Calling Shotshell loaders

misplacedtexan · Jun 25, 2014

Been loading metallic for a while now and started looking at a Mec Jr for 12 guage. This would be a strictly for clays loading adventure.

Now the question is, how much do you guys pay per shell for target loads, or is 7-9$/25 cheap enough to not bother?

Looking for 1200 fps with #7 1/2 shot.

bullethead · Jun 25, 2014

I have figured it out, and I can buy them cheaper than I can load them. The last bunch I bought I paid about $6 per box for Federal 7 1/2 target loads. The best I can figure it costs me about $7.25 per box, figuring new shot from Sportsmans Warehouse and my fired hulls, to load them myself. I am going to shoot new and keep the hulls until I can find mined shot, and powder becomes easier to come by.

bockja · Jun 25, 2014

Assuming you don't have to buy hulls and paying full retail price for components my cost is about $6 a box for 1-1/8 ounce loads to reload. However, I load 1 ounce loads and shop around for deals on components. I have gotten my cost down to around $3.75 per box.

Lilhigbee · Jun 25, 2014

Here is a paste of my previous post on the subject. See "Recommend an easy/cheap 12ga re-loader for backyard clays" In Ammunition and Reloading for more on the topic. http://www.northwestfirearms.com/th...ga-re-loader-for-backyard-clays.150416/page-2

I have five MEC 600 jr's. Two 12 gauge, two 16 gauge and one 20 gauge. Didn't pay over $60 for any of them. They work great and are reasonably fast. 200 rnds/hr isn't too difficult with practice. However, unless you are doing it because you want to, you are wasting your time. For standard loads I don't find that there is enough savings in it to make it worthwhile. For components I have found the Cheddite primers at Powder Valley ($24/1000) to be the best buy, presuming you are ordering enough stuff to justify the Haz-Mat fee. Reclaimed shot from the local trap range ($24-$30/bag) is the only way I can keep the price reasonable.
200 rounds from Wally World $46. (See earlier post)
reclaimed shot for 200 rounds (1 1/8 oz load) $14.10
Primers for 200 rounds (Cheddite) $4.80 (Plus some portion of the Haz-Mat and freight)
Wads for 200 rounds ($10/500) $4.00
Powder for 200 rounds (18 gr.s Red Dot/ $20/lb.) $10.28
We'll presume no cost for the used hulls since they can be reloaded multiple times and no cost for the equipment because the more you load the less per round the equipment will cost.
Total cash out-of-pocket in the cheapest way I have been able to do it; $33.18 per 200 rounds. And that is reclaimed shot, not new which you get in the shells from Wally Land. New shot is almost double the cost of reclaimed and cuts your savings per hour to about $8.
By this you are working for less than $13/hr, not counting time to acquire supplies, clean hulls or set up and maintain equipment. Financially, just spend the hour at your job, by the shells and be money ahead. Of course, those of us who do it because we like to or want a specific load that is not commercially available, aren't trying to save a buck.
The point being, figure out WHY you want to load, then see if it makes sense.

My 3 sons · Jun 25, 2014

I'm sitting about where bockja is.
Check out Connie's in Chehalis for all trap related needs.
Shot there when I last bought was $36 per bag new.
Loading for just savings is only part of the formula as you probably know from loading brass.

Good luck!

Certaindeaf · Jun 25, 2014

Slug and buck is about a buck a pop.. cast and reload those for probably what the guys said above.. $35/200?

bullethead · Jun 25, 2014

I haven't done a lot of shopping around to see how much I can cut the costs, that's why I am at the $7.25/box cost. I need to check out Connies or some of the trap ranges to see if I can cut the cost of the shot ($50/bag at Sportsmans Warehouse is crazy).

misplacedtexan · Jun 25, 2014

Sounds like I'll skip on the shot shell reloading. Had that same conversation 5 years ago when I started reloading metallic. Old timers said if they were doing it today, they wouldn't start. Though cost isn't the only consideration, I doubt I could squeeze much more accuracy out of my shotgun.

Just was in sportsmans and couldn't find the shotshells I normally run for skeet/trap and thought about starting to make my own.

Thanks!

WillametteWill · Jun 26, 2014

Mine run about $5.50 per box using premium components (Rem wads, Win or Rem primers, new shot). I know you can do it for a lower price using other parts but I'm duplicating $9.00 a box STS shells so for me I find it worth it. As I saw someone else state, reloading is my Zen yoga time so no, I don't include my time. I definitely don't fault anyone for not reloading shotgun hulls.

misplacedtexan · Jun 26, 2014

Reloading my handgun/rifle is my 'zen yoga' time also, and it cuts my costs to shoot in half. Started out with the plan to save money shooting, but now I just shoot more....

AMProducts · Jun 26, 2014

Shotshell... for shot really isn't worth while unless you shoot a 16, or 24 or some other expensive odd-ball caliber. 12 and 20... not worth it unless you want to load slugs (I do). Winchester walmart sells for .28$ per round...

A 1oz load @ $36/bag is .09
Primers are about .035
Powder, 20gr@$25/lb is .07
Wads are usually about $.10
Without the shell, you're now at .295$/ea

So unless you want something special, don't waste your time.

bockja · Jun 26, 2014

1 oz load @ $30/lb = .075/rd
Primer @ $30/1000 = .030/rd
Powder (Promo) 18gr @ $100/8lb = .032/rd
Wads (Claybuster) @ $90/5000 = 0.018/rd
Total = 3.875 per box.

To get shot at that price, either buy reclaimed, drop your own, or find someone local that is making it. Powder has to be bought in quantity online. I bought 16 pounds the last time I found it to even out the hazmat fees (6 months ago). Powder was close to 10 a pound before fees.

Throckmorton · Jun 26, 2014

Bimart has some shells on sale right now for 5.49box,they happen to be a special run of red ,white,and blue hulls. As I recall the are 1 1/8 oz,no. 8,running 1145fps. I would buy shells for that price before dusting off my loader and paying the high price of shot these days.
In fact I did buy a box. LOL

misplacedtexan · Jun 27, 2014

I had all but given up on BiMart as an ammo source. Haven't been in there in....4 months now.

I would consider dropping my own shot, but I lack the area to have a reasonable setup to do that in.

Throckmorton · Jun 27, 2014

today,bimart has 12 gauge shells for 4.99,I didn't look at what they were though.Our bimart has tons of ammo,but not .22's of course. Seems the Aloha store gets all the ammo from reports I've seen. dang them.

F2CMaDMaXX · Jul 10, 2014

Bimart is worth going back to for ammo now, like many places, there is little to no shortage on 12ga.

The thread linked further up is one i started last year, basically, as most have said, unless you're loading something other than birdshot, it's either more expensive or a wash Vs buying new

Bimart is, yet again, my go to for birdshot, i just missed out on the $5/box mentioned above, but they have again got the superX on for $5.50/box and the limit is only at the one flat per person level.