16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 11 Dec 2015 Posts: 1 Location: Melbourne AUSTRALIA

New to this and trying to supplement the very irregular supplies of 16g ammunition available in Australia.
Ideally I would like a load less than 1oz in a 2 1/2" shell to feed a lovely old Lang, SxS.
I'm starting from scratch and don't have a press yet.
Would I be able to reload 2 1/2" on a Lee load all?
Should I get a MEC or something else?
Can anyone recommend a good manual or source of data?
I bought the latest (2007) Lyman handbook and Rick Sapp's Reloading for Shotgunners but they don't give me a lot of options.
Is there a preferred supplier for components?
Thanks

I have a lee load all and a mec 600 jr, I plan on using the mec to load 21/2 shells, with a spacer.

Don't bother screwing around with a Lee LoadAll or a Lyman EasyLoader. At bare minimum use a MEC 600 Jr. Further, unless you need to load several thousand shells per year you will never really need anything more than a MEC 600. The MEC system is fundamentally the best for handling the cartridges and crimping. There really is a significant difference in ability to craft a good crimp with a MEC vs. the other two mentioned earlier. Loading 2.5 inchers is easy on the MEC 600 especially as there are "short kits" available from the MEC and others, and you can also create your own "short kit" of sorts with hand-crafted spacers under the crimp start and finish stations -- lots of posts on this forum section to give advice on reloading short stuff.

You mentioned manuals. Are you talking about reloading "recipe" manuals or manuals for the reloading tool? The best you can get off the shelf for the former is the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook, 5th edition, which contains all sorts of useful info on technique and good practice as well as loading recipes. Also good is Reloading for Shotgunners by Fackler and McPherson. For reloading tool manuals, just go onto the MEC Reloaders site and download the manuals for any of their products. And remember, the internet knows everything -- just ask it.

Good Luck and Best Wishes.

Joined: 03 Sep 2014 Posts: 398 Location: Rochester, MN

I concur with MaximumSmoke's assessment regarding the Lee Loader vs. the MEC. I have reloaded 12 gauge shotshells with a MEC for nearly 40 years. A few years ago, I picked up my first 16 gauge gun. I bought a new 16 gauge Lee Load All II at a gun show. It worked O.K. I could load acceptable ammunition with it. Within a year, I decided to purchase a MEC.

There is no comparison. The ability to adjust the crimp and accomplish high quality tapered crimps and the speed with which you can load with the MEC cannot be duplicated by the Lee.

The only advantage that the Lee has over the MEC is the crimp starter station. The crimp starter on the Lee gives very deep and uniform folds that allow the MEC to accomplish excellent crimps when working with new, unfired hulls.

For that reason, the Lee still occupies a space on my bench. I will probably get rid of it when I decide to buy an aftermarket crimp starter from Ballistic Products.

Like has been said. I will add that on a progressive MEC you can load one at a time if you hand measure the powder and shot. You can remove the primered hull at the hull station and pour in the powder, put it back in, insert the wad and either pour in the shot with it in place after pushing down the hull (I use a funnel) or pull it back out and pour in the powder.
The 600 is basically a 'one at a time' loader but does a nice job. If you think you will shoot a lot get the progressive. If not take your time loading and get the 600.

Au Contraire GWP!! Loading "single-style" on any MEC progressive does not require hand measurement of charges. Those loaders are able to load singles just fine with the system moving the charge bar in the case of the 650, the grabbers or the 9000, and with the operator participation as normal (semi-automatic) in the uncommon old 500's and Super 600's (which look deceptively like the 650).

Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 1358 Location: Twin Cities, MN

Tish, you spoke French!!!!

Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss and kiss.

(As it was a foreign language you should have italicized au contraire)

Ever helpful,
Jeff

Hello Paddy

and Welcome to the site on your first posting.

The Lee will turn out serviceable ammo but the MEC 600 or 700 will do it more easily.

As for a source of data

Go here FREE!

https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/reloading16gauge/files

Enroll

Be approved by oldhunter

Log in, go to files and then to:

16 loads revise wads xxx .xls

Again, welcome
Mike

Joined: 18 Feb 2014 Posts: 30 Location: New Zealand

Paddy

Mike's advice is sound. Also, as your neighbour from across the ditch I can share the happy news that not only will MEC ship overseas but better still, one of the few shipping bargains from the USA to our part of the world is a MEC 16ga die set. They squeeze it all into a standard USPS International box. Shipping for mine was NZ$17 a few years ago. Team that with an old un-loved MEC600 off eBay and you're in business.

Cheers

Richard.

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 371 Location: mpls mn

I happen to have a mec 600 16 gauge I'd be willing to part with -can't imagine shipping would be a problem
Max smoke has even reloaded a round or 2 on this one
haben sie einen gluten tag
rp

Joined: 23 Nov 2015 Posts: 37 Location: S. central TN

To the OP, you have been given sound advice. You can use Lee LoadAll but as you state new to the game, with the Lee you would have to create short shell adapters. Could turn into a real frustration as a beginner. Lyman manual highly recommended. Invaluable in information. MEC would be my recommendation also as parts, service and availability in the world market very reputable. An American firm ballisticproducts.com has a Sixteen Gauge manual that addresses the short hulls, most of the recipes in this manual involve Refienhauser hulls which they market. In the international market that may not be of any inconvenience. BPI Ballisticproducts are very well spoken of international shipping.Digesting all this information can be challenging, I wish you Joy in your newfound addiction. There is a sweet satisfaction creating shotshells of your own choosing.