16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 76 Location: north Texas

I've been reloading other shotshell gauges since 1978, but I'm brand new to reloading the 16ga. I'm finally sick and tired of having to buy the rhinocerous-killing 1 1/8 and 1 1/4oz. #4 stuff they have for sale in Mayberry, USA, when I accidentally run out of #8s. Yes, I've been told many times that #4s only kick half as bad as #8s.

I have a good supply of the blue 2 9/16" Fiocchi and Eley hulls to reload. Other than primer differences, Are these hulls dimensionally the same inside? They both appear to have a metal-clad base wad, and the plastic and brass look identical except for the headstamp.

My second question concerns the similarity between the purple 2 3/4" Federal and Estate hulls. Estate is owned by Federal, so these are identical - right?

Thanks in advance for your replies!

xtm

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

xT--The best answer for your question will be found on the 16 ga. reloading site. I'll look forward to finding out myself.

Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 76 Location: north Texas

Thanks.

I sent a check to the Low Pressure Group just a week ago, so I should be getting load information soon enough. I was just trying to clarify some similarities and was wondering if they were interchangeable.

xtm

XT,
Fiocchi is Italian and Eley is English. Unless Eley is buying from fiocchi?
Is that shell stamped 67mm, I've had trouble adjusting my mec to crimp these properly.
The Fed's and Estates are the same that I do know.
Good Luck
Charlie

Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 76 Location: north Texas

birddog,

Thanks for the confirmation on the Fed./Estate question.

My first question was to determine whether or not the blue hulls are the same. Other than minor lot or batch differences, they look like they come from a common source and thus might be able to be substituted for each other in reloading formulae.

The Eley Grand Prix hull is stamped "Made in England", and below that, "- 67.5mm-". It measures exactly that length. The Fiocchi GT hull has no length marking, but measures a nominal 67mm.

My older MEC Sizemaster has plenty of thread length to adjust at those last two stations to accomodate the shorter hulls. It's a pain to adjust back-and-forth between 2 3/4" and 67mm unless you count threads at each different length adjustment and write it down. There are other adjustments you have to make in order to get that crimp just right:

http://www.ballisticproducts.com:80/bpi/articleindex/articles/mecadjust/mecadj.htm

xtm

Joined: 25 Feb 2006 Posts: 50 Location: john day, or

Load both 67 and 70 mm 16ga blue Fiocchi hulls on my old Mec Jr., etched marks on the crimper shaft for correct positions for each hull. Makes it easy to quickly change settings for either hull.

Bummer is that the 67mm hull is no longer available. Down to my last 400+ new hulls. Find them ideal for 7/8oz target or quail loads with the SP16 wad.

Joined: 19 Feb 2007 Posts: 13 Location: Nampa Idaho

the blue 67 fiocchi & eley 67.5 hulls are the same or close enough dimensionally to each other that they load identically for me with no press adjustments at all. using 15.9 clays. gulandi (bpi sp16) wad , 7/8 shot with a overshot card and fiocchi primer. little beauties on the skeet field.

Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 76 Location: north Texas

Thanks guys!

That's what I thought, but I wanted to hear from someone with actual Eley hull reloading experience and really knew the answer to my question before reloading some of the Eleys with Fiocchi formulae myself.

xtm

Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 76 Location: north Texas

citori16guy,

Does the Fiocchi primer fit the Eley case O.K.? I punched a pair of them out and they have slightly different O.D.s and lengths.

xtm

Joined: 19 Feb 2007 Posts: 13 Location: Nampa Idaho

yep fiocchi fits eley, 67mm fiocchi blue hulls and red winchester australian hulls better than standard winchester 209 or sts remingtons which are loose enough to fall out. bpi makes a primer pocket swager which tightens up the pockets but you dont need it if you stick with the fiocchi primer..