Hello to all:

Does any or has any body ever tried to reload the Esate shotgun shells? I have accuired several of them and was wondering if they would work at all or should I just pitch them. They only have a 6 crimp pattern and they are a tapered hull. I have looked all over the net and cant find any reloading data for them. I called the company and they told me that they dont make the componients for the shells and they wouldnt tell me who did. The guy I spoke to said that they discourage reloading. He told me "off the record" the hulls dont make very good reloads. I have tried to reload a few just to see what kind of crimps I could get and they turned out pretty good. I dont think that I would be able to get any more than 1 or 2 loads out of them. Thanks in advance for any and all info.

Richard W. Gullotto

The only place I've seen this stuff is on our military firing ranges, the OO buckshot loads they probably provide under some minority owned business contract...personally I think the stuff is junk. 6 point crimps were probably from buckshot and maybe milsurp. I don't think they will tell you what they use because they don't seem to standardize. I've seen different hulls come out of their boxes...in different lots of course.

hope this helps,
Regards,
Graycg

DISCLAIMER: I am not a ballistics lab or loading manual, and am quite irresponsible. Use this info at your own risk.

So. I ran into a bunch of these hulls when I was working the skeet range. They were another cheap load to blast with and a local shop stocked them, so a lot of guys used them for informal skeet shoots.

Hating to waste the hulls (55 gallons a week), I fooled around with a few different loads. They are about as durable at the old original Federal plastics with the paper base, meaning I wouldn't load them more than once or twice. Good throwaways for one time hunting use.

The internal dimensions are similar to AA's, with their tapered hull and short plastic base wad. I used my regular trap load for a AA hull and they were OK. Just had to change the crimp started star and adjust the wad pressure slightly.

Duckslayer79,

I bought 3000 Estate 12 gauge hulls a few years back at $15 per thousand and could't pass it up. Gentleman I purchased them from was using AA loading data. The ones I bought were 8 point crimp target loads. I've loaded them with light charges of powder for my son and I to practice our clay pigeon shooting before hunting season. I get 2-3 loads out of them before they won't hold crimps or sometimes split. For serious reloading I've been sticking with Remington STS hulls but these have turned to be good cheap cases for practice. Loads were 17.5 grains Green Dot/Win 209 primer/Win WAA12 wad or Claybuster equivalent and 1 1/8 oz #8 shot. Also played with some loads with 17.5 gr Alliant American Select and other components the same. Chronographed at about 1050 fps, light recoil.
Good luck
Paul

Estate has some sort of connection with Winchester and Bismuth. I have read and been told that Bismuth are loaded by or with Estate hull's. I've also been told by trap/skeet shooter's that they are almost identical Winchester hull's. If you would like to reload those hulls and unsure about it, then you should contact Alliant powder or perhaps Precision reloading which offers a booklet on bismuth, steel and lead load data of various hull manufactor.