Want to reload .410

I broke down and ordered the die set from bpi just in case anyone is still thinking about this. The only reason I considered the $90 whack a mole set is because I did not know I had options other than going straight to MEC for a die set and they want $220. I was very surprised and still don't understand how BPI can do it for $120. I'm a real penny pincher I know but believe me when I say my grandfather was way worse. Now I'm contemplating going with a traditional fiber column that I can make myself with a punch I already have vs paying for plastic wads heck I already typically use my 600jr without a bar and elect to divvy out the powder with my lee power flask and spoon out lead with my adjustable shot dipper to avoid buying charging bars and powder bushings
 
Appalachiannative said:
I broke down and ordered the die set from bpi just in case anyone is still thinking about this. The only reason I considered the $90 whack a mole set is because I did not know I had options other than going straight to MEC for a die set and they want $220. I was very surprised and still don't understand how BPI can do it for $120. I'm a real penny pincher I know but believe me when I say my grandfather was way worse. Now I'm contemplating going with a traditional fiber column that I can make myself with a punch I already have vs paying for plastic wads heck I already typically use my 600jr without a bar and elect to divvy out the powder with my lee power flask and spoon out lead with my adjustable shot dipper to avoid buying charging bars and powder bushings
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Wads make a big difference in pattern quality. I would at least pattern both.
 
Universal charge bars are the only way to go for me. I never wanted to buy a bunch of charge bars and bushings which don’t allow you to fine tune the load.
The old ones have been discontinued but BPI now sells one. Kinda pricey but I think it’s the only game in town for an adjustable one these days. Out of stock right now unfortunately.
https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Adjusta-Drop-Charge-Bar-single-stage/productinfo/ADCSS/


Wow! Maybe not! I just looked at eBay at used ones and they are $75-$100. Guess they went up when they stopped making them

as for making your own wads it will work but at a few cents each I think the wads help the patterns a lot. Cost more to shoot that squirrel a second time.
 
Barbaroja said:
Universal charge bars are the only way to go for me. I never wanted to buy a bunch of charge bars and bushings which don’t allow you to fine tune the load.
The old ones have been discontinued but BPI now sells one. Kinda pricey but I think it’s the only game in town for an adjustable one these days. Out of stock right now unfortunately.
https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Adjusta-Drop-Charge-Bar-single-stage/productinfo/ADCSS/


Wow! Maybe not! I just looked at eBay at used ones and they are $75-$100. Guess they went up when they stopped making them
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It is good that someone picked up making an adjustable charge bar again.

I do not remember what I paid for my Universal Charge bars in the 1980's-1990's but I only bought two for my four MEC 600jr presses. I remember the price was not excessive for the time. (I have a press for each gauge/bore, 12, 20, 28 gauges and .410 bore. Even though you can change a MEC 600jr to a different gauge, you will only do it once.)

I found that the standard MEC charge bars and bushings were more than adequate for 12, 20, and 28 gauges. The Universal Charge Bar did not operate as smoothly as the standard MEC charge bars.

I do have a Universal Charge bar in my .410 600jr loader. I could not get a powder charge that I wanted with bushings and with the small size of the .410 hull I thought it best to be able to dial it in exactly.

I did put a spacer in the powder cavity so that it would be nearly centered on the drop tube when charging the hull. Again, with the small amount of powder used in .410, the powder cavity in Universal Charge bar is off center on the drop tube and I was getting variable powder drop weights.

I have the second charge bar for use in my larger gauge presses in case I stumble into a load combination that I cannot match close enough with the standard charge bars. But, I rarely use it.
 
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Barbaroja said:
as for making your own wads it will work but at a few cents each I think the wads help the patterns a lot. Cost more to shoot that squirrel a second time.
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I agree. I got 500 for something like 12 dollars. Definitely not the expensive part of the load.
 
The problem with using Cheddite primers is the fact that they are bigger in diameter than other primers. So once you switch to Cheddite primers then you will have to stick with them.

That being said, I have not had any issues with the Cheddite primers with my 410 loads.
 
12Bravo20 said:
The problem with using Cheddite primers is the fact that they are bigger in diameter than other primers. So once you switch to Cheddite primers then you will have to stick with them.

