Want to reload .410

Appalachiannative

Appalachiannative

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For Christmas the Mrs got me my first shotgun in .410 bore. It's something I've been wanting to try for a while just to add an extra element of skill to my small game hunting. I've noticed that presses in .410 are a lot more expensive new than their larger counter parts, with the exception of the 10 gauge, and so I've been considering getting into roll crimping. But then I discovered this product
https://www.thexringusa.com/product-page/survival-loader-for-410-ga does anyone on here have experience with this?
 
I have seen a few similar homemade setups. Perhaps this is where they got their idea. It does seem a bit like a Lee whackamole set. I suppose it’s probably not awful, but I wouldn’t want to load 1000 rounds on it in a day.
 
Every couple months an MEC .410 press will show up used on gunbroker for $150. I would go that route before paying that kind of money for a whackjob reloading setup. Birdshot loads will be more consistent and for 000 buck loads you'll be loading the balls by hand into the hulls anyway.

I too am looking to get into .410 reloading because factory price is atrocious. Not going to bother until primers come back.
 
For the cost of a dozen boxes of new .410 ammo(if you can find it) I got a .410 MEC 600 Jr from Midway delivered yesterday & have started setting it up-it's not going take long to break even if Mrs keeps shooting clays on the weekends going through 3 boxes & sometimes more. Haven't calculated the cost of components per round but guessing it will be around 20-25 cents each compared to almost a buck a round for factory loads.
 
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I have a MEC 600jr set up for .410 and it does a good job loading .410 shells. I loaded lots of .410-2-1/2" shells when I was shooting skeet competitively.

I'd stick with one brand of hulls so that you are not constantly having to readjust the loader. The small size of the hull makes it a bit fussy on crimping until you get the loader set just right. Just break down and buy a case of shells and then you have a supply of hulls that will last for a while.

I use a Universal charge bar on my .410 because I was having difficulty getting close the the powder charge I wanted using the bushing charge bar. Unfortunately, Universal charge bars are no longer available new so you'd have to find a used one.
 
I also have a 600jr for .410.
Reloading. 410 is a labor of love. Things don't run as smoothly as Reloading bigger gauges. The tiny drop tubes get choked on larger shot. The hulls stick to the tube. The components are tiny..the crimp is touchy because of the small diameter.....but they're soo cool when they come out perfect.
You can shoot for cheap too. Just a pinch of powder an ½oz of shot.

I would stick with a 600hr if possible. I think it would make your Reloading goals much simpler.
 
I also have a MEC 600 JR. Mine was originally a 12 GA and I purchased it for around $30 years ago. Then I got a 410 conversion kit to change it over. These days a 12 GA loader can still be had cheaply and the conversion kits are not too bad either. Might even get one with an adjustable charge bar if you are patient. When things were more available I would buy a flat of 12 GA Skeet ammo and take them apart. Got the shot and a primer from each and the cost was less than buying shot and primers individually. Not sure if this is the same at todays prices though.
Oh, and using that survival reloader will get old really fast as a conversion kit costs less at balistic products now.
 
I have used similar when I was younger. I remember sitting at grandma's dinning room table reloading 410 and 16 gauge shotgun shells with a Lee Loader kit, very similar in function to what the OP linked to. It works, I killed rabbits with those reloads but the shells never looked as good as factory and it was painfully slow and took a far bit of effort and finess. Years later I got into 410 big time for a bit and bought a MEC 600jr and what a difference. Once you got it all adjusted right the shells came off it looking as good and sometime even slightly better than factor crimps. The extra money spent to get a press like that pays for itself fairly quickly especially given how expensive factory 410 is compared the amount of components it takes to reload them.
 
I see a lot of people talking about converting a press to .410. I have a 600 Jr and a sizemaster both in 12 gauge but the conversion die sets from MEC are way expensive by my standards but then again I bought both my presses used. $100 for the 600 Jr and only $90 for the sizemaster. I had the thought to go hunting a used one already in .410 but I'm impatient lol. I have an old MEC press not sure what model, looks like a bigger 600 Jr, that is set up for 10 gauge that is kinda rusty. I got it for free from my uncle who rescued it from the scrap yard. I thought about converting it but then I remembered I already tried to convert it to 12 only to find that taking those dies off feels impossible. Idk if they are rusted in place or what but its one of those things where you feel like you need to grow a third arm
 
Slow process. If you don’t shoot much they are not too bad but then again buying ammunition isn’t bad if you don’t shoot much. Assuming it’s available for purchase.

image.jpg

 
Maybe a dumb question but why doesn’t anyone sell .410 dies for a regular reloading press? I’ve never loaded a shotgun shell in my life, so I’m probably missing something
 
Appalachiannative said:
For Christmas the Mrs got me my first shotgun in .410 bore. It's something I've been wanting to try for a while just to add an extra element of skill to my small game hunting. I've noticed that presses in .410 are a lot more expensive new than their larger counter parts, with the exception of the 10 gauge, and so I've been considering getting into roll crimping. But then I discovered this product
https://www.thexringusa.com/product-page/survival-loader-for-410-ga does anyone on here have experience with this?
Click to expand...
Buy once, cry once.....get a MEC made for .410. Also be prepared to cry as you look at the prices of USED hulls, lol. I've not seen new hulls in several years!
 
