Armory Sponsor
Posted: 3/30/2003 5:36:43 PM EDT
|
How much money does it take (as an initial investment) to get into shotgun reloading? What's the best route to go for a newbie? I'm wanting to reload 12 ga. for a Remington 1100. |
|
As with all reloaders the prices can vary from very cheap to rather expensive. I got a MEC 9000 but I'd recommend the MEC Grabber. Its the same basic machine as the 9000 without auto-indexing. I eventually removed the auto index on my 9000 and basically turned it into a Grabber with manual indexing. You have more control this way. With shotshell reloaders auto-index means auto-spill. After you spill a couple loads of #8 or #9 pellets you will know what I mean. MEC reloaders use a bushing system so you don't need a set of scales to weigh the powder. There is a set of charts that shows which bushings throw how much of different types of powder. Besides the reloader you will need shot, hulls, wads, primers, and powder. Claybusters makes many aftermarket wads. The most popular hulls are Remington STS, Remington Nitro 27, and Winchester AA. Its important to buy a shotshell reloading manual if you are new to reloading. You need special equipment to reload steel. |
|
PW 950 with hydraulics and auto shell feeder. If you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Myself, I started out on a PW 800, then upgraded to the PW 950 elite and added options. The basic PW 950 elite goes for around $500. If you keep the machine bolted down, and the bench bolted to the wall, you don't get shot spill. If you looking to only load a few hundred hulls a week, the PW is really way too much machine, and you would be better off with a MEC. But, if you’re going to crank out large volumes of shells, the loaded PW is the way to go. Ditto on the clay busters wads, I have been using Clays powder, 1-1/16 oz load with the Claybuster wads on AA hulls and am having very good results. As for using Green or Red Dot powders, it leaves a lot of crap in the barrel, and in your case with the 1100, the action. |
| Look into the MEC website. I bought the entry level loader where you manually move the shell from station to station. I think it was about $75-90 a couple years ago. A bag of shotshell cups is about $8 for 500, primmers $3 for 100. Powder $20 a pound, Shot depends. Not including the loader I was reloading 1oz shot shells for about $2.50 for 25 shells. Next you get your father to retire and then give him a job reloading. What a bargain! |
|
The MEC 600 Junior used to go for a little under $100 new and the Sizemaster went for about $125. Either would be good entry level machines without tying up a lot of cash (of the two, I prefer the Sizemaster). I won't even try and hazard a guess for a bag of shot, but that would be your next biggest purchase besides the reloader itself. Powder and primers are going to run about the same as for metallic cartridges, so you can figure that one yourself.  
|
Armory Sponsor