That being said, I have not had any issues with the Cheddite primers with my 410 loads.
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I'm gonna be working with cheddite hulls and cheddite primers are mostly all I have so that's no big deal. Seems like all I can find are cheddite, fio, and if I'm willing to pay a gouger federal 209A
 
jmorris said:
the top ones are the wads I like but the 2nd link has a number of choices.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2494111915
https://www.ballisticproducts.com/410-wads/products/93/
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I just wish they would clearly state in the description whether or not it's a tapered or straight wall wad. I load win AA HS with WinAA wads all the time and I know them to be tapered while all euro hulls are straight walled. I've found crappy data before that hade putting tapered wads in fio hulls and was furious with the amount of powder migration I saw in the clear fio hulls
 
Yep! The hodgden reloading site has data for cheddite hulls and various wads that it works in place of.
We’re going to get you up to your ears in 410 yet shells buddy!
 
The versatility of wad to hull combos makes me want to ask Are .410 hulls made to be either straight walled or tapered like their 12 gauge cousins or are they all one way ? I know Winchester and Remington 12 gauge are both tapered and Remington is bout the only one piece hull left on the market while federal is the only straight walled American hull meanwhile all euros are straight, oh and by the way I've noticed the transparent cheddites are of such thin wall thickness (or at least that's what I blame this on) that no wad I've ever tried feels as tight in the as a properly paired wad in a domestic hull. This is all stuff I've learned through splitting hulls down the middle and just holding wad and hull combos in my fingers and playing with them. This is easy to do with 12 gauge, not so much with .410 bore so I just wonder if all this variation just simply does not occur on the little guns hulls
 
410 hull bases are either straight or tapered depending on the manufacturer and even the different loads. Reloading 410 shells is no different then any other shot shell, you should always stick with the correct load data for the type/brand of hull and wad being used. Now with wads one can safety use the Claybuster 410 wads as a replacement for any others. This is because the 410 does not use a cushion wad like other shot shells do, the 410 wad is actually a shot cup.

I have been reloading 3" Cheddite hulls exclusively over that last few years. I have loaded #7 1/2 shot along with 000 buckshot with them.
 
12Bravo20 said:
410 hull bases are either straight or tapered depending on the manufacturer and even the different loads. Reloading 410 shells is no different then any other shot shell, you should always stick with the correct load data for the type/brand of hull and wad being used. Now with wads one can safety use the Claybuster 410 wads as a replacement for any others. This is because the 410 does not use a cushion wad like other shot shells do, the 410 wad is actually a shot cup.

I have been reloading 3" Cheddite hulls exclusively over that last few years. I have loaded #7 1/2 shot along with 000 buckshot with them.
Click to expand...
Ok so the base of a 410 plastic wad does not vary as much as it does not act as a gas seal in the same way that a 12 gauge wad does? I mean you can see and feel all the play or lack there of in a bad 12 gauge wad and hull combination. You try to take one made for straight walled hulls and force it into a tapered hull and you get a bulge. You take a wad ment for a tapered hull and it slides free in a federal and basically falls in or out of a euro hull. You mean to say that the .410 this is not the case? I sure hope this is what you mean because that sounds wonderful
 
Remember that all 410 shot cups (outside specialty ones from Ballistic Products) are all made for use in 2 1/2" shells. Claybuster wads are suitable replacements for Federal, Remington and Winchester wads. And all four brands are optimized for 1/2 ounce loads in 2 1/2" shells.

While the Claybuster wads are interchangeable between the different hulls. You still need to stick with the reloading data for each hull. A powder charge meant for a straight wall hull will cause over pressure in a tapered wall. Plus they won't crimp the same either.

In fact it is best to stick with one brand and type of hulls as much as possible. Otherwise you will find yourself having issues with the crimp on finished shells.

I will use 2 1/2" Winchester hulls as an example. Load data for 2 1/2" AA hulls will be different than data for 2 1/2" Super X hulls. And if you try and mix the two, your crimps will be good for one but not the other. Now throw in Federal and/or Remington hulls and the crimps will definitely be all over the place.

I use the MEC 600Jr for reloading 410 shells. And every time I switch from one brand or type of hull, I do have to adjust everything in order to get a good crimp.
 
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