Trap/Skeet shell reloading savings?

[Jenrick]

Been loading metallic cartridges for a good while now, just started to look into reloading for shotgun. If my math was correct the other day, I was looking about 28-30 cents a shell loading trap/skeet loads. Does this sound about right? Is anyone getting significantly better costs? That would save me about $1 per box of 25 at most and I'm not quite sure it's worth it at the moment.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

With components difficult to get, I wouldn't consider getting into shotshell right now.

 

[MEHavey]

The real advantage (these days) is being able to tailor loads to performance levels you literally can't buy anymore .
My 3/4 oz 12ga is running about $5.00 a box when handloaded (GunClub hulls are free pickups for 6-8 reloads)
(That load also keeps me from buying a 28 gauge)

1-1/8 oz load is about $6

Assumes $50/brick Cheddite primers
Kick each box up another $1 if Fiocchi or Rio at today's prices.



Try and find/buy 410 lately ?

 

[Roverguy]

(That load also keeps me from buying a 28 gauge)


?

At first, I was thinking, 'This makes good sense'. Then I started thinking, "This seems a little anti-enablist" and, consequently, contrary to the spirit of THR

It really should be "If you start reloading shot shells,then buying a 28 ga and a 410 make good sense".

 

[slickracer]

It hasn't really paid to reload target shells for about 15 years now.

 

[Akula69]

If you can get the hulls for free (like MEHavey does) and really wait for a good sale on 209's the main expense is the shot. Obviously you have to follow the published recipes unless you go the pressure testing route (which is more money). I'm running at about .21 per loaded hull (using #8 @ 1 1/8 load, RD @ 21 Grn., CB Wad) or $5.25 for a 25 round box.

 

[GoldieMI]

The only real reason for me to load 12 gauge trap target loads is to have them available. In my area (SE Michigan) I haven't seen target loads in about 3 months, and then it is hit or miss. Earlier this year in July, I found Remington Gun Club and Federal Target Loads at 105.99 for 250 shells- that was the last time I saw them on the shelf.
I can purchase them for 10.00/25 shells from the club if I have to and if they have any in stock
I can reload them for for 10.59/25 shells if I include buying hulls, and 8.60/25 shells using fired hulls
this is component pricing only- no labor or press costs included. These prices are based on what I actually paid for current components (hulls, wads, powder, primers, lead) and with lead being the most expensive component for me (55.00/25 lbs)

compared to 49.99 a year ago for 250 rounds (5/25 shells)...until this year it wasn't worth it for me to load target loads for 12 gauge. Now it's simply to have them for trap practice.

 

[rdnktrkr]

The only shotgun I reload is #2 &#4 buck(can't find them locally) and slugs from a Lee mold, I purchased some bags of shot at an estate auction cheap or I would probably not be loading shot, the Lee mold belongs to a friend and I have a couple hundred we made a couple of years ago. At $40-50 a bag of shot, $50-60 a k for primers and $30-40 a lb for powder, I feel the savings has diminished on anything except specialty rounds.

 

[CoalTrain49]

It hasn't really paid to reload target shells for about 15 years now.

That's about the time I put my gear in a box. It set around for about 5 years unused until one day I realized I wasn't ever going to load another shotgun shell. I then sold my gear but it took about two years to sell it all. Nobody wanted a NIB MEC 650 and accessories for a hundred bucks. I finally sold it all but I got about 20% of what it would cost new. Unbelievable.

 

[MEHavey]

Obviously you have to follow the published recipes unless you go the pressure testing route

I'm running the loads over a chronograph -- that keeps published/mixed components at least in the ballpark performance/pressure-wise.

WARNING: My Loads/Components/Shotgun -- Your mileage may vary considerably

 

[Bill M.]

Me, I just like reloading. I will gladly pay more for my reloads than for the cheap factory 1 1/8 oz kickers.

My goodness, it would take a long time to pay for a new MEC Grabber with a slightly negative return on reloading. But....it still might be worth it to you.

Another thing that shotshell reloading takes is a lot of space. For storage of the components.

Probably a lot cheaper (and maybe safer) to buy a flat of shells every once in a while. But now is not the "once".

