?

 

If you're thinking cost, then its going to be a long time at the reloading bench before you recoup the outlay

[tplumb 0]

Yeah that's the biggest con I can think of, cost & how long its going to take me to break even.

 

What are the pros & cons?

 

Edit:

What would the cost be of setting up?

 

Cheers

 

Tony

Edited October 5, 2009 by tplumb

[HUnter_zero 58]

Yeah that's the biggest con I can think of, cost & how long its going to take me to break even.

 

What are the pros & cons?

 

Edit:

What would the cost be of setting up?

 

Cheers

 

Tony

 

Hi Tony, back last year I was given (on a plate) permission to shoot a chunk of foreshore. The land was full of Canada geese and some very good flight lines for Mallard. The only con was I had to control the Mink which wasn't a big issue for me. So, due to the lead ban I made a trip to the gun shot and asked for non-toxic cartridges, I fell about on the floor when he asked for £35 odd for ten rounds. My next plan was to reload non-toxic cartridges.

I spent a while costing everything out and found that there is no way to make it pay. I could buy normal cartridges cheaper than I could reload and the problem with non-toxic was that I would have to buy so much shot in bulk that I would never be able to recover my costs. The business of cartridge reloading isn't as simple as reloading centre fire rifle rounds, the whole thing is complicated and time consuming, needing specific case lengths and wads. The way I understand it is that obviously there is only so much room / volume in a given case. You need to fit a given amount of powder, which takes up a given amount of space, then seat a wad which takes a given amount of space and then load the shot, which again takes up a given amount of space. The space that's left has to be just right , too little and you will not be able to crimp that case, too much and the case will crush when you crimp. All this means that you really need to use the same case and wad which was used in the load development. This in it's self is a bit of a nightmare.

 

John

Edited October 7, 2009 by HUnter_zero