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I found a problem with Cheddite hulls on my MEC Sizemaster and discovered that others had the same problem before me. Both new and once fired Herter's hulls. The problem was crushed or ugly crimps and the solution is to take a Dremel sanding drum to the inside of your MEC plastic pre-crimp spindex and reduce the long internal starter ridges back to match the length of the shorter ridges. Not the star pattern itself but the ridges along the side of the spindex. Crimps are much better after doing this.

OBTW, some, if not all, Winchester 16 ga shells use Cheddite hulls too.

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16gguy, I guess if I was trying to make a point, it was that if you reload for hunting purposes, with reloads in the low hundreds per year, there is still some opportunity to enjoy the best, i.e., Winchester CFs. Not too long ago fn16 offered several flats for sale and they weren't "grabbed up" immediately. After about a week or ten days, I contacted him and he still had 2-3 flats for sale, so I bought one, even though I probably didn't need them. I'm still scratching my head as to why they weren't jumped on immediately, if not sooner.

If you reload to bust clay, and shoot thousands or tens of thousands of rounds per year, then CFs are probably out of the question. I doubt if a person could cobble together that many purchases to satisfy the need--and it would be a miracle if a large stash of CFs every surfaced. However, as I recall, fn16 had 5-6 flats for sale--not a bad start! And even if you did, they would wear out pretty quick with high-volume shooting, so one would be looking for another gold mine. Stick with Cheddites, Rems, Federals, etc. for this need. Or buy cheap factory loads.

What few clay pounders I know generally shoot cheap factory loads anyway. Years ago, shotshell reloading was a good way to save money--now one can buy low velocity shells cheaper than he can reload them in most cases. $50 a bag lead puts the whammy on reloading in a hurry--thank goodness I'm sitting on lead that cost about $15 in the day!

However, when I drive 1-3 days to hunt Chinese chickens, chukar, gray pats, ruffed grouse, etc., you can bet I'll have Winchester CFs in the magazine and vest. No powder migration, no split "brass", no chambering or extraction problems, no bad crimps (with Dove and Quail 8-star), no sweat.

If I didn't have a big stash of CFs, I'd probably quit reloading.

Member Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Posts: 1338

I think, THINK, that you are one messed (being nice here) up cowboy, Mr. Campbell.......not that it's a bad thing!!!!!

......and who are you kidding there is an open seat for you........you must have been the photographer!! Shocked

There must have been some alcohol involved at that party.

Hijacking a hijacked thread Evil or Very Mad

, I think the best hulls to reload are free ones given to you by friends. Rolling Eyes

Cheapest 16 gauge loaded shells are the Herter's brand from Cabela's when they have a sale on and also offer free shipping. They use purple Cheddite hulls. Cheddite seems to supply most other brands in 16 gauge, except for Remington. I think all but Remington are straight walled hulls and load more or less like Cheddite hulls.

All my $0.02 and results may vary.

Mark wrote, "I think, THINK, that you are one messed (being nice here) up cowboy, Mr. Campbell.......not that it's a bad thing!!!!! "

Easy there Mark, my world is surrounded by cowboys and none of them dress like those … what ever they are. Shocked

jschultz, who knows what goes on in Mr. Campbell's mind.