16ga.com ~ View topic - new to reloading- seeking advice

Joined: 13 Jun 2013 Posts: 10 Location: Ohio

Greetings all.
I have decided to reload for 16 and 28 gauge. Haven't reloaded shot shells in forty plus years so I sure could use some advice.
First I want to reload 16 s in both 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 lengths. Both for clays and field.
Second I want to reload 28 ga for clays and field.

Is there one press that will handle this? Preferably a single stage?

Also looking for one powder that I could use for all three applications. Would 20/28 be a good choice? What others would you recommend?

I appreciate any advice that any of you are willing to share.
I am sure that I will be back with many more questions as I get in to this.
Thank you.
Mike

I suggest that you get a copy of Lyman's Shotgun Reloading manual, 5th addition. The manual will help you become familiar with all aspects of shot shell reloading.

Member Joined: 30 Nov 2011 Posts: 1696 Location: Minnesota

Welcome MIKEMV! The MEC single stage loaders are probably the most popular brand. Definitely good choices for beginners. You can get gauge conversion kits for them, but its not an easy quick switch, so a lot of us have just bought separate loaders for each gauge. The Sizemaster model is popular because it truly resizes the brass and has the auto primer feed. Definitely get the manual Mr Schultz has mentioned. You don't say what weights of shot you want to load, but a powder like universal will do 3/4 oz 28's and 1 oz 16's well. The more you want the special loads like 3/4 oz in the 16, you'll have to get different powders. If you read through the old posts in the ammo/reloading section, you'll see lots of discussion on different loads. There is also a similar site to this for the 28 ga which will give you lots of loading/ gun tips too. Again welcome.

Joined: 12 Feb 2015 Posts: 100 Location: Oregon

The Ponsness Warren 375 reloader is a single stage press with a toolhead that will hold dies for two different gauges.

Joined: 03 Feb 2014 Posts: 325 Location: West Texas

The 2 1/2 AND 2 3/4 shell lengths present a problem that I don't know a solution to other than buying two presses.

Member Joined: 09 Jan 2013 Posts: 2168 Location: Florida

With MEC single stage presses a short kit can be had that makes going from loading 2 3/4" to 2 1/2" shells easy . It takes only a matter of less than a minute to make the change and sometimes a little adjustment the crimp dies . Pretty simple .

When loading 2 different gauges it makes more sense to have one loader for each gauge with the MECs.

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

Mikemv,
Welcome! We're glad to have you. The above advice is all excellent. I don't load on a PW, but if you can make one work with 2.5" hulls it would take up less space. Otherwise 2 MEC Sizemasters will be ideal. For 28 gauge just buy new Winchester AA ammo and load your empties. 20/28 is a wonderful powder for 3/4 oz 28s. It's also a good 1 oz 16 gauge powder. If you want to load 3/4 and 7/8 oz 16 gauge then you'll need a faster powder like Green Dot, International Clays or American Select. Let us know what you decide.
Regards,
Jeff

A PW 375 will load from 3.5" down to 2" and can be set up with 2 sets of tooling. to change from one length to another the length of the sizing die is all that is different. Ponsness Warren will make short dies for you.
Will you be cutting your hulls ? I make a trimmer that will make a tedious job quick and easy. If you are interested PM me.

Joined: 13 Oct 2015 Posts: 348

Recommend the PW375. As byrdog said, it will let you do various length hulls with little or no change, since it raises the hull UP to the toolhead. Additionally, the toolhead will hold dies for two gauges at once.

I have 2 PW375C machines, dies for every gauge for them. I also have a 28ga Mec sizemaster, a MEC 600jr for 12ga steel reloading, and a MEC 600jr for 16ga. Oh, and a Lee LoadAll.

On the PW375c, when I want to load a 3" 20ga instead of a 2.75" one, I don't have to do anything except not pull down on the handle as far... if I want to actually reset the dies so I can do a full stroke and it's all set, each die has a set screw on the top that you can adjust to give overall length changes that are repeatable, which I find much easier than the nut and slotted screw method of MEC. Also, the PW is just an all around much beefier machine. It also does full length resizing as it stuffs the hulls up into a full length die, which holds them for the entire process.

