Re-loading 28g cartridges

[grebb 50]

Hi,  Anyone here reload 28bore cartridges  is it worth the while in time and money please , Grebb 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

It may work out cheaper for 28g but only just!

[.357shooter 1,225]

if you can get your lead from a range and make your own shot it is way cheaper

[FX Hunter 19]

You guys are in the UK, so I'm not sure of your ammo costs and you probably shoot a heap more small gauges than we do here in Aussie, having said that I could not afford to shoot .410 or 28g unless I reloaded, it is a definite must here and cost wise ends up about the same as factory 12g, just as an idea:

.410 per 250 or what we call half a slab is around $235 AUD or about 123 Stirling pounds and 28g is again around the $250 AUD mark for 250 so there is a definite advantage for us with 12g being $90-$110 per half slab. Small gauges have a small following here so prices tend to reflect that, I shot a fair bit in the US and over there from what I saw the price difference is not so noticeable.

[philpot 5,003]

There is a company in East Yorks called 'Clay and Game' who are specialists in reloading with all the equipment and supplies, I would give them a call as they WILL tell you if it is cheaper to load your own. I spoke to them a while ago and they said .410, 28 and 16 bore would be cheaper to home load but it is worth checking as it is a couple of years ago and things do change. Good guys.

https://www.claygame.co.uk/reloading-tools-p98

Phil

[Meece 1,957]

I reload 12, 20 & 28. Roughly the price for 28 is in the region of £280 a thousand. That equates to about £7 a box but this seems to raise to around £8 a box if bought singularly.  I use a Mec grabmaster with the adjustable powder / shot bar to load the 28s.  It depends how much shooting you are going to do because  It does cost a fair bit to set up properly to reload.  Reloading shotshells is a lot more difficult than centre fire rifle csrtridges. There are a lot more stages involved that have to be set up and adjusted but when you've got it all set up you're rolling. You have to have a bit of a practical mind and the ability to have patience and determination to successfully reload because there will be numerous problems such as shot and powder all over the place, screwed up cases and misformed crimps ect, ect.  If you are someone who ain't got patience and determination reloading ain't for you. Reloading is something of its own and it's satisfying to bring down that target with cartridges that you have made.. ideally you need someone who does it to help you initially.   costs savings are possible with small gauges and heavy loads. Since the lead ban on wildfowling you can't get heavies such as #3 or BB for that odd Fox drive because it isn't cost effective for manufacturers to make a small quantity for this purpose. FES, (Folkstone Engineering Supplies) is another source.  He is a nice helpful guy that carries a ton of stuff and will either ship or serve direct from his house. He actually does shoot himself. Before you get into it watch a load of videos on YouTube about shotshell reloading. They will save you money.

[philpot 5,003]

21 hours ago, Meece said:

I reload 12, 20 & 28. Roughly the price for 28 is in the region of £280 a thousand. That equates to about £7 a box but this seems to raise to around £8 a box if bought singularly.  I use a Mec grabmaster with the adjustable powder / shot bar to load the 28s.  It depends how much shooting you are going to do because  It does cost a fair bit to set up properly to reload.  Reloading shotshells is a lot more difficult than centre fire rifle csrtridges. There are a lot more stages involved that have to be set up and adjusted but when you've got it all set up you're rolling. You have to have a bit of a practical mind and the ability to have patience and determination to successfully reload because there will be numerous problems such as shot and powder all over the place, screwed up cases and misformed crimps ect, ect.  If you are someone who ain't got patience and determination reloading ain't for you. Reloading is something of its own and it's satisfying to bring down that target with cartridges that you have made.. ideally you need someone who does it to help you initially.   costs savings are possible with small gauges and heavy loads. Since the lead ban on wildfowling you can't get heavies such as #3 or BB for that odd Fox drive because it isn't cost effective for manufacturers to make a small quantity for this purpose. FES, (Folkstone Engineering Supplies) is another source.  He is a nice helpful guy that carries a ton of stuff and will either ship or serve direct from his house. He actually does shoot himself. Before you get into it watch a load of videos on YouTube about shotshell reloading. They will save you money.

A really good response Meece and I totally agree, it can be pain to load shotgun shells if you do not invest in a quality press with the odd production issue in the mix. Many many years ago when I used to reload all my shells as did most of my fellow gun club members, I started off with a low budget press that took an age to produce a box or two of cartridges but then invested in a Pacific press which was a much faster process although compared to the latest mec 9000 series it was still slower. I had been thinking about buying the above press but can I justify £800 on the basic outlay and was it worth it, for me it is not although I used to enjoy the process and would again. The only reason I stopped was that I used to shoot a great many CPSA registered clay competitions and reloads were not aloud. 

