12g trap reloading - factory recommendation..

[petemacsydney]

hi guys
just getting into trap and plan to reload. would like to buy factory ammo that suits reloading so i can build up a hull supply... interested if you have any recommendations on factory 12g trap ammo suitable for reloading?
cheers p

thanks all for your comments.. after careful consideration, i no longer plan to re-load for my 12g
not worth it..

[bigfellascott]

Mate probably cheaper to buy the factory loads than go to the trouble of reloading, there's bugger all diff $$$ wise so don't waste your time.

cheers

[petemacsydney]

good to know. i saw a reload station going very cheap, so thought it may be worth it over time. but must admit, i haven't looked at component costs yet.

[bigfellascott]

good to know. i saw a reload station going very cheap, so thought it may be worth it over time. but must admit, i haven't looked at component costs yet.

Your welcome mate, I too looked at it a while back and the lead shot wasn't exactly cheap, then the wads, hulls, powder, primers etc on top of that - it really did work out better to just buy the ready made stuff.

Whether that will remain the case who knows, if the reloading station is a good price and you're happy to pay it why not buy it, it might come in handy one day if things reverse?

Although I'm sure someone mentioned a while back that a lot of GS aren't even stocking the reloading components for shotguns as much as they used to (I guess the demand for it isn't there like it once was)?

[Chronos]

FYI I believe Abelas in Campbeltown sell lead shot, might be worth pricing it. It definitely wouldn't be worth reloading for trap loads but might be fun for heavier loads, say BB and bigger

It's the high brass hulls you want for reloading but they tend to only come on heavy game loads, not trap loads

Don't forget you'd need primers, powder and wads as well.

Chronos

[petemacsydney]

yeah i think i'll give it a miss.
my 308 reloads already consume too much time in the man cave! lol

[Warrigul]

FYI I believe Abelas in Campbeltown sell lead shot, might be worth pricing it. It definitely wouldn't be worth reloading for trap loads but might be fun for heavier loads, say BB and bigger

It's the high brass hulls you want for reloading but they tend to only come on heavy game loads, not trap loads

Don't forget you'd need primers, powder and wads as well.

Chronos

The height of the brass(usually just plated steel) cap is nothing more than cosmetic, there is no benefit from using them in preference to low caps.

I used AA trap shells for all my field reloads for years(mainly just the normal ones, though I did keep a few Supreme AA shells-high wall brass- for reloading with duck load- only for identification purposes), I used to just keep all my competition empties and reload them.

Reloading is a volume thing, if you using less than a case each year there is no tangible benefit, especially now Winchester don't make their superb compression formed hulls anymore. I am about to start loading low recoil loads in #2 shot for my son to use hunting but for everything else I just buy by the case.

[Old Fart]

I too looked at it a while back and the lead shot wasn't exactly cheap, then the wads, hulls, powder, primers etc on top of that - it really did work out better to just buy the ready made stuff.

It's surprisingly expensive More than anything things to start I reckon.

By the time you factor in your own time to do the work anyway I found it's not even break even, and is cheaper to buy factory.

I had a brief time doing it, was fortunate enough to use a mates equipment and save myself the setup costs, but went back to factory after not long.

[bigfellascott]

I too looked at it a while back and the lead shot wasn't exactly cheap, then the wads, hulls, powder, primers etc on top of that - it really did work out better to just buy the ready made stuff.

It's surprisingly expensive More than anything things to start I reckon.

By the time you factor in your own time to do the work anyway I found it's not even break even, and is cheaper to buy factory.

I had a brief time doing it, was fortunate enough to use a mates equipment and save myself the setup costs, but went back to factory after not long.

Yes it is surprising considering reloading for rifles etc is cheaper but there ya go, who knows it might swing back the other way one day but for now I'll happily let someone else do the reloading for me.

[Old Fart]

I think I'll be long gone by then

[bigfellascott]

I think I'll be long gone by then

I certainly hope it doesn't change as I don't have a reloading press for the 12g anymore!

[Warrigul]

Yes it is surprising considering reloading for rifles etc is cheaper but there ya go, who knows it might swing back the other way one day but for now I'll happily let someone else do the reloading for me.

It's a volume thing, far more shotgun cartridges are sold every year than rifle cartridges. I know blokes, who compete, blowing through almost 1000 cartridges some months. Even I use at least 1000+ a year on birds and general hunting and another 1000 a year on clays (sim field only now).

Shotgunning is big in Australia.

[Gregg]

Shotgunning is big in Australia.

It is.

So now, is the price as competitive as it can be? Or are they gouging us because of the demand

[Warrigul]

Shotgunning is big in Australia.