Downside is if you like to pull partly loaded hulls out of the process and check them, like for weighing powder drops, it's not as easy as on the MEC. Also hard to find tooling used for 16 and 28ga PW.

Probably the cheapest and easiest way to go would be to buy MEC600jr for 28ga, and another for 16ga. You can make a shell base holder that goes ontop of the final station holder to crimp shorter hulls, or adjust the precrimp and final crimp downwards.

Joined: 13 Jun 2013 Posts: 10 Location: Ohio

Thanks to all who have responded! I think my question as to what press has been resolved or at least narrowed to two good choices. The PW 375 or two MEC 600jrs. Quick internet pricing shows the PW to be just a little more than 2 MECs so price is not a major consideration. I have space for two so that will not be an issue. Moving between 2 3/4 and 2 1/2 shells on the 16 was/is a concern of mine but it sounds like both options will handle that well.
Used PWs dont seem very common, but a good used MEC may be possible so I'll look a little before I buy as that could help lower the initial cost.

I did take the advice of Mr. Schultz and went to my local Cabelas and picked up the Lyman Handbook. It is indeed and excellent resource. Thank you.

I plan to shoot lead at the Clays range. For 16s I think a 1 once load will be where I end up for the 2 3/4 shells. For the 2 1/2 loads I will want to shoot lighter loads.
The 28 will be 3/4 once loads but for modern guns so pressures wont be as big a concern as in some of the 16s.
Again, thank you all for responding. Keep it up. All advice is welcomed.
Mike

I use a lee load all for 16ga 2 3/4 loads, a lot cheaper then the mec. and I love the way it crimps. but I also have a mec that I bought a short kit for it and use it for my 2 1/2 loads, also use it for other loads I experiment with since its a lot easier to change out the bushings.

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

mms,
For 1 ounce loads it might be best to just buy Herter's ammo when it's on sale at Cabelas. You can save a little on reloading them if you use the Gualandi or Claybuster wads. You could then save your hulls and cut them down to 2 1/2" for your light loads. Just another option.
Jeff

Joined: 13 Oct 2015 Posts: 348

A good technique if you're getting shallow crimps, like you mention when doing shorties in the PW375, is to "finish crimp" them using a Roll TurnOver (RTO) die. This will provide a nice tapered round top, will firm up your crimp, and will also give a slightly deeper crimp.

A lot of folks use Gaep tooling to do this, specifically intended to finish the top crimp after a pre-crimp-- you don't use the final crimp stage even, just finish them all in the drill press. This can solve a lot of problems in setting final crimp with changing hull heights.

Alternatively, and what I do, is just use the RTO die from Precision or BPI and lightly hit the top of your finished fold-crimped shells. It makes a strong improvement to the crimps, and might be a good answer with those shallow crimps you describe.

Also will mention, byrdog is working on a very nice pre-crimp die for the PW375, which allows more height adjustment than the OEM supplied die. I've been testing it for him, and it looks to have very good promise, it would certainly allow you to easily pre-crimp SHORTER hulls like 2.5" 16ga more easily. It has a die-top height adjustment screw that the OEM die is missing, so you can easily and repeatably adjust pre-crimp height. Going the other way, to 3" hulls say in 20ga, is a bit more difficult, but he is working on that even now and I'm confident will end up with a solid product.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2346 Location: West MI

Welcome aboard and back to reloading mikemv, all great suggestions so far especially regarding the Lymans manual.

Another consideration with 2 presses (I think 2 Sizemasters would be ideal for you) is if you have a bud or children who want to get into shooting/reloading... 2 presses running make for some enjoyable time in the reload cave.

BTW; pretty sure a short kit for the MEC's is as simple matter of a couple washers or coins taped in place when needed.

Again, welcome aboard....