Phil

[Meece 1,957]

13 hours ago, philpot said:

A really good response Meece and I totally agree, it can be pain to load shotgun shells if you do not invest in a quality press with the odd production issue in the mix. Many many years ago when I used to reload all my shells as did most of my fellow gun club members, I started off with a low budget press that took an age to produce a box or two of cartridges but then invested in a Pacific press which was a much faster process although compared to the latest mec 9000 series it was still slower. I had been thinking about buying the above press but can I justify £800 on the basic outlay and was it worth it, for me it is not although I used to enjoy the process and would again. The only reason I stopped was that I used to shoot a great many CPSA registered clay competitions and reloads were not aloud. 

Phil

Back in the late forties and fifties When father and grandfather loaded it was a case of necessity because cartridges were (A) difficult to get ( There was still wartime rationing until 53) and (B) expensive for their pocket at that time.  Father’s kit comprised a bike spoke to knock the primers out, A shot /powder measure, a couple of bits of wood as a base, a wad cutter and a ramrod.  They made wads out of cardboard and felt when they could afford it and get it.  No ordinary people wasted cartridges shooting clays and as no one had a fridge so they only shot what they ate so the cartridge count was low.  Sometimes any excess game shot was sold to the local village butcher or to local people.  Eventually the paper cased Eleys disintegrated and when there was a local shoot the boys were sent to pick up as many good new cases as was possible.  The boys did it because the men didn't want to be seen scrounging cases that they couldn't afford. it was done under the guise of the boys collecting cartridges.  Even as recent the shooting times had a reloader kit called the Tayside reloader which I have one of, with which a couple of boxes a night could be reloaded. Then the wife bought me a Manufrance reloader called the Nemrod.  About his time reloads had a quantum leap and stuff like the Lyman, the Bowman and similar became available. These are really basic in comparison to the Mec 9000 progressive that I have in 12 gauge.

[Sausagedog 7,381]

I made do with a Lee load all in 12g.

I loaded in the week for the weekends pigeon shooting.

We scrounged thousands of cartridges from a shops feller that got flooded.

I remember our cars flat to the road with the weight of them. We salvaged the shot, wads and powder, took notes and reloaded the lot over many years. Good times....now I just have a Lee loader and a few components.

[roughshooter1 1]

On 27/10/2019 at 09:22, philpot said:

A really good response Meece and I totally agree, it can be pain to load shotgun shells if you do not invest in a quality press with the odd production issue in the mix. Many many years ago when I used to reload all my shells as did most of my fellow gun club members, I started off with a low budget press that took an age to produce a box or two of cartridges but then invested in a Pacific press which was a much faster process although compared to the latest mec 9000 series it was still slower. I had been thinking about buying the above press but can I justify £800 on the basic outlay and was it worth it, for me it is not although I used to enjoy the process and would again. The only reason I stopped was that I used to shoot a great many CPSA registered clay competitions and reloads were not aloud. 

Phil

I have a mint Mec 9000GN here with adjustable charge bar if you want one at  cheap money but it is in 20 bore

regards

Graham

[philpot 5,003]

4 hours ago, roughshooter1 said:

I have a mint Mec 9000GN here with adjustable charge bar if you want one at  cheap money but it is in 20 bore

regards

Graham

Thanks Graham but at this moment I will decline thanks, other things on the shopping list and as my wife and myself only use 12 gauge, not really suited but thanks anyway.

Phil

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Think they can be converted easily....

[Meece 1,957]

1 hour ago, Sausagedog said:

Think they can be converted easily....

How ?.enlighten me.   I have a 9000 in 12 and I don't see any easy conversation to a different calibre.   Everything would have to be changed at every station.  you can change a manual loader into a hydraulic powered unit by adding the hydraulic parts but as far a I know there aren't any mod kits available to change a 9000 to a different calibre . If there was it would nearly be as cheap to buy another machine. I think that you can modify the smaller Mec 650 models to other calls but not the progressive 9000 models.

[Sausagedog 7,381]

31 minutes ago, Meece said:

How ?.enlighten me.   I have a 9000 in 12 and I don't see any easy conversation to a different calibre.   Everything would have to be changed at every station.  you can change a manual loader into a hydraulic powered unit by adding the hydraulic parts but as far a I know there aren't any mod kits available to change a 9000 to a different calibre . If there was it would nearly be as cheap to buy another machine. I think that you can modify the smaller Mec 650 models to other calls but not the progressive 9000 models.

My mistake yes. Sorry.

[Volyar 0]

Where is everyone getting the powder from? Everywhere I look the shipping is astronomical.