I have been reloading for rifle and handgun cartridges for 20 years. However I have never owned a shotshell press.
I just bought a used MEC Sizemaster, single-stage press. I'm looking for to loading my own shels. Mostly because I simply enjoy reloading, also because I want to try different shot sizes and weights without paying an arm and a leg for it. (I also plan on loading a non-toxic soft shot {NICE shot} to use on waterfowl with the Nitro Special.) I bought this loader from a good friend's father. My good friend, (682x on this forum) is a master at reloading shotgun ammo. He may not know it yet, but over the years I'll probably drive him nuts asking him questions.
I've had that press, and the 600 Mark 5 and the big progressive (M9000 I think???) and they are all good machines.
When it comes to reloaders, a LOT depends on the Nut That Holds the Handle.
I know you "know" this already... but my one suggestion is -- go for Quality and not "quantity"
I used to laugh my butt off at the trapshooters I knew who bragged about loading hundreds of shells an hour with their motorized presses... and then they had multiple BLOOOPERS or stuck wads because their machine didn't drop the powder right, or the wad got tilted or boogered up and there was no gas seal. Don't be Those Guys.
I'm not saying we NEVER had a blooper... everybody who reloads does, eventually. But I broke 100 straights at registered trap with our reloads, and had full faith that they'd go boom and hit the target.
Kev I have reloaded Nice Shot aka Ecotungsten. It seems to work well, very pricey though. According to the folks at Nice Shot you can substitute it for lead shot in any reloading recipe EXCEPT you must know/understand that use of Nice Shot adds 1500 psi to the chamber pressure from whatever is stated for the lead recipe. The Nice Shot people do state this but not as boldly as I think they should. If you trying to load low pressure for an old double gun a 1500 psi is a big bump. If you choose a recipe that is at or near SAAMI max pressure use of Nice Shot can put you over the limit. Day in and day out I still prefer Bismuth, loose shot is available at Precision Reloading. Good luck, reloading is satisfying and gives the shotgunner load versatility the non-reloader can't buy.
Day in and day out I still prefer Bismuth, loose shot is available at Precision Reloading. Good luck, reloading is satisfying and gives the shotgunner load versatility the non-reloader can't buy.
Pete,
How does the price of Bismuth compare to Nice Shot?
Just went to Precision Reloading and found the price comparison;
Bismuth= $156 for 6.6# of shot
Nice Shot= $59 for 2.2# of shot ($180 for 6.6#)
Kev
Can you imagine if non-tox was mandated for crow hunting. Yikes.
When I worked for Fish & Game I recall it was estimated the steel shot mandate of the late 80's and early 90's cut the number of duck hunters in half nationwide. Wildlfie agencies paid dearly in loss of revenue from fewer duck stamp sales. That generation of biologists and administrators have retired or getting close. The new generation being taught to be green and to save the planet will most likely repeat that mistake and further drive license sales down across the country.
I have 2 Mec 600 Jrs that I've owned since I was a teenager. One set up for 12 gauge and the other for 16. They are bullet proof but low rate of production for some high volume shooters.
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
As for quality not quantity, a shell per pull and not a problem. Thousands ran through it in the old trap days. Never had a bad shell.
I too load on progressives. 12 ga is a 650 and the 20 ga is a grabber. I have run over 400 pounds through them and then shot most of it at crows this season. Haven't had a bad load that I can remember. Any of Mec's loaders are more that capable of producing factory equivalent ammo. Skeetshooter adjusted mine and it is hard to tell the crimps are not factory.
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
Had several MEC loaders over the years and liked all of them. Had a 12ga 650 that I loaded a ton on til I upgraded to a 9000g. Just sold that 9000 and am going to replace it with a Steelmaster or a 600jr. I also have a few 600's in other guages, 10, 16, 20 and 28. Used to load 2 7/8 10 ga and used the 600 for depriming, sizing, priming, powder, seating the wad and dropping the shot. Then I roll crimped the shells. That one has been collecting rust for awhile cause I don't have a 10 anymore. Still use the others when I want specialty loads.
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Friends & Family Outdoors. Spread the Addiction!!!
I have a Sizemaster and use it to reload both lead and steel. Good machine, solid machine, quality machine. Not a high volume machine. And yes, I have had bloopers. Some I even had to cut the loaded shells to salvage components. Cutting the loaded shells was a result of my mistake (Loaded 27.0 gr instead of 20.7 gr of powder) NOT the machines'. Saw my mistake before I got too far. Had to cut only 25 shells. As for the bloopers, that stopped when I stopped using Win209, with STEEL powder, on cold winter days. A friend of mine had a lot of bloopers with his reloaded steel shells. He hunts a lot of water environ and has a habit of getting wet and water migrated to the powder of the load.....he now buys his steels loads (Drylocs).
I've got a Mec 600 Jr that I've had since 1976. It's loaded 25,000+ shells with nothing more than one wad guide replacement in the way of maintenance. The Sizemaster is just an improvement on the 600 Jr, so you got a good machine. I like the collet sizer of the Sizemaster. In fact, that was one area where I sometimes had problems with shells loaded on my 600 Jr. I shoot 2 different Ithaca 37's and they both have the same problem of shells seizing in the magazine tube because the rim diameter is too large on some shells. I bought one of the Mec sizers(the one that just has the collet sizer only) to size my shells after depriming but before continuing the loading process. It helped reduce the number of shells that would stick in the magazine but didn't totally eliminate them. I also had an RCBS shotshell sizer that also used a collet to size the actual rim diameter back down. The die body finally failed and split open along the bottom thread which is the reason I bought the Mec sizer. Anyway, I've never heard of any gun but the Ithacas having this trouble.
