410 shotshell loading

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ArchAngelCD

ArchAngelCD

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I have a 410 SxS shotgun I want to shoot for fun and to hunt with but 410 shells are very expensive. I took a look at the Lee site because I know the Lee Load-All press is cheap but it seems they only make them in 12ga, 16ga and 20ga so that's out...

I do not want to spend $200+ on a 410 loader. I know Mec products are great but I just don't want to make that much of an investment. If Lee had a Load all in 410 I could get what I need for just over $75 but...

Other than buying used is there a 410 loader available for under $100 complete? HELP!
 
If you want to improvise and you have some skill with tools, you can make yourself a simple set up to reload the shells, similar to the Lee classic ( Wack A Mole ) loaders.
And years ago I beleive I saw a Lee Loader in 12 Ga.

Many years ago, I took a peice of 3/4" steel and drilled a hole in it the size of an unfired shell.
That was my sizer. You pounded the case in to resize it with a mallet. then pounded the case back out with a dowel the same size as the inside of the case.
I had a hole in the steel plate that was a little larger than the primer and that hole was used to remove the primer with a punch.
Then the primer was placed on the steel plate, and I used a wooden dowel to drive the case over the new primer and seat it.
Then it was just a matter of putting in the right measure of powder ,Wad and Shot.
I use to carefully refold the crimp, or used an Over Shot wad, and then Hot tip glue it in place.
I was in Hog Heaven when I finally got a Roll Crimper that I used in my cordless drill.
The whole process is not much different than how I load the .410 cases that I made out of old .303 British reloadable cases.
But two Years ago I bought a MEC loader for the .410 since I couldnt find in stock the dies for my OLD MEC 12 ga press.

Where there is a will, there is a way.
Good Luck
 
I own a Lee 410 GA 3" reloader. They once made them in 3 " at least. You may be able to find someone in the swap/sell area that will part with theirs. The other option would be pick up a used MEC 600 in say 12 GA and get the 410 die kit to convert it. The prices for the die kits are best at Ballistic Products INC last I checked.
 
@ ArchAngelCD
You can also buy .410 Brass Cases from Ballistic Products that use a Large Pistol primer.
I know guys that do not resize them if they are shot in the same break open shotgun.
They do use a Larger size wad, but can be reloaded very easily by hand.
It will allow you to shoot more often and cut down the cost of new hunting ammo.
I want to get some Brass Cases for the .22/410 Savage I am building for a survival rifle.
The .303 Brass cases I made work OK, but I just want to stock up on different loads, like Slugs, Buck and Birdshot and feel the All Brass Case will be more weather resistant.

BTW
When I said to Hot Tip Glue the overshot wad in the case.
I only meant a few small dabs just to keep the overshot wad in place, Not Glue the whole end.
With the brass cases, I seal the ends with Bee's Wax to make them watertight for the most part, and cover the primer too.
, Just in case
 
410 has been expensive since I was a kid. Why I bought my first 12 gauge. I could get 2 boxs of 12 gauge for the price of a box of .410.
 
You could look for a Gaep roll crimping tool. You can get either a star crimp or a roll crimp using the Gaep tools.

This is a UK site but it should give you the basics. Gaep roll crimp
 
MidwayUSA has MagTech 410 brass shells, Circle Fly has wads (get one size bigger).
Check the online auctions for presses. I got my Mec 600 410 loader a couple years ago for sixty bucks.
410s are the toughest of all to load and get a good crimp. Also, there are a ton of shell/wad combinations and the wads are not that easy to find.
I made "everlasting" shells for my Contender 410 out of 444 marlin cases. Long enough to duplicate the 3" shell and easy to load.
Tried the 303 route and didn't have much luck with the fireforming.
 
I do not want to spend $200+ on a 410 loader. I know Mec products are great
Click to expand...

Then buy a USED MEC Jr. for about 60-75 bucks from a local shotgun club or garage sale or Craig's List. Get some clone wads, reclaimed shot and Winchester AA hulls (no others) and have at it. Cost for reloads should be about $2/box. Most folks buy a flat of the AA's to start with and then reload the hulls about 10-15 times

Finding powder will be the most difficult. Wads are readily available from Graf's, Able Ammo, Gamaliel, etc.
 
I use WW-296, and H110 powders for all my .410 loads. Like was already mentioned you might try E-Bay for a used .410 Mec reloader I've found them to be indestructible new, so used you should get many years of use out of them at a fraction of the cost.
 
