Hi Putrol,
Shot size:#9 is best for skeet. #7 1/2 is best for trap. Use #3-6 for vermin & game. Use a mix of #9 and 7 1/2 for sporting clays-9 for close in shots and 7.5 for the longer ones. If you only want to buy one type of lead, get 7 1/2- it is more universal. Try to get shot with graphite lube to avoid clumping. Hard shot containing antimony is better- it deforms less and will pattern better.
Primers....I have found loose primers on cheaper hulls only. If you use HS AA Winchester hulls (usually red) you will not see any loose primers. You can also get 7-10 loads out of them. If you find these hulls in the hull bin at the clay range, grab'em all up!
If you are loading the cheaper hulls- you can tell these as they have ribbed plastic instead of smooth- you can get a tight primer pocket buy using a pocket press. My ancient Stirling reloading press has a pocket press
(red arrow) on the de-priming punch (
blue arrow) . You pull the handle down on the press until the primer pops out, then keep pulling until the pocket press contacts the primer pocket. Give it a squeeze- the primer pocket gets flatter and smaller and your primers will be tighter. Most presses have this feature but not many people know it is there or how to use it. Once you do this- it will not matter what primer you buy. They all fit. I buy Winchester 209's unless there is a significant price difference for another type.
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PowderI would recommend APS350 powder from ADI. It burns the cleanest and faster and you need less per shot, so it is the most economical I have used. You can also use APS450, . Both can also be used for pistol loads if you do that. Load data can be found here:
http://www.adi-powders.com.au/WadsI usually use Winchester WAA12SL wads for 28 grams loads -these are pink . I use WAA12L - grey- for 24 gram loads for Olympic Skeet. Generally I use the wad that is called for in the load recipe listed on the ADI site. I bought a heap of pink claybuster wads a few years ago while on a US trip. They are less expensive that Winchester WAA12SL's and just as good- in fact I liked them better as the wad petals folded under the shot less when reloading.
Economy: I
can get economy out of 12G target loads, but not near as much as rifle loads.
Buckshot and slugs are economical to reload. I have been told that the other gauges, 20, 16, 28, .410 are worth reloading for economy.
The cost reduction would be for premium loads- e.g a slab of Winchester red HS AA skeet loads- 28 grams of #9 at 1250 FPS costs $130. I can reload a slab with all Winchester components for $110. Conversely, I can buy the same cheap Bronzewing skeet loads for $90 a slab.
I don't do it for economy though, I do it for fun and competitive edge. And more recently to keep me busy while in lockdown.
The competitive edge comes from being able to weigh the powder and shot for each round, and get tolerances better than .5%. You can also tailor loads- American skeet has 4 doubles in a round, and for competitions I will often load 4 lower recoil shells for the first shot of the double to help get back on target for the 2nd shot of the double.I use grey HS AA hulls for these to tell them apart. The rest are red HS AA hulls.... You can also max your shot weight for competitions- the rules state for 28 gram skeet loads they need to be 28 +/- .5 grams, so all of my comp loads have exactly 28.49 grams of lead.....and practice loads have less to make it harder......
CrimpMost cheap hulls have 6 point crimps, Winchester HS AA hulls have 8 point crimps. You will need a crimp starting die for each type if you want to do both. My press came with an 8 point crimp starter, I bought a plastic 6 point crimp starter for a lee press and cut it down to fit.
ResizerIt is a good idea to get a resizer. If hulls are fired in a chamber slightly bigger than yours, they might not fit in your gun well. This can cause problems closing the breech, both barrels firing at the same time and some other problems. A resizer will squeeze the brass back to spec. I am using an MEC Super sizer and it has never missed a beat.
https://www.ballisticproducts.com/MEC-S ... o/1308119/Do you have a press already? What type is it?