I don't have experience with that particular "survival loader", but I cobbled one together similar a couple years ago. It works, and if you are only going to load a few now and then, it is actually okay. I got a good deal on Midway with one of their free shipping deals and got a Mec. It is a very nice machine. Your rounds won't actually shoot any better, but they sure load faster and look better.

410 hulls are a pretty rare "on the ground" find around me, so I pickup and use about any 410 hull I find, but my favorite by far is Winchester AA's.
They load beautifully and last for many reloads.
 
EricBu said:
I've not seen new hulls in several years!
Click to expand...

They're out there... just no Winchester AAs that I've seen. Euro hulls are available and while not as nice as Winchesters, they're better than nothing!

Cliff6 said:
410 hulls are a pretty rare "on the ground" find around me, so I pickup and use about any 410 hull I find, but my favorite by far is Winchester AA's.
They load beautifully and last for many reloads.
Click to expand...

AAs are also my easy favorite but hard to find. I stopped shooting my .410 semi-auto because it hurts me so to loose those hulls. ;) I'm waiting for the Yildiz SPZ ME in .410 to become available again to I can buy one and minimize the loss of the precious little AAs. What a great excuse to buy a new shotgun!

MEHavey said:
See https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/motor-mica-and-shotshell.894901/
1/4 tsp Motor Mica in the shot bottle will solve all of this.
(Honest) ;)
Click to expand...

Yup. And another drop tube hint: if you accidentally get some spray lube in the powder drop tube and it starts bridging, DO NOT degrease it with brake cleaner. The newer MEC 600 drop tube is plastic and brake cleaner will melt it. :eek: Luckily, they're cheap.
 
Goneshoot'n said:
Maybe a dumb question but why doesn’t anyone sell .410 dies for a regular reloading press? I’ve never loaded a shotgun shell in my life, so I’m probably missing something
Click to expand...

Could you poke a spent one of these out in your press?

image.jpg

If the shell holders a problem, your press probably would be too.
 
410 shotshells are the most expensive ga. to buy and the least expensive to reload. Making the step to reload mainly depends on how much you intend to shoot your .410. The MEC 600 jr press is a good tool, but the MEC Grabber is better and used ones are often available on eBay.
 
desmobob said:
They're out there... just no Winchester AAs that I've seen. Euro hulls are available and while not as nice as Winchesters, they're better than nothing!



AAs are also my easy favorite but hard to find. I stopped shooting my .410 semi-auto because it hurts me so to loose those hulls. ;) I'm waiting for the Yildiz SPZ ME in .410 to become available again to I can buy one and minimize the loss of the precious little AAs. What a great excuse to buy a new shotgun!



Yup. And another drop tube hint: if you accidentally get some spray lube in the powder drop tube and it starts bridging, DO NOT degrease it with brake cleaner. The newer MEC 600 drop tube is plastic and brake cleaner will melt it. :eek: Luckily, they're cheap.
Click to expand...


Been loading .410 for 30+ years on a MEC 600Jr. AA and black Rem 2 1/2" load great. But, they are getting hard to come by.

I picked up 250 rounds of .444 Marlin. Loaded with Lil Gun, Claybuster wad, 1/2 oz of shot, felt wad on top and crimped with a .44mag die. Getting 10 loads per hull. Shoots wonderful.

No reloader needed. Punch primer. Set new primer. Scale to weigh powder or powder dipper. Set wad with a pencil. Dipper for shot. Crimp felt wad.
 
I was wondering the same thing as Goneshoot'n. So size of the primer and my Rock Chucker channel in the ram is the problem? I've also never loaded shotgun shells.
 
Appalachiannative said:
For Christmas the Mrs got me my first shotgun in .410 bore. It's something I've been wanting to try for a while just to add an extra element of skill to my small game hunting. I've noticed that presses in .410 are a lot more expensive new than their larger counter parts, with the exception of the 10 gauge, and so I've been considering getting into roll crimping. But then I discovered this product
https://www.thexringusa.com/product-page/survival-loader-for-410-ga does anyone on here have experience with this?
Click to expand...
If you're looking at reloading like that. Why not just buy brass shells?
I bought some from Midway. They take SPP. I've just started reloading them.
I use a harbor freight hole punch to cut wads from cardboard and cork.
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2014/07/ed-harris-how-to-make-and-load-all-brass-410-shotshells/
It was pretty cool hunting squirrel with my cheap 410 shells.
 
Bfh_auto said:
If you're looking at reloading like that. Why not just buy brass shells?
I bought some from Midway. They take SPP. I've just started reloading them.
I use a harbor freight hole punch to cut wads from cardboard and cork.
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2014/07/ed-harris-how-to-make-and-load-all-brass-410-shotshells/
It was pretty cool hunting squirrel with my cheap 410 shells.
Click to expand...
Now that's an interesting idea. Only problem with that is I have over 1000 209 primers but no large pistol primers.
 
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