It is.

So now, is the price as competitive as it can be? Or are they gouging us because of the demand

Dunno, I am still paying $89 a half case(ten boxes) for winchester #8s and $100 a half case for black rangers in #2 and #4. Same as I have been paying for about five years now.

I have a pseudo brother in law at a hardware shop and have seen the buy price for shells- they don't make much, which is borne out by the general similarities in prices around the clubs and their suppliers.

Shotgunning is comparatively cheap and a whole lot of fun especially when you spend most of the summer playing in a couple of orchards (even more so when the ammo is being supplied).

[bigfellascott]

Yeah there isn't much margin at all in shot shells from what I can gather, buying pallets is the go but then you have to store em so not feasible for most of us. I bought 6 slabs a while back and they cost me around $84 each for RC2's and that was before the latest price rise (aus $ falling so less buying power).

[Gregg]

Well, at least we're not getting ripped and everyone's doing what they can.

[Ade]

We are getting ripped likeost things in australia. Have you seem the price and better still the huge range of choice for shot shells in the UK

[tiki]

I'm surprised the UK is any better?

Everything you read about their guns laws seems they've got it worst than us. I wonder why it's cheaper then?

[nords]

At least they're just upfront about laws and aren't trying to price people out of the sport like they do here...

[Ade]

I reload for my 2.5 inch chambered old English side by side. Reuse hulls or cut down 2.3/4 hulls to size. Get fibre wads. You can re-crimp star crimps by hand with a dowel or you can roll crimp hulls. I bought antique hand primer punch and press, shot and powder measure from eBay. It is my second use shotgun but I find it relaxing to reload for it and gets my youngest daughter interested

[schink]

You can re-crimp star crimps by hand with a dowel or you can roll crimp hulls.

How many times can get you get away with recrimping?

I would have thought bending the plastic back and forth wears it out pretty quick, especially during the shooting unfolding it?

[Ade]

I usually keep em for up to ten reloads depending on what the condition of the hull looks like. Same with roll crimping

[schink]

Cool.

That's more than I thought you'd get out of 'em.

[bm777]

Hi All,

New here. I have an MEC 600 reloading press which I bought for $300. I do reload and not only find it fun, I also get lead shot #7 very cheap $3.00/Kg. Company to go and see is Consolidated Alloys in Australia.

Don't have to buy Winchester wads, but if you do a bit of googling, you can find replacement wads at really good prices.

I have been reloading for about 10yrs now as I and my 2 sons shoot, and we can shoot a lot!! During this time I also found that you can reload all sorts of hulls safely. When I first started, people told me that only particular hulls were adept at reloading, AAs, and the like. However even the crappy winchesters can be safely reloaded up to 5 times.

For clays targets! I can reload 100rounds/hour in a steady, very casual going...It's easier and faster than reloading rifle/pistol ammo.

Also, if you ask your club to keep some hulls for you after a shoot, there...no need to buy hulls....Just some thoughts. If you know where to look, it doesn't have to be expensive, besides, why throw away all that plastic when you can re-use it???

[12gatrap]

Here are 3 shotshell reloading cost calculators.
http://www.trapshooters.com/pages/reloadcalc/
http://ultimatereloader.com/2013/05/08/ ... ator-free/
http://www.losttarget.com/costcal.htm
bm777 I would really appreciate some links to cheap wads 12ga. I have had little luck searching the web for anything cheaper than the standard.

I believe it would cost over $10 per 25 if you had to buy all components where traps loads you can get for $8. Even with free shot it is still not cheap.

[12gatrap]

I just last night looked at a 1978 Clay target magazine and the price of 25 shells for clay's was $7.80. So trap loads have really stayed competitive in price.
Back then huge amounts of shooters reloaded because they saved heaps! But not now unfortunately.

[petemacsydney]

ok well i'm paying 1 cent per round more today, so i'm pretty dam happy with what i am paying!!!

[stevy]

I just last night looked at a 1978 Clay target magazine and the price of 25 shells for clay's was $7.80.

In years this is going to be one of those things grandparents say when bitching about prices like

"When I was a kid milk cost a quarter, and shells for clays were 30c!"

[Ozziammo]

Does anyone know who the Australian agent is for MEC reloaders please?

Thanks,

Regards Ozzi.

[12gatrap]

I just last night looked at a 1978 Clay target magazine and the price of 25 shells for clay's was $7.80.

In years this is going to be one of those things grandparents say when bitching about prices like

"When I was a kid milk cost a quarter, and shells for clays were 30c!"

The difference this time is that they were $7.80 then and only $8.00 now some 36 years later! Not $25 a box of 25 now.