 

[Thomasss]

It does pay to reload if you compare apples to apples. I don't JUST try to reduce cost, but rather to load CUSTOM shells for me and my son. Buy everything you can in bulk. 10/bag shot discount, 8 lbs. of powder, primers by the case(5,000) etc. Then pattern your gun. Find a load that maxes the opportunity to break targets. Now you compare a box of AA Win to your hand loads. AA are $12/box. My loads are still $5.50/bx. I average 93.4%; my son 94.6%. We find a 1or 2 target loss can be a big difference. We have won tourneys by 1 bird. We find our hand loads give us 1 one bird edge or more over commercial shells. And Ya, I don't get any respect from the kid anymore,-- Rodney Dangerfield.

 

[Charlie98]

That's about the time I put my gear in a box. It set around for about 5 years unused until one day I realized I wasn't ever going to load another shotgun shell. I then sold my gear but it took about two years to sell it all. Nobody wanted a NIB MEC 650 and accessories for a hundred bucks. I finally sold it all but I got about 20% of what it would cost new. Unbelievable.

That was me a few years ago as well. My Sizemaster was just picking up rust setting in the garage... sold it, wads, shells, shot for something like $125. It wasn't doing me any good just setting there...

 

[Charlie98]

It hasn't really paid to reload target shells for about 15 years now.

As Thomasss suggests, if you are able to fine-tune a load, and buy in bulk, and particularly if you are a high volume shooter... then it would pay, and that's assuming you have the time to reload everything.

 

[Bazoo]

I’m watching with enthusiasm. I’m getting into shotshell loading. I started a few years ago and have been working towards it.

One of my goals is availability. Second goal is to save money on specialty shells like slugs, waterfowl, and buckshot. Not to mention hunting loads like 4-5 shot for rabbits.

I been just reading about it and learning. I got a Lyman shotshell handbook 5th, read that. Got a pacific dl105 to work with for $25. Been buying Remington and AA shells instead of cheapos when available.

 

[jaguarxk120]

If you load a 7/8 oz. 12 gauge the real advantage is reduced recoil.
I can shoot all day with my reloads and not have any problems from recoil.
The guys shooting the 1 1/8 oz. loadings will start to feel it after four rounds of trap.

 

[Akula69]

I'm running the loads over a chronograph -- that keeps published/mixed components at least in the ballpark performance/pressure-wise.

WARNING: My Loads/Components/Shotgun -- Your mileage may vary considerably

Yeah I did that too when I started working with different primers in the same hulls. Nothing got destroyed, but I had this nagging voice in the back of my head that I wasn't getting all I could, so I sent off about 40 shells to Tom Armburst for testing. The results opened my eyes and now the loads are much better.

I also had the problem of the chrono reading the wad (as it departed) rather then the shot.....

 

[splattergun]

No, It doesn't really make dollar $ense to reload shotshells these days. But you can't custom tune your loads to your guns with white box shells, either.

 

[Saluki91]

Been loading metallic cartridges for a good while now, just started to look into reloading for shotgun. If my math was correct the other day, I was looking about 28-30 cents a shell loading trap/skeet loads. Does this sound about right? Is anyone getting significantly better costs? That would save me about $1 per box of 25 at most and I'm not quite sure it's worth it at the moment.

Good News - In my neck of the prairie, components are starting to show up much more frequently, and in larger quantitiies.
Bad News - The owner of my favorite LGS says "Buy all you can now, because I'll be raising prices soon."

My price per shell is a smidge under $.25. I come by my frugality (cheapness) honestly, and this is how I save:

Network - I have been pretty fortunate to meet several hard-core reloaders in my area. When we find places with components in stock, we share that information with each other. We are also willing to purchase for others when we find the good stuff!

Hulls - I bought 1K once fired AA for skeet and sporting clays. They will last me a while (10+ loads). For everything else, I have a stash of once fired hulls (Gun Club, Fiocchi, etc.) that I get free at my clubs and local sporting clays courses. Those hulls are good for 5 loads (or more). This helps with extending the life of hulls - well worth the money!

Primers - I can get Cheddite 209 locally for $35 per 1K. That's not great, but it beats shipping and hazmat. Finding anything else is going to require good luck and perfect timing.

