16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 22 Feb 2020 Posts: 35 Location: United States

I was thinking about buying some I see online, at an only modestly sickening high price. Can anyone advise about reloading the hulls from these factory shells? Thanks.

They work great. I use Federals from various age classes, pretty much all load the same. I believe these newer ones are made by Cheddite & still have the fiber base wad. I use them almost exclusively for reloading target shells since I have so many, have reloaded them many times. Some last longer than others, but unless the hull walls are the thinner type they should last quite a while.

Joined: 22 Feb 2020 Posts: 35 Location: United States

the pics on the website are not consistent. Some show nickel plated base and some are brass colored. I don't know if they are really different or not.

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 754 Location: Mn.

Are the pictures of the boxes or shells? They recently changed the boxing on them. And most places use the pictures of the boxes with the Nickle Game Shok shells still which are the old boxes

This is the older box but the 16 are brass washed when you open it

This is the new box

They are the same shell.

I like Federal 16 because that is what I grew up with. Would buy a couple boxes every time they went on sale at Fleet Farm for ~$6 a box for years. And a year ago bought a bunch of flats at $128 a flat when I found them. They still owe me 8 flats.

They keep moving the ship date out on me. If they finally do ship and want more than $128 a flat they can keep them.

Honestly the shot is garbage in them down around 2% antimony or less same as top guns. And will dust a target in the winter instead of break it I only use them when it is warm and on easy hunter clay type courses or skeet.

I use Cheddite hulls for the most part, preference is unprimed from BPI at ~13 cents a hull.

Figure out the cost of those Federal hulls and what you pay for it 13 cents is pretty good. The unprimed hulls haven't been available for awhile so have been buying primed when they go on sale. Except they no longer go sale. But at 20 cents a hull still a bargain compared to the Federal hulls that you have to empty first with crap shot in them.

I prefer low brass Cheddite hulls but BPI has the high brass ones in stock lately in Red and Blue. They had purple yesterday but couldn't justify buying them and are out of stock already today. In the last month bought 3,000 Blues between them and Precision. Still a better deal then Federals IMO and you get to load what you want in them and shoot a premium shell. Just my opinion and what you paid for it Laughing

Joined: 08 Mar 2022 Posts: 91

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1309 Location: Western WA

We have them at the club for $16. I buy a box every 4-6 rounds to stay in hulls. There are far worse shells out there than these Federals. Unlike some other brands, Federals always go bang and cycle in my autos.

B.

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

I use 'em for clays 1oz or even 1 1/8oz.Guessing 6 or so reloads.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1841 Location: Central ND

The new 12 and 20 gauge Federal Hi-Power hull (Top Gun) have plastic basewads. Do new 16 gauge Federal hulls have a plastic basewad?

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 444 Location: WI

I've mentioned this before, but a very long time ago I would the end of the hulls would blow off at the crimp if it was cold. This was with steel loads, and I haven't seen a problem with Federals cracking or splitting since then.

I use them for grouse hunting in #7.5 and have found they work as well as any other factory hull. I save them all, and will be working on trimming them down and reloading them this winter.

A local sporting goods store the guy was telling me he can't get Federal to ship his full pallet orders, because as long as they can sell them direct for more money than he would sell them for, they keep pushing back his orders to sell online for a premium.

So, for whatever that is worth, he said as long a people are willing to pay a lot more to get them direct then we can't expect costs to come down.

Joined: 24 Jul 2016 Posts: 548 Location: Ohio

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1841 Location: Central ND

Ohio Wirehair,

Thanks for the reply.

Great news, I don't have to change any loads!!

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 754 Location: Mn.

we run about 60 kids each spring/fall for thr HS trap league . If not for Fed supporting this , it probably wouldn't exist . The parents still can look for other brands for the kids to shoot , but the barrel at the end of the day is 95% Feds . It's not easy getting the order thru - Fed allots about 2.5 million shells for this , but still able to sell the kids ammo for 8 bucks a box ..... my stash of 16ga are older Fed and I love them . Would buy Chedd now if I needed to do that !

Joined: 11 Dec 2017 Posts: 77 Location: South Dakota

The Federals are the best reloading 16 gauge hulls there are. I'm at a stalemate myself. I have a slowly dwindling supply of Federal hulls, but the ammo has gotten so insanely expensive I'm not sure what to do. I knew prices were going up, but who would have predicted that a dirt cheap game load that was $7.25 a box in 2019 would jump over $20 a box. I really don't know what the future will bring. I've never before seen ammo which was very consistent in price for decades suddenly almost triple in price. There was no shortage, there was always 16 gauge on shelves, and online. They still make it. That might just be the price it is going to be now until they discontinue it because nobody is paying $20 a box for what is essentially top gun ammo.

Joined: 21 Mar 2019 Posts: 523 Location: Texas

What makes you think people are not paying 20 a box? Local Wally had 16 tonight at 16 a box. All gone now but people are going to buy period. What shooter here can’t afford 40 bucks at a time?