Arch, you wanna buy my whack-a-mole lee loader ?

Even has a .410 crimp starter.

Only thing it wont do is resize brass.

Shoot me a PM.


Sadly, lee dont make a loadall in .410- I wish !

And the mec is what everyone says to get, but no, no one sells them new OR used for the mythological $50 you can supposedly get mecs for every day of the week. I'll be getting one of the MEC loaders in the future, just don't know when.

If they did, I'd have one :D Probably in 12 ga, too.
 
blarby said:
And the mec is what everyone says to get, but no, no one sells them new OR used for the mythological $50 you can supposedly get mecs for every day of the week. I'll be getting one of the MEC loaders in the future, just don't know when.

If they did, I'd have one :D Probably in 12 ga, too.
Click to expand...

I suspect .410 Mec 600jr's on the used market are about as rare as hen's teeth. Folks that load the .410 are probably die hard shot gunners and would not part with their .410 loader. I know I wouldn't. (or my 12 ga., 20 ga., or 28 ga. MEC loaders either for that matter).

There is always the option of getting a larger bore 600jr loader and the conversion kit to .410 but I am sure that would still greatly exceed the $50 cap.

P.S., There is nothing like the lesson in humility you get shooting .410-2-1/2 on the skeet field.:)
 
@ PapaG
I do not Fire Form the cases.
I made a set of punches to expand the neck in three steps and a hole drilled in a block of steel for the sizing die.
The .303 rims are a little thick to fit in one or two of my shotguns and let them close easily, but the shells work just fine for a 2" length case.
But I am switching to Mag Tech Brass in the future , just because of avilibility. and lack of .303 Brass.
I use what I can get in my .303's
 
blarby said:
Arch, you wanna buy my whack-a-mole lee loader ?

Even has a .410 crimp starter.

Only thing it wont do is resize brass.

Shoot me a PM.


Sadly, lee dont make a loadall in .410- I wish !

And the mec is what everyone says to get, but no, no one sells them new OR used for the mythological $50 you can supposedly get mecs for every day of the week. I'll be getting one of the MEC loaders in the future, just don't know when.

If they did, I'd have one :D Probably in 12 ga, too.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the kind offer but I really don't want to go that route.

I have plenty of powder and primers and even some once shot shells. I only need to buy more shells, some wads and shot.
 
And you are now at the point i'm at :D

The whack-a-mole, or $200 +

Those are the options.

Beyond that, you need to stumble on someone who does not know what they have, and what its worth. It happens, but so do car accidents- and I wouldn't be able to time either one correctly, or with certainty.

I have plenty of powder and primers and even some once shot shells. I only need to buy more shells, some wads and shot.
Click to expand...

And something to put them together with. Back to the top !
 
Ebay prices will be ridiculous for a used MEC, but a Want To Buy ad on the bulletin boards of all the local trap/skeet/sporting clay courses should bring good results
 
What I have discovered thus far -

7mm Rem Mag shell holder fits the 3" 410 hull and allows decapping with a Lee Universal Decapping Die.

I can prime 410 cases/hulls on my RCBS bench mount priming tool using the same shell holder (I'm sure other priming devices will work).

The Lee 40 S&W Powder Through Expander Die with the Lee funnel works great to charge the cases.

I can use a standard wooden dowel to set the shot wad.

Same Powder Through Expander works for dumping shot in the hull after the wad is seated.

I can buy a wad cutter for the top wad and use glue to hold it in place. This will work with either brass cases or standard plastic hulls cut to the appropriate length.

Haven't found a good way to use my bench mounted reloading press to fold crimp a conventional hull ... yet.

Lee Dipper Cups work well for both powder and shot.
 
Haven't found a good way to use my bench mounted reloading press to fold crimp a conventional hull ... yet.
Click to expand...

Crimp on the 410 is critical- I feel ya.

Beyond that, resizing hulls I find is my biggest "deal".
 
Mid South Shooters, shows them for $182.28, and I believe they come with the powder bushings for different loads. and one or two bars. You know the old saying "cry once.....".
 
I shoot an old 870 Wingmaster circa 1978. I bought a used MEC Grabber from an old skeet shooter and it paid for itself in one year. Try Precision Reloading for good deals on Claybuster wads. I just saw a Mec 600 for cheap somewhere, I will try to see if it is still available.
 
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