Tell me about brass shotshells

[joec]

There is really no need to get complicated with all brass shells, hand loading works just fine and goes just as fast once you get the hang of it. Original tools are available on e-bay at modest prices, such as the Lee Loader sets. A ring type primer seater and a wood dowel are all you really need. Seat primer, pour powder charge, OP card, cushion wad(s), lead charge, OS card. That's it. I seal 'em with hot glue, no need to crimp. I have never needed to resize the brass cases even with a 10ga full house load. Last forever. Great fun. One trick..I make shot cups from dime wrappers. I get about 10% more lead on the target than without 'em.

The only problem with the lee loader is the spent primer punch is too large for a brass shell. Most of them have large pistol primers so I use a depriming punch from a Lee Universal depriming die which is about $3. I've used the wood dowel and lee hand loader dowels for it but always made me a bit nervous hence the system I setup for myself. The rest is all done by hand with brass shells only. Now a standard plastic shell the hand loader is fine by me completely. I will eventually get a Lee shot shell press for the plastic once I go to doing enough of them at one time.

[kurt250]

i bought a old hand reloading set for brass shotshells at a gun show ten years ago for 15 bucks. i got it to try out. got my componets from ballistic supply and have never got a real shotgun press. i don't glue the front of shot shell, instead i bought a tool that crimps the rim and holds the overshot wad in tight. i use melted beeswax to cover the over shot wad. keeps everything dry and helps hold the shot in' also makes cleaning a black powder shot gun a little easier.kurt250

[Cookie]

Another trick I use - I drill out the flash holes a bit. The flash holes on Magtech brass are pretty inconsistent in size and placement, and drilling them out makes finding them with your depriming punch so much easier.

[rickk]

There is a fair amount of info in this book, which is actually the same as a three part article that appeared in "Handgunner" magazine a few years back.


http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Reloading-Brass-Shotshells-manual-VanDenburg/productinfo/00MBRASS/