Powder - Local sources are getting it in larger batches, and with greater frequency. The savings comes from buying in bulk, and a lack of shipping/Haz Mat fees. I also took advantage of American Reloading's shot shell powder for my Annie Oakley loads (which was good savings for that purpose).

Wads - Same as primers and powder... local sources are pretty dependable now.

Shot - I load reclaimed shot for almost everything, which cuts the cost in half. Ask around at your local clubs, and I bet you will find that there is a source for reclaimed shot that services you area. Naturally, ask questions and shop smart. Some reclaimed shot is better than others.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

My neighbor used to load shot gun for shooting clays. He did the math one day. And said it was cheaper to buy the 100 round boxes at walmart. He's a penny pincer too. Something to think about.

 

[Random 8]

Even with conservatively high component estimates were I to buy currently, I land about $6-6.50 per 25 round box for 1 oz trap loads. This is a quality load with a WAA12SL, 12S0 or Windjammer, not Wal Mart econo shells. Find me even cheap trap load anywhere near that price today, and I'll eat my hat. Find me Win AA, Fed GM or Rem STS and I'll puke it up and eat it again.

I'm a deal hawk. Not that I search endlessly for components, I don't have time or patience for that. It's that I'm ready to jump on stuff when it comes up, and that boils down to general financial discipline, and being ready to jump on a deal without hesitation. A guy this summer got too deep on shot. Big quantity low price order for him, then life happened. $40 a bag out the door. My garage is going nowhere. If a tornado hits, there'll just be a big pile of Eagle #8 bags where my work bench used to be. 16 lb of Red Dot for $14 per pound? Yep, who do I make the check out to. 2X 55 gallon contractor bag full of "old" style AA and GM hulls mixed, with even some blue magic tossed in for chainsawing a couple of dead trees at the club? You betcha! I wonder who I leave the ones I don't use in my will?

Yes, reloading shotgun shells makes sense if you know how to play gun club politics and find those inside deals.

 

[Jenrick]

Find me even cheap trap load anywhere near that price today, and I'll eat my hat.

Well down here in Texas we have these, and last week they had the Aguillas for $6.99. Great shell? Not really, but for where I'm at in all this perfectly acceptable.

So my 28-30 cent figure was with free hulls, just primer, powder, shot, and wad. At the moment I am no where near serious enough to even pay for a Lee Load All any time soon with a $1 per box savings.

For the moment I'm going to hold off, and if I get serious enough to be either shooting those quantities or wanting to get that one extra clay I'll definitely do some more thinking on it.

 

[cfullgraf]

I enjoy reloading so I like to reload my shot shell ammunition. Besides, I load 3/4 oz 12ga which is not readily available commercially even in good times.

I also load 7/8 oz 20 ga., 3/4 oz 28 ga., and 1/2 oz .410 target ammunition. Components are a bit tight these days, primers and powders for the most part, so I have eased off much skeet shooting for a while.

At the end of 2019, I got a Dillon SL900 with change parts for 12, 20, and 28 guage. A great progressive . But, I won't sell my three MEC 600jr's. they will come in handy for loading the few non-target shells I need each year.

 

[Armored farmer]

I enjoy reloading so I like to reload my shot shell ammunition. Besides, I load 3/4 oz 12ga which is not readily available commercially even in good times.

I also load 7/8 oz 20 ga., 3/4 oz 28 ga., and 1/2 oz .410 target ammunition. Components are a bit tight these days, primers and powders for the most part, so I have eased off much skeet shooting for a while.

At the end of 2019, I got a Dillon SL900 with change parts for 12, 20, and 28 guage. A great progressive . But, I won't sell my three MEC 600jr's. they will come in handy for loading the few non-target shells I need each year.

My situation is nearly identical to @cfullgraf
I reloaded all my target loads when I was shooting thousands per year. Lately I'm just loading 28ga and .410s. They are my favorite to load and also the most economical. You can stretch a bag of shot a long ways with ½oz loads in 2½" .410s

 

[FROGO207]

I have enough supplies to load 10K or so 12GA shotshells on hand. Also the hulls and wads for 16, 20, and .410 as needed. I normally buy trap loads but load my own specialty loads and any 16 or 410 loads I need. I have worked up functional loads previously so I can load as needed when supplies are non existent. Being independent is the thing I value the most and reloading fits that bill to a T.