16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 07 May 2013 Posts: 50

I have reloaded for all my centerfire rifles for 30 years but never shot enough shotgun to justify loading shotgun shells. A buddy just gave me a 16g Lee Loader tool and I figured I could load some woodcock loads with it. Wanting to load a 1 oz load of #9 shot. Any suggestions on powders,primers,wads ,charges etc would be a great place to start. Also if there is a particular manual you would recommend would be great.

First a word about shop safety. Smile

No smoking or open flames. Don't substitute components in published, tested recipes. Wear eye protection. The last rule is honored more in the breach than in adherence by me and I suspect, others.
The first manual often suggested is the Lyman. The most up to date with the most recipes is in the Ballistic Products Advantages manual. My opinion, since you have a familiarity with centerfire, you won't need one for basics. Rely on the Lee instructions for use of their tools. All of the major powder companies list loading data online. The major suppliers of components are Precision Reloading, Ballistic Products, Graf's and Buck's Run. Truism: Rarely is one able to buy all components in someone's pet recipe from one supplier. At this time, powder can be difficult to find locally. My first step would be to peruse the online powder companies for recipes, jot down the powders and call local shops to see if they have any of the powders and go from there. If you don't have a supply of hulls, wait for Herter's to sell flats next season for $56 delivered and shoot their #8's and reuse those hulls or buy 100 unfired, primed hulls and load those. You should be hearing from some other posters about good recipes and powder selections.

Hi terrym: Before you spring for any shot shell components ,I suggest you pick up a Lyman latest edition shot shell reloading manual. I believe the latest is noted as the 5th edition. It will help you identify different hulls and contains some loading data.

Scraggley

Hi Gil S:
If I knew you were penning such a great list of recommendations for a new shot shell reloader, I would have just sat here and drank my coffee !

Scraggley

Also if you let us know where you are located another board member might be willing to help out with some trial components. I know I've got enough RGL hulls and R16 wads I'd be willing to sell some if your in a bind. (Local sales allow me to recoup my costs, shipping usually tips the price to un attractive to the buyers.)

As stated, powder is the sticky wicket right now. If you were loading pistol may have some decent powders on hand.

Joined: 28 Aug 2014 Posts: 924 Location: Eastern Tennessee

Did a quick search to see if he was around me. No luck, he lives in Ontario.

Good tools make results easier and more satisfying. While the free Lee Loader will get you started, it might frustrate you out of the reloading idea. Don't let that happen. I strongly recommend eventual graduation to the MEC 600 or 700, unless you are shooting more than a few thousand shells a year, in which case you might justify a progressive loader. Since the 600 (700 is really the same) is the most widely sold shotshell reloader ever, there are plenty of used ones around -- take your time and look around. They're still made, you can get parts and advice quickly from MEC (best manuals ever, and free on-line), and they last forever. The 600/700 can use interchangeable die sets for all the usual gauges, so if you can't find a used 16, don't worry, you might profit by buying one in 12 or 20 and a die set for 16. You will be able to do this for less than the price of a new one in 16; prices have risen for the new ones.

Your reloader can easily pay for itself. No matter how you buy your components, you can come out well ahead of the cost of off-the-shelf hunting loads. Loading exactly what you want is another benefit, especially in the 16, where relatively few different loads are offered by the maufacturers. Shooting better by shooting more often with the availability of the least costly practice ammo is another advantage. You will be able to easily beat the store prices of target ammo also -- not by as much as good hunting loads, but still significantly, especially in the 16, which suffers from relatively higher prices because the manufacturers don't load it in quantities as high as in 20 and 12 gauges. Of course the 28 ga. and the .410 suffer similarly, you will have noticed.

Joined: 08 Oct 2008 Posts: 10 Location: Pikeville Tennessee

I also load 16 gauge on a Lee Load All II. I got it cheap from a buddy who blamed the Lee for lousy crimps on his loads. He then bought a used MEC and , guess what, he got the same lousy crimps with the MEC. 16 gauge hulls, for the most part, are not that good. I get two or three good loads from once fired hulls. Since I live over an hour from any place that might have 16 gauge shells on the shelf, I will keep trucking with the Lee Loadall.

A word of caution on the Lee, everything is done by feel. There are no positive stops on the Lee Loadall. You must learn the feel of a a proper crimp start and finish crimp. I ruined a few hulls on my first box, but now I have found the feel. I know the Lee is slow, but for the limited amount of 16 gauge shells that go through yearly (about 2 boxes), it is no problem.

As stated above, shotshell recipes must be followed exactly. The best sources of loads that I have found are this site and the Lyman 5th Shotshell Manual.

Joined: 07 May 2013 Posts: 50

Thanks for the info so far. Living up in Canada getting anything firearm related across the border is problematic. A buddy has offered to lend me his MEC 600 which he isn't using so I will be using that this summer. As already stated the intent is to load 1 oz. loads of #9 shot for woodcock hunting and occasional informal skeet. I can buy factory loaded #8 shells but no #9 which is what I am wanting to try. None of my rifle powders are useful so ant advice on a good powder to start would be helpful. My hulls are Remington and I haven't bought any wads yet either. Would be interested in what pressures and velocities you all use and what you would recommend for woodcock loads?

Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 603 Location: Victoria BC Canada

terrym; I feel your pain, maybe not so much snow to shovel but I live in Victoria. There is a Cabelos in Nanaimo, BC, and in Bellingham, WA. But local is where I try to buy. No big deals on Herters shells either as the "Great Undefended Border" forms quite a barrier.

Take it in steps;
1. Get the manual and read. - A lot!
2. register on the 16 ga. group on Yahoo/uk.
3. select a load using a powder you can actually buy. (Green Dot will be approximately the fastest useful powder and range up to about Unique. In fact Unique, and its mates on the burn rate charts, are very useful for pistols and gallery/game potting loads in rifles.)
4. after completing ALL the above steps, start to load shells.