Summon the Hull Elf…it’s Reloading Time!

Hull elf. Brass rat. Cartridge hound. Just a few of the names around shooting ranges for those who collect empties. Their favorite habit also includes shotgunning forums. Whether locally or online, finding a good supplier of Remington Premier STS or Winchester AA hulls* covers the first step necessary for reloading.

Reasons to reload include customizing loads to your preferences, the satisfaction of doing something yourself and saving a few dollars. I should emphasize that the “saving a few dollars” part mostly occurs if you compare reloaded shell costs to premium loads. As the calculator shows (Shotshell Reloading Cost Calculator) you can save about $3 a box. However, most big box sporting goods stores will have “value” shells available for about $5 – $5.50 box, which equals the cost of the reloads.

You can calculate your own cost of reloads here: http://www.10xshooters.com/calculators/Shotshell_Reloading_Cost_Calculator.htm

Your gun might feed and shuck value shells just fine…or it might not. But in any case, the value shells won’t be tailored to your preferences. For example, for skeet shooting, I like a low-recoil load and 1 oz. of #9 shot (average pellet count: 585). I can burn 200 shells during practice without killing my shoulder, and the high pellet count just might give me that single extra “magic BB” that breaks a clay. Most value shells produce more recoil, and finding #9 is hard (7.5 and 8 are more common; 1 oz. of # 8 has 410 pellets and #7.5 has 350). Many older shooters, women shooters, cowboy action shooters and others wishing the lowest recoil possible reload so they can shoot a 7/8-oz. ultra light target load.

For sporting clays, they say (you know, “them experts”) you want a faster load, somewhere it the 1,250 to 1,350 fps range, to break birds better. Whatever. I know for sure that Winchester’s AA sporting clays and heavy target 1-1/8 oz. loads go fast…and they’re also punishing out of an O/U shotgun that doesn’t have some sort of aftermarket spring/gas/fluid recoil reduction system. Out of an autoloader, such as my Benelli SBE 2 or 11-87 premier skeet, no problem. Their respective inertia and gas systems dissipate a lot of felt recoil. Out of my Citori 625 Sporting with basic Kick-Ez recoil pad: ouch. Unless I shot a perfect score, I don’t need to feel it the next day.

Since I started reloading for sporting clays, I found that 1 oz. of #8 with 18.5 grains of 700-x powder (which is what my MEC #30 bushing drops) produces shot speeds somewhere in the “anointed” range north of 1,250 fps. It has an acceptable recoil (certainly less perceived recoil than 1-1/8 oz. shot with 14.5 grains of 700-x) and it seems to break birds for me.

Shotgun loads are like grandma’s meatloaf: everyone’s got a favorite recipe. And the truth is, there are a lot of good recipes out there. People are willing to share, so ask at the range or your local reloading supply store. Buy in small lots and tinker until you find a load that feels comfortable, fits your needs and provides confidence. That’ll eliminate a lot of mental worries, which is half the battle in clays games.

* Remington Premier STS and Winchester AA hulls are the Cadillac of the industry. They maintain consistent pressure over a greater number of reloads compared to other shells, providing the best value and best performance over time.

P.S. Here’s the rest of the details on my sporting clays load: CALCULATING RELOADING COSTS – REMINGTON STS 